Praying a Marathon Before Breakfast

It is no coincidence that on the night of Jesus betrayal he would be found praying on the Mount of Olives. As the scene opens in Luke 22, the author tells us that he came out to the mount, “as was his custom” and his disciples followed him. Judas knew where Jesus would be that night. Judas knew Jesus’ consistent pattern of spending time with his father in solitude and prayer. And Judas, having been empowered by Satan, as he would begin the most horrific betrayal in all of human history, knew that the Son of God would most certainly be found in that very same place, drawing on the strength and assurance of his father.

Our lives are a string of patterns and rhythms. We celebrate the holidays of Easter and Christmas as a way of incorporating Christian themes into our busy calendars. But Jesus schedule was set by his time with his Father. Constant interruptions would not take precedent over his custom of praying on the Mount of Olives. His darkest hour would not require any special plan of action, because he had already become habitually dependent on the life sustaining power of the Holy Spirit for his daily activities.

Martin Luther responds with this:

If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.

For most of us, including myself, this seems like praying a marathon before breakfast. But submitting to the life changing Lordship of our God requires constant dependence on the power of the spirit through prayer. Will you join me in starting your day with prayer? 

Pastor John