The Jesus Way: Day 3 - Pastor Kerry Shook

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“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”
Mark 1:35 (NIV)

If you want to live the Jesus Way, it is necessary to observe how He lived. What were His habits? Do you notice any patterns? What was His relationship like with the Father? How did He live so intentionally? The Gospel narratives help us find the answers.  Let’s look at a couple of passages from Mark and Luke together that show us how Jesus led by example. Unlike the religious leaders of His day, Jesus wasn’t a do-as-I-say-but-not-as-I-do kind of leader.  He showed His disciples what He told them by the way He lived before them!  Maybe that’s why his half-brother, James, would later emphasize that faith was something you do, not just something you believe.  In fact, James wrote, “Faith without works is dead!” James 2:26b (NKJV).

Jesus demonstrated what He taught so we would know how to live the Jesus Way!  This may very well be why the first Christians were called “followers of The Way!”  They were living the Jesus Way! Check out one of the consistent spiritual habits we see in Jesus’ life that Mark records in the first chapter of his gospel. In verse 35, he writes, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” Whether it was very early in the morning or late in the evening, Jesus is often found in solitary places seeking solitude and prayer with His Father.  If I’m going to live the Jesus Way, I must set aside times for prayer and solitude with Him.  Is your schedule so crowded that you have no margin for time alone with God? I know of nothing that will transform your life more than the discipline of prayer and time alone with God in His Word. In prayer, you speak to God, and through His Word, He speaks to you.  Consider this time a “Divine Appointment” and make it a priority in your life. You may be thinking, “That’s great for you, you’re a pastor, but I don’t have time for that!” Listen to what the wisest man who ever lived, outside of Christ, wrote about that in Proverbs 10:27 (TLB), “Reverence for God adds hours to each day.” When my day gets so busy, I often remind myself, “I’m too busy not to spend time with God! I need more hours in this day!” 

Here's another insight from Luke’s gospel, found in Luke 5:15-16 (NIV), that helps as well. It was early in the ministry of Jesus, and public interest was growing exponentially! Luke writes, “…the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” His communion with the Father was the source of His power.

There’s no escaping it. If I’m going to live the Jesus Way, I need to reexamine my schedule and become consistent, spending some time alone with God every day, intentionally setting aside time alone with God where I can listen, refuel, and prepare my heart to stay on purpose.

I encourage you to stick with the daily devotional and keep taking the steps that lead to the habit of spending time alone with God.

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To read this devotional online or catch up on past ones, visit https://kerryshook.org/blog.

Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.