“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” – Martin Luther King, Jr

Amidst times of trials and troubles we have an ability to find refuge in the Father. This is the safe haven we see Christ seeking though out his ministry on earth. It is pivotal to understand Christ’s retreat to be close to the heart of the Father. His trips to the mountaintop, his blood soaked prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, His retreat with the disciples on the boat: Christ was a man of prayer. When the ability to draw near to the heart of the Father came for restoration and direction, he ardently sought it. He was attacked, undermined, betrayed, denied and ostracized; in response he sought the solitude and the solace of the Father. He needed to be near to the Father to know his heart. Where there was trust: Where he was loved. Where he was aware of whom he was in light of circumstances. What an incredible context to know one’s self and the peace of purpose which exists within one’s life in light of the Father and his mission to the world. It illuminates direction, sacrifice, duty and the paths to where God will next use you to gather people unto Himself. As Brennan Manning once wrote, “One cannot think of the number of wrong jobs, wrong personal relationships, and all the subsequent suffering that would be avoided if Christians submitted their decision making process to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and shared in his intimate trust in God’s direction.” Truly we have an advocate to help us in our hours of need: One who gives direction and peace.

He has shown us in his son’s devotion to drawing near the Father in prayer, his desire for community with his own. We are his children and he desires our hearts near to his. The more attuned to his purpose that we are, the more we long to retreat to his presence for restoration. The place of his nearness can overcome our moment of disarray. The time of our hearts quiet meditation of Him is an exercise in knowing the Almighty. When we rest in his presence, we absorb the ideas of his Spirit and the intentions of his heart. Stillness before the Almighty yields rewards which the tangible cannot diminish. Despite our circumstances, we rely on this connection to the Father. This place of indwelling is our source of strength. It is not in our ability to pontificate miraculous things about God, or realize the self and the myriad of duties and directions we are being pulled, or the ministries we participate in, or our ability to contemplate higher truth in the ever transcendent Father: It is our ability to define ourselves in him and internalize through prayer the source of joy and strength we have in being his. We restore our strength in acknowledging the bond to the God of the universe who knows the hairs on our head. Sharing in his peace and glory is a place which transforms our daily lives, and calls us home to his presence in prayer.

As the days race by, and the demands pummel our state of mind, when we find ourselves stretched thin in the places of our lives; emulate Christ and seek the Father. Seek Him in prayer. Contemplatively sit in his acceptance. Acknowledge his worthiness of trust and pursuit in our lives. Embrace the love He has for you personally: Let it envelop you. Allow the waters of communion with him to wash over your head. Let your cup overflow with the blessings of being still and knowing not only that He is God; but He is intensely in love with you. He is longing for you to know his peace, his transcendence and his purpose.