Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." [Lk 5:16]

As I said yesterday, I came to believe that God has sent me to Washington as a kind of "wilderness". I've been here for nearly 45 days, not counting weekends and the one week I worked from home. Still it's not been easy. But making a living is often something one just has to do.

Today as I drove to work, listening to Luke's Gospel, I heard this verse, as never before, and was comforted knowing that my Lord was often lonely, by choice, though not as I am---to make money---but to pray. How little I have taken advantage of this opportunity spiritually, to spend time in prayer. Not that I haven't prayed. But it is far from being a priority. Even so, I must thank my Lord who brought me here for a purpose, and has shown me at last what the purpose was: To get me alone with Him.

Now I thank my God that I am never alone. Never. He is with me, my Lord and Christ, my Bridegroom. I pray he may soon show me the door upon which to knock in my hometown, for I am sure he has work for me there. But as I have often said, I will move every year, if that is my Lord's will. Yet I know it cannot happen until His work is planted firmly in Charlottesville.

And oh how I thank God that this world and especially this corrupt city (D.C.) is not my home, but the New Jerusalem, to which we go. "I have looked over and seen the Promised Land." And there is my hope, in that city "whose Architect and Builder is God." Why do I try to store up treasure here? Why should I plan and work for retirement? "The Lord will provide." This may not be everyone's faith, but it IS my faith. In God we trust. Let us not be put to shame, Lord.

Father, move my heart to pray. Send me your Spirit to enable me to pray. Put your desire in my heart, the desire for all peoples to hear the Gospel of Jesus, and believe. Lord, in this age of deceit, help me to speak the truth in Love, and with power to move sinners to repent, not for money, but to "become poor for their sakes", like my Lord, and not for popularity, but in lonely places, in prayer. IJNA