Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16 (NIV)
A young pastor always spent a lot of time studying the Bible and teaching Bible doctrines in his church. For him, studying the word was the most important aspect of ministry that should never be neglected. When a retired pastor asked him how much time he spent in prayer, he couldn't answer. He just muttered that he prayed like everyone else.
The retired pastor did not hesitate to tell him that his ministry was missing its main purpose. He then told him that when he was in his place, he spent much more time in the presence of God than in His word. This pastor followed the example of Jesus Christ. He accomplished nothing without consulting his father, even in the choice of His disciples. He had spent a whole night in prayer.
This verse tells us that people flocked to Him for healing and deliverance from evil spirits. He could have been content to act by the power of the spirit that animated Him, but He chose to retire into the desert to pray. What place do you give to prayer in your personal life and in your ministry? By saying that without Him we can do nothing, Jesus calls us to turn to Him in prayer in all circumstances, as He did with His father. If you want to succeed in your ministry, always take the time to go to God in prayer, He will reveal to you what you must do for Him.
May the grace and peace of God be with you all.
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