Editors note: This devotional is taken from the archives of Gospel of Mark, chapter 6.

“After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” (Mark 6:46, NIV)

Observation:
I asked myself what Jesus does?
Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray.

Interpretation:
I asked myself the significance of this action.

Jesus had just taught the crowds many things as he saw them as a sheep without a shepherd. Later, Jesus decides to personally dismiss the crowd of 5000+. By this time, Jesus must be tired. Instead of going with His disciples on a boat, Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray. Jesus did not let the days work distract him from spending time to pray. That is so amazing to me. Jesus did not go anywhere but up on a mountainside to pray. There Jesus could have had solitude.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. No matter what I am doing or have been doing, I need to always make time for prayer. Jesus is setting an example to me. Interestingly, as I shared before, after spending time in prayer and falling asleep, I had received an awesome dream. In the dream, I saw Jesus going up to the mountainside. When I woke up Jesus’ words: “Do not be afraid, just believe” resonated in me. Those words still do and give me strength. The dream I received also changed some of the circumstances of my life that would not have happened without the dream. It has been a challenging experience but a blessing in disguise too. The days that have gone by had been spent in prayer and His Word, before and after work many days.  It is prayer that sustains me.

I ask you now dear friend, when do you pray.

Dear friend, Jesus prayed even after a long days work. Jesus decided to take time to spend in prayer after sending the 5000+ home and his disciples on their way. This showed me the importance of prayer. You can pray always regardless of the time, for prayer is talking to the Lord and His office hours are open 24/7....

But, do you also find a solitary place for just you and the Lord to talk to Him about what you are going through?

If not, you should friend because it is amazing how the Lord works and the strength He can give even through puzzling situations. Jesus loves you so much and also has prayed for you. That is exciting to know that Jesus has prayed for you. I know He has prayed for me. I am reminded of John 17.

You can talk to the Lord anytime as you depend on Him. Whatever you are going through, take it to the Lord in prayer. Let Him heal you and guide you, for He will. If you need an answer in a career choice, academic choice, relationship choice who to be with, etc, our Lord has the answer! Yes, He does! Jesus prayed to set an example! In prayer to the Lord and waiting for His answer, there is direction. Yes, there is friend for you and me!

May you find prayer refreshing and a weapon to be used against the enemy as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ leads you! Amen!

“Prayer Reaches Always Yeshua!”(P.R.A.Y)/”When do you pray?”

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you even after all the days work, you took time for prayer. This means a lot. Thank you for the example you set. Help me Oh Lord to set a good example. Thanks for knowing what we go through and revealing your love for us. You Oh Lord are a God of wonders! I thank you for praying for us, for you prayed for future believers too. It means a lot. Take all our concerns Oh Lord and direct us please. Help us to always give you first place leaving the results in your Hands. I thank you Jesus. We want hear from you and know you! Thank you we can Lord. We rest in you. I pray for the one right now who is struggling. You Oh Lord know their struggles. When they do not have words to pray, thank you that you can pray for them for the Holy Spirit intercedes. Heal them with your power and presence Oh Lord. Thank you so much Jesus! Thank you for hearing us and answering us! Cultivate our prayer life Oh Lord! Thank you for the Psalms that we can turn into prayers! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Make this your prayer. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking you need all the answers before coming to Christ. Let me just assure you though you may not have all the answers right now before coming to Jesus, He will answer them slowly. Yes, He will for I know our Redeemer will! Amen!

Prayer:
Jesus, I thank you for being the Bread of Life. You are the Living Bread of my life. Thank you for coming from Heaven and giving your life for the life of the world. You sacrificed yourself for humanity. Thank you Lord when we eat of you symbolically making you part of our life, digesting what you teach us by following you, we can be living Eternally, and the fruit that comes will reflect and resemble your life. I want that Father God. I want that Lord Jesus! I want that Holy Spirit! I know of a lot of people who partake of Holy Communion where the bread represents your body broken to redeem them from their sin and the juice represents your blood shed for their sin. When we partake of Holy Communion, we are reminded that we are remembering you. I want to remember you always Lord Jesus. But for me to remember you always, I need to know you and acknowledge everything you said you are. So right now I acknowledge that you are my Lord and Personal Savior who died and rose again to give me life from sin. So right now, I come to you and say how sorry I am for my sin and living a life on my own. I repent of my sin and ask you to forgive me of my sin with your cleansing blood which I accept. Wash me and I will be clean from this infection of sin. Come Lord Jesus and please become part of my life as you live in me and I will live for you. I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I do need your Spirit to reside in me and work in me and through me so I surrender all that I am and will be to you. Whatever your will is for me, please give me the strength and willingness to bear it and rejoice in you. Thank you so much Jesus. I thank you Jesus for becoming my Lord and Personal Savior. I thank you Jesus you have heard my prayer and have answered me. I thank you that I am your child Oh God. I thank you for becoming my only Way to Eternal Life. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Friend you may feel something or may not feeling anything but do not go by your feelings. When you ask Jesus to come into your life, He will and does. He will take over from here as you depend on the Lord and let Him work in you and through you! This is exciting friend! May each one that came to know Jesus be filled with His Holy Spirit forever more and those that know Jesus come to know Him more and more! Amen!

Get yourself involved in a campus Bible study, fellowship, and most of all find a Bible believing church and be involved to grow in your Christian walk with the Lord. They all need to be supplements for your own precious time with the Lord in prayer and meditating on His Word. If you need a Bible, please let me know!

As the movie DaVinci Code opened across the theaters on May 19, 2006, which speaks against the church and most importantly degrades the Name of Jesus Christ, we need to make ourselves available to speak the truth to the falsity presented in the movie and the novel. If you plan to watch the movie or have read the book and have questions or your faith seems to be shaken, please email me or give me a call at 412-720-4579 so we can discuss the false claims in the book that are presented as fact even though the book itself and the movie is presented as fiction. May the Lord bless you and guide you!

If you need anyone to talk to, pray with, or study the Bible with this  Summer of 2006, you can email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com or call me at 412-720-4579. Please do not hesitate. One-one Bible studies can be so powerful too because the Holy Spirit is still in the midst.

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

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