It is easy to fall out of the habit of reading the bible and praying. We went on a vacation, and now I am trying to get back into a routine. The laundry is piled up. Suitcases are stacked by the door. I believe that reading the bible is more important. I have to start out each day in God’s word, and everything else will fall into place.
In the bible, Jesus often had to withdraw into the wilderness to pray. If the son of God needed to recharge with prayer, how much more do we need scriptures and prayer? I know that I do.
Crowds would go to Jesus, asking to be healed. People talked about how Jesus healed people of their infirmities. Great multitudes would seek Jesus and ask to be healed. Jesus would take time to go and pray. The bible says that he often withdrew from the crowds. He retreated into wilderness and prayed.
I can often feel overwhelmed and tired from the world. I am not alone. If Jesus needed the space and quiet time to pray, it seems prayer and reflection is an essential part of life. It leads me to believe that the world can be draining, and we need to recharge our spiritual selves. God can energize us.
However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
–Luke 5:15-16 (NKJV)
It is great to be liked and loved by others. It feels so good, when others care about you and do nice things for you. It makes you feel loved and cherished. Its like you start glowing from the inside and radiate light to all those around you. Being loved by family and friends is a great feeling.
The bible tells us that not everyone will like us. I have been excluded. It hurts. Its lonely. God tells us that we are blessed when men hate us. God says that we are blessed when people exclude us and call us evil, if its for the Son of Man’s sake. Some people will hate us for being Christians. As much as people will hate Christians, God will reward and bless us for standing firm in our faith. Our rewards will be great in heaven.
Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
–Luke 6:22-23 (NKJV)
It is so much easier to be liked, than hated. If people hate you for being a Christian, God will reward us. I think sometimes God will give us other people that love us and treat us well, so we forget the ones that don’t. Rejoice in the blessings of having people that love you! When people exclude you and hate you for being a Christian, God has far greater rewards for us in heaven.
Fitting into the world isn’t that great. When you lose your Godly ideals, you lose what makes you special and happy. God gives us inner peace that cannot matched or compared to anything in the world.
We are always striving to fit into the world. It is exhausting. It is so draining trying to fit in, that we seek ways to manage the stress of fitting into the world. We try yoga. We mediate. We have a drink to take the edge off. We exercise. We constantly seek ways to alleviate our stress. We seek peace. The answer is right there written in the bible…
We need to withdraw from the world often. Seek a quiet place. Pray. God can help us handle anything and everything in our lives. God can recharge us. God can renew us. God can energize us. Invest your time in prayer. The rewards of prayer are better than any fad or quick remedy. The almighty one created us and knows what we need. Seek God in prayer, and you will always find what you need.
Embrace This Beautiful Life 