Key Verse: Verse 16 – "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed."
Key Words: and prayed
Jesus would spend full nights in prayer (Luke 6:12). He would often rise before dawn to spend time with the Father in prayer (Mark 1:35). Prayer is a vital part of the leader’s life. Jesus told Peter, James, and John: "What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40) Then in verse 41 we read in part, “Watch and pray.”
Thomas Lye said, “I would rather stand against the cannons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous.”
While very ill, John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, called to his wife and said, “Read me that Scripture where I first cast my anchor.” After he listened to the beautiful prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17, he seemed to forget his weakness. He began to pray, interceding earnestly for his fellowmen. He prayed for the ungodly who had thus far rejected the gospel. He pleaded in behalf of people who had been recently converted. And he requested protection for the Lord’s servants, many of whom were facing persecution. As Knox prayed, his spirit went Home to be with the Lord. The man of whom Queen Mary had said, “I fear his prayers more than I do the armies of my enemies,” ministered through prayer until the moment of his death.
As spiritual leaders, I wonder how many of the unrighteous fear our prayers.
What to do:
✞ Pray as if everything depends on God, and then work as if everything depends on you.
Are you Saved? | Get These Free Devotions Everyday By Email
