Just came from another weekend away from home, in the last 5 weekends, I’ve been out of town for 4 weekends and for the remaining weekend, it was a full packed weekend, that it seemed I was away for the weekend anyway. The truth is, service can be draining and we need time to recharge and refocus on who are doing this for.
It just hit me that I haven’t been able to visit the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration as much as I should in the last 5 weeks. The busy schedule has likewise taken the front seat from a quality prayer time. The Lord’s message to me just now is: STOP serving me for now, LOOK at My Eyes and LISTEN to what I have to say to you.
And early in the morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there. ( Mark 1:35)
And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away. And after bidding them farewell, he departed to the mountain to pray. (Mark 6:45-46)
And they came to a place called Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began praying. ( Mark 14:32-34)
And when day came, He departed to a lonely place; and the multitudes were searching for Him, and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from going away from them. ( Luke 4:42)
But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. ( Luke 5:16)
And 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)