45Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray." (Mark 6:41-46)
Did you see it? Let me print it again and try to make a word pop out at you...
"After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray."
We seem to have nailed the idea of praying BEFORE an important event:
- The test
- Labwork that may reveal cancer
- The wedding
- The event you've been planning for a year
Where I seem to fail in following the example of Jesus is praying AFTER...
- ...the marriage begins
- ...my event went off without a hitch
- ...I bombed my test (or aced it!)
- ...the lab test comes back positive (or negative!)
When a life event is over, we either (1) congratulate ourself or (2) tell ourself to learn from it and move on.
Perhaps we should lean on God AFTER an event as well! It seems awfully selfish to ask God for help before-hand and then take the credit afterward! And yet, I've been guilty of this SO many times in my life.
So next time, take a page from the life of Jesus: Pray before AND after that important happening in your life.
2 comments:
Franklin,
Wonderful text.
I think prayer is so important.
I have seen the effects of prayer in my own life as I face trials and illness. I am thankful for prayer.
I think it is so awesome that we can go away by ourselves and approach the thrown of God Himself. It blows my mind when I think about it. Not just approach God but with boldness.
Faith.
Knowing that he can do all things including answering the prayers that we bring before Him.
It is my prayer that believers all over the world will be known as a people of prayer.
Thank you brother for this wonderful post.
Keep up the great work.
I will visit your blog as I feel better. I am still suffering from extreme pain and migraines. Please keep me in your prayers as I try to find dout the problem.
God bless you brother, your ministry and havea great week.
Great post and I like your new thematic approach! All our ministries should be bathed in prayer. The after element was probably a safeguard attempt to make sure he stayed focus and true to the overall mission of the cross. We need the "after" prayer to make sure God is getting all the credit for the successes of our lives and that He is the first one we consult with for the coping strength we need for all the crises in our lives.
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