In Matthew 14:22-24 Jesus is in between two great events. He had just finished feeding the five thousand. He sends his disciples ahead of him and goes on a mountainside to pray. He intentionally set aside time to be alone with God. Even though he had just done an amazing work of God, he didn’t camp out and dwell on how great it was. He kept moving forward because there was more to be done. After spending time on the mountain in prayer, he came down and walked on the water.
He could have went with his disciples to begin with, but because he set aside time to spend alone with God, it opened the door for another miracle. If he didn’t go pray on the mountainside, he would have been with them and would not have walked out to them on the water.
Jesus is the standard. Jesus is our model for living. He made it a point to take time out to nurture his personal relationship with God. We should do the same. Even if we are spending time doing things for God, if we don’t intentionally set aside time to pray and be alone with God, we could miss out on what he has in store for us.
So whether it’s on a mountain, in your room, in your backyard, at a lake, or wherever – be intentional and seek the heart of God.
