Today’s Key Scripture

“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”

— Mark 1:35

The Bible tells us that after His baptism and great victory, the Lord Jesus continued to pray and spend time with God. Mark speaks of His temptation: “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him” (Mark 1:12-13).

It was Jesus’ intimacy with God and prayer time that prepared Him for the battle with the Enemy. It was fellowship and prayer that defeated the purpose of the Evil One when Christ was tempted.

Moreover, after the Lord overcame the Enemy because of prayer and fellowship, Jesus knew that only prayer would enable Him to preach the Gospel. He said to His disciples, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth” (Mark 1:38).

And after His baptism, it was the abiding relationship and heartfelt prayer that caused the Son of the living God to return in the power of the Holy Spirit into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom (Luke 4).

It was prayer that sustained Him and caused Him to minister with power, and it is prayer and spending time in His presence that will sustain you and enable you to serve the Lord with all your strength and might.

 

A Prayer for Today

Good morning, Holy Spirit! Draw me closer to You today. Help me want what You desire in my life. Help me think and act in alignment with Your Word. Help me dwell in Your presence, deal wisely in life, and live honorably in everything I do today. Reveal any areas in me that need correction and change. I want more of You and less of me. I pray all this in Jesus’ name, amen.

 

*All Scripture references are NKJV unless otherwise noted.