Laurie Hopkins

Prayer changes things.  

We talked last week about the necessity of committing to regular prayer time to cultivate that intimate relationship with Jesus.  

We already read that Jesus often withdrew by Himself to pray.  

This passage brings in a whole new level. 

Jesus didn’t only withdraw to pray,

He spent the whole night praying.  

There are times in our lives when we will need to stick to our committed prayer times in our everyday routines.  

But there are also times when we will need some all-night prayer.  

Times before important decisions, times when we need to grow in the midst of change, times when we need wisdom and discernment, times when we need comfort.  

Prayer is a privilege, not a task to be accomplished and checked off the to-do list.  

Think about times when you have spent half the night up talking with your best friend(s). 

  It was totally worth the missed sleep.  

Prolonged time in the presence of the Lord is like that.  

The more time you spent, the more you get to know Him, the more you trust Him, the more guidance and direction you are willing to accept, the more you are able to walk into your destiny. 

 Is it time for some all-night prayer?

Think about a time when you were so engrossed in the presence of the Lord that you lost track of time?  What was that experience like for you?  Do you need to set aside some prolonged time to sit with the Lord (it doesn’t have to be all night J)?

Perspective is everything.  

What you look for, you will often find.  

The scribes and Pharisees specifically watched Jesus to see if He would break the law, by healing the man with the withered hand, on the Sabbath.  

What a shame that because of their focus, they missed the miracle! 

Instead of watching and acknowledge the miracle that took place, all they could see was that Jesus was operating outside their understanding of the law. 

We are often guilty of this in our daily lives.  

We watch people and situations so closely to see if they are going to “do something wrong” that we miss the positive pieces that come out of the situation.  

Our perspective and focus ultimately determine what we see and how we understand it. 

What if we became intentional about switching our perspective and our focus?

I wonder what would change.

How do you think your focus/perspective impacts your understanding of situations your encounter?

The scribes and Pharisees were the “church” of the day.  

When Jesus came he broke a lot of the “rules” by hanging out with those who were living outside the law.  

Because the scribes and Pharisees didn’t understand Jesus’ mission while on the earth, they questioned his actions and his motives. 

Why was He hanging out with sinners? 

Jesus came to free people from the rigors of the law, a law that they were unable to keep on their own. 

The Messiah had come, but many in the “church” of the day didn’t recognize Him because they weren’t expecting what He came to offer and because they were caught up in following the rules which they believed made them righteous all on their own.  

Jesus was much more freely accepted by those who understood that they were unable to keep that law on their own. Jesus came to be sacrificed on the cross, once and for all, to atone for our sins, so that we would be seen as righteous through His perfect work, not our imperfect efforts.  

We need to follow the lead of Jesus.  

Are we spending all our time only with those in the Church?  

Are we wondering why Jesus is showing up among “the sinners”? 

Perhaps it is time for us to be reminded of why Jesus came.  

Jesus came to offer salvation, freedom and joy.  

It is our responsibility to share this freedom that Jesus brings into our lives, with those around us who don’t yet understand who Jesus is or why He came.  

Will you choose to share today?

What has your experience been of sharing Jesus’ work in your life with others?