Prayer

It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12 (NASB)

I am ashamed to say it, but it is so easy for me to neglect focused prayer. Oh, I pray. I lift up prayers throughout the day. I pray in the mornings during my quiet time. But, I often neglect really stepping aside from normalcy and being secreted away in concentrated, uninterrupted prayer.

Jesus did this frequently. True, sometimes He went to do it and was distracted from it. But, He still is recorded several times to have pulled Himself away to the point of no distraction.

In this particular instance, it seems to be specifically related to selecting the apostles. But, there are other times that it is a general refueling.

When I really allow myself to step aside from life's busyness and focus on interaction with Him, the conversations are amazing! It doesn't mean I have to totally drop everything – sometimes I can dig into deep prayer while I'm folding clothes or washing dishes. But, it takes effort. It's not just running through a prayer list – it's true interaction, conversation, and listening. I must devote my mental energy to that much more frequently than I do.

This true, deep communion with my God is incredible. I am challenged to be willing to expend the energy to accomplish it!