September 8, 2023 - Luke‬ ‭5:15-16‬

“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

Lord, you chose to lay down your Deity and became fully human. Yet, your life as a human here on earth likely is very different than ours. You lived a holy life. You performed so many life-changing miracles. You knew what people truly needed without asking them. From what the Bible tells us, we should be able to live the same kind of life you lived, but why don’t we?

Jesus, you often withdrew alone to quiet places to spend time with the Father. This was the key to your power. You made time for your relationship with the Father. There was so much need demanding your time. Crowds literally followed you around and you had the power to change their lives, to heal them, and to set them free. You were needed, yet you would turn away the need for the Father. You valued your relationship with him more than you did the needs of the crowd. But it was actually your time with him that allowed you to meet the needs of the crowds.

Teach us to value our relationship with you more than the needs that seem so big and important and the people who might be offended or hurt that we didn’t get to them. Show us how to find the right balance. Help us prioritize time with you. Show us how to get our strength and power from you. Teach us how to hear your voice and walk in obedience. Father, we declare that we want you more than anything else. We praise you that you will help us be more effective with the time that we do have when we prioritize our time with you.

In Jesus name, amen.