“Couldn’t you stay awake and watch with Me even one hour?’ Matthew 26:40
Every minute spent in prayer is valuable. If ten minutes is all the time you can give, see what you can do in that time. Most people can spare more time. If you will only persevere from day to day, time will come of its own accord.
Is it possible that Christians can say that they cannot afford to spend a quarter or half an hour alone with God and His Word? When a friend comes to see us or we have to attend an important meeting or there is anything to our advantage or pleasure, we find time easily enough.
But God has a right to us and longs for us to spend time with Him, and we find no time for fellowship with Him. Even God’s own servants are so occupied with their own work that they find little time for that which is all-important – waiting on God to receive power from on high.
Dear child of God, let us never say, “I have no time for God.”
Let the Holy Spirit teach us that the most important and profitable time of the whole day is the time we spend alone with God. Communion with God through His Word and prayer is as indispensable to us as the food we eat and the air we breathe.
Whatever else is left undone, God has the first and foremost right to our time.
“I can do everything through him (Christ) who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13).
“… for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)
“I try to read my Bible each morning, but sometimes I fall asleep. I guess I’m not a good Christian,” said a very sincere nurse who works night shift.
How many Christians carry a burden of guilt.
“I’m not witnessing enough,” “ I’m not spending enough time in prayer,” “I should be doing more in the church.”
Our focus has become on legalistic doing: I must keep these rules and then I’m a good Christian. When we are doing this we’re treating Christianity like a religion. But vital Christianity is not a religion. It’s not a set of do’s and dont’s. It’s a new life in Christ, a new way of doing life.
We receive Jesus into our hearts and surrender to Him on a daily basis.
He then lives His life in us and through us—a life that is totally impossible for us to live in our own strength. We recognize our own weakness and pray, “Lord Jesus, I give myself to you. Live your life in me and through me now. Be my strength…be my courage…be my wisdom.”
This doesn’t mean we can be lazy Christians. Paul, who spoke to us of this wonderful life in Christ, also wrote these words, “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:29) Notice whose energy it is—Jesus Christ’s energy. Being energized by Him we can live a life of love and good works which honors God.
Thank you, Jesus, that you are living in me, not just in theory, but in actual fact. Therefore, I have all the resources I need to live this day productively.
