Mark 1:29-39
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35 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. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
“Alone - To Pray”
Jesus needed to get away from it all. To be alone. To pray. To keep in touch with himself, his purpose, and his Father who sent him. This was no game he was playing. He needed this to stay on target!
This is what prayer is, at its deepest level. It is being with God, and letting the energy which pours forth from God renew us, as pure love can.
Meditation - and eastern art - is a tool of prayer.
Silence - a lost art is prayer too deep for words.
Perhaps our new motto should be: “Don’t just do something, sit there!”
Be with God at the deepest level of our being, in solitude and silence.
Henri Nouwen, a Catholic theologian of renown, suggests that solitude - time alone with God - helps us get in touch with a oneness with all people, which leads to less judgment and more compassion on our part.
“In solitude we realize that nothing human is alien to us, that the roots of all conflict, war, injustice, cruelty, hatred, jealousy, and envy are deeply anchored in our own heart! In solitude our heart of stone can be turned into a heart of flesh, a rebellious heart into a contrite heart, and a closed heart into a heart that can open itself to all suffering people in a gesture of solidarity.” The Way Of The Heart, p. 20
I like this one Gpa! I am a person who tends to always go go go ... but I do like to be alone and be quiet too.
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