July 11

”After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray”.

(Mark 6:46 NIV)

There are those who say they don’t need specific times for prayer; they are constantly in prayer. That sounds good. However, when we read out Jesus we realize that even if Jesus was in constant contact with His Father, He was still eager to set aside specific times for focused prayer.

Stanley Jones, the Christian author, who served many years as a missionary in India, knew that well. He said:”If you want to find God at any time, you must find some time for Him, and if you want to find Him everywhere, you must seek Him someplace.”

Martin Luther was also very specific on this point. He said:”The person who doesn’t pray at appointed times, also doesn’t pray at unappointed times”.

Someone has likened prayer-life to a bridge, where the bridge span is constant prayer. However, the span can not be suspended in pure air; it requires pillars to support it. The pillars represent the designated, scheduled prayer times.

Prayer

Lord, today I want to come to you in prayer at regular, appointed times, in order that these prayer-pillars will bolster a steady prayer life, and to remember that I can always turn to You.