“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
“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)
“When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then He took them with Him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida..” (Luke 9:10)
On this fifth Sabbath of our journey we want to be reminded of the importance of refreshment, as well as, rest. The Scriptures that we have been meditating on over the last 32 days have shown us that living a life of faith involves hard work and discipline. God calls us to follow Him through inconvenience and, sometimes suffering. It can be exhausting.
Jesus knew that rest and renewal was an important part of the life of every disciple. The verses above show Jesus modeling this as a priority. He would even get up early to find time alone to pray. He would regularly get by Himself to rest but, more importantly to pray. A Sabbath pause is not just about rest, it is about refreshment and refocus. The sabbath is not a call to sleep for twenty four hours. Sabbath is stepping back and taking time to allow God to fill you with His strength and grace.
So, today follow the example of Jesus and take a little extra time to get alone and pray. You might want to use the Lord’s Prayer as a guide. It is a great way to get your mind aligned with the Lord’s. How? Jesus said this,
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
Today…rest…relax…and allow God to renew your spirit for the week ahead.