Stepping Away from All the Noise

Mark 1:35 (TPT) The next morning, Jesus got up long before daylight, left the house while it was dark, and made his way to a secluded place to give himself to prayer.

Matthew 14:23 (TPT) After the crowds dispersed, Jesus went up into the hills to pray. And as night fell he was there praying alone with God.

Luke 5:16 (TPT) But Jesus often slipped away from them and went into the wilderness to pray.

Are you catching a pattern here? Jesus made time for prayer. It was a top priority for Him to spend time with His Father. In each of these verses we read about Jesus going to a secluded place, somewhere He could be alone and away from distractions, so He could be with His Dad.

When we want something so badly we will always make time for it. For someone who has a terrible addiction to a drug that is quickly causing their body to deteriorate, they will do whatever it takes to get their next high.

If a child wants to go somewhere fun and exciting or spend a weekend with a friend and the only way they get to attend is by cleaning their room and doing all their chores and helping with other errands, you know they will do their best and with a great attitude - why? Because their reward is so great!

We have opportunities to shift our schedules in such a way that we will become more equipped with wisdom, revelation, and power from God but most of us will not bother taking the time out of our day to get alone with God. If your favorite President called you and said I need 15 minutes of your time today, please come to Washington, you would be there asap! If you work for a fortune 500 company and the CEO requests a meeting with you, you would not miss it! How much greater is it that we have the One who created the CEO, the President, and all the other "important" people in the world, requesting 10 minutes a day, 15 minutes a day, or an hour of your day?

In a world full of fake news, constant wars & rumors of wars, frequent lies and misinformation being shoved in our faces each day, it is imperative that we take time our for God. We each have 1,440 minutes in a day. Would you be willing to give God 2% of your time? Can you commit to just 2%? Do you know how much time 2% of your day is? 28 minutes 48 seconds. Just under a half an hour - for a God that sent His son to die for you. Is that asking too much? Maybe begin with 1% of your day and grow from there. Give God about 15 minutes of your undivided attention each day and watch your desire grow to 3%, 4%, 5%, and even 10% of your day. Soon enough you will be searching for reasons to cancel non-essential events from your calendar so you can spend more time with God. The relationship doesn't get old, it just grows deeper!

Today, will you step away from all the noise? Turn of the TV, go into a quiet room and have a conversation with God… I have yet to meet anyone that claims this time is wasted. Even if you don't feel like it, make the sacrifice for the One who was sacrificed His life so you could enjoy your life and have it in abundance! Oh, by the way, that abundant life won't be obtained without spending time with God. :) Step away from the noise and come to Jesus, find rest, and be renewed in His strength!