Jesus Alone in Prayer

There are three other times Jesus was alone in prayer with the Father.

1) Before choosing the Disciples he "went off to a solitary place"  (Luke 4:42).
2) At the Mount of Transfiguration- He was with Moses and Elijah in a cloud; the voice confirming that He should be heard as God's Son came; then it says, "When the voice had spoken , they found that Jesus was alone." (Luke 9:36).
3) He was praying in the Garden on the Mount of Olives (Gethsemane).  "He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed: "Father if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.  And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.  When he arose form prayer he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, exhausted by sorrow." (Luke 22:41-45)

Thoughts: Before every major event in His life, Jesus spent time isolated from others but alone with God.  In Luke 4 it was before he chose the disciples.  In Luke 9 it was before he changed his course and went to die in Jerusalem.  In Luke 22 he prayed before his arrest, torture, and crucifixion and resurrection.
In the fourth century a group of monks followed the example of Anthony the Great who spent about a third of his life as a hermit- alone. He was born rich but sold all and became an ascetic who ate only bread, salt and drank only water.  But he lived 105 years.  It was in his aloneness that he realized that sin did not stop just because he was alone.  You do not have to be a hermit to deal with sin.  In fact, our command to love calls us away from being alone in order to care for others if we can.
    But being alone in prayer was a regular practice of Jesus.  Isolation can seem torture- but it can also be a blessing if we can find time to be alone with God on purpose.  Isolation loses its torture if you find the blessedness of the presence of the Lord. 
    In the midst of tough times, like we are in now, it is time to pray.  Pray for mercy, repentance, for God's Spirit to be at work amongst the people.   Pray for those who work hard- the health care workers, staff, grocers, delivery workers, and others.  God wants us, when we are not called to be so distracted, to pray to Him.

(Heinrich Hoffman 1886) 

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you embraced isolation as a chance to pray.  Help me to embrace Your Presence in my life.