Get Away and Pray
I recently preached a series of lessons in Zion, Illinois. To get there, I had to drive through downtown Chicago at mid-day on a Friday—not fun. There was construction for miles, lanes were packed and my son and I drove in stop-and-go, bumper-to- bumper traffic for two hours before we arrived.
The preacher in Zion joked with me there were “two seasons in Chicago—winter and construction!”
Upon arrival, we had a couple of hours to spare. The wonderful family we stayed with lived a mile from Lake Michigan. So, my son and I drove to the local marina and took a walk on the boardwalk and stared at a piece of God’s creation we do not usually get to see here in soybean land.
My son hopped and skipped on the pier, explored the new sights and asked fun questions. The quietness and solitude of the lakefront setting gave me a chance to meditate, pray and de-stress for a while. I needed that moment. We all need those moments.
Jesus once taught, “...when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father…” (Matthew 6:6). Whether it be a quiet room or a mountain side, Jesus practiced what He preached. After a rough day, Luke 6:12 records, “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
Sometimes, we get “too busy” to pray, too rushed to meditate and too consumed with the world to admire God’s creation. Jesus had multitudes thirsting for His teaching, crowds lining up for healing and enemies creating extra problems. Yet, He still found time to get away from it all and pray.
Think about it.
May 2008