Too busy not to Pray(Mark 1:35-39)

There is this saying that goes “I am too busy not to pray” it comes the great reformer Martin Luther.

There are so many things today that beg for our attention. At home there are repairs to be done, dishes to do, grass to be mowed and weeds to be pulled.

We have cell phones that beep and light up every we get a notification from one of many apps that we downloaded on it.

We have Ads and commercials that get our attention with things we may want but don’t really need. They tell us how we should dress, how we should look, and what we should eat.

We have family, friends, work and other relationships that are always trying to grab our attention with there wants and needs.

Because of the demands in life and all of it’s activities we are too busy to pray.

We might sit down and read a quick devotion or a quick before heading out the door but we do it in a rush and in a hurry.

Just wanting to get it over with to get to the real work of the day.

In Mark 1:35-39 I believe Jesus shows us the importance of prayer even in the busy seasons of our lives.

Let’s read it now...

Mark 1:35–39 (ESV)

35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him,

37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Even in all the busyness of ministry we see Jesus wasn’t in a rush or hurry. He wasn’t too busy to pray.

First we see the praying Christ...

The praying Christ v35

35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Jesus often got alone with father

Jesus knew that his strength came from the father in prayer. That in his humanity he couldn’t do what he did. That he needed to be with the father. That’s where His strength came from.

He needed to seperate himself from everything. From all the noise and chatter of the world.

Jesus made prayer a priority

Prayer to Jesus wasn’t an after thought. It was the first thought!

Today we don’t prioritize prayer like we use too. I remember there were times when we would pray through.

There would be a situation that would come up and we would really get desperate and hungry for God and we would not relent until we heard from God.

To prioritize prayer we need to do what Jesus did. He choose a specific time and place to be a lone with the father.

He made a divine appointment. How come we can keep an appointment with a Doctor for our bodies but we no show an appointment with the one who created them?

if Jesus, the Son of God prayed how much more so do we need to, to rely on God’s strength?

Jesus knew there is power in prayer

People forget that Jesus experienced things like we do.

Jesus wept over the death of friends,

Jesus felt pain. That’s why he prayed if it is possible father let this cup pass from me but, not my will be done but your will be done.

Jesus experienced a righteous anger as he flipped the money changers table and said..

my father’s house shall be called a house of prayer but you have made it into a den of robbers!

This is the Jesus that so many people seeked for. They seeked him out for many different reasons.

That brings me to my next point. That...

The people sought v36-37

36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him,

37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

Some seek Christ to hear

They want to hear the very words of life and teaching from the Word of God Himself!

Some seek Christ to be healed

They have heard of the great miracles Christ has done but unfortunately some are only interested in the healing and not the healer himself.

Some seek Christ to be saved

They have heard the rumors. That the Messiah is here. The one who has came to take away the sins of the world.

Some seek Christ to criticize

Some actually go looking for Christ. To trap him. To ask him questions and to trick him.

But for Jesus, it didn’t matter why people seeked him out. Whether it was to hear, to be healed, to be saved or to criticize him.

Jesus knew the purpose of why he was sent. That brings us to our next point. We see....

The purpose of Christ v38

38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

That’s one of life’s biggest questions. What is my purpose? Why am I here on this earth?

Jesus knew that his purpose wasn’t to please man

The Apostle Paul knew that too as he said in Galatians 1:10...

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

We aren’t to follow the crowd but we are to follow Christ.

Jesus knew the path that the father laid out for him

That he was born to die. To die a most gruesome death on the cross for all of humanity. He had well intended friends who tried to convince him out of it.

Peter tried to tell Jesus that it wasn’t Gods will for him to go to the cross. But Jesus rebuked Peter and said get behind me Satan”.

It’s only when we have a personal relationship with God when we can truly find our purpose and plan for our lives.

Jesus knew his plan and purpose from the father was to proclaim the good news.

That brings me to my final point. That we see the priority of Preaching.

The priority of preaching v39

39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Jesus proclaimed the gospel

In Romans it tells us how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news and how can someone hear without a messenger?

There is this story about a missionary in africa who is so gripped with passion for spreading the gospel.

This man though got a disease in africa that hardens and enlargens the flesh on his legs and feet.

It is very painful and restrictive. It makes even the daily task of walking very difficult.

This man thought nothing of his pain and condition though. All he could think of was the grace of God in his life. How God saved him from his sin to the uttermost.

He went from hut to hut sharing the good news of Jesus. Even though every step he took he felt a throbbing pain as his flesh continued to tear and his socks soon would become a puddle of blood.

He finally came across someone who wanted to help him.

A Doctor in the village who knew his story and what he was doing despite the pain and agony that he was in while doing it.

The Doctor relates as he treats him that his own tears mingled with the salve with which he bathed the beautiful feet of this wounded Gospel Messenger.

The power of the gospel

We see the power of the gospel evident here as it moves this messenger of God despite everything he faced.

The Apostle Paul says that Preaching is foolishness to those that are perishing but to those that are saved it’s the power of God!

He also said that he came with preaching that is not of elegant or per-sway-sive words but a demonstration of the power of God!

Too many people come to church who want to be entertained and not equipped.

Too many people come to church wanting to be convinced instead of knowing they are being convicted.

*PASTORAL STAIR

-Too many say the word of God doesn’t grab their attention. -That’s because their attention isn’t grabbed by the word of God.

Jesus faced it too. Many refused to hear him or listen to him.

In the hustle and bustle of Ministry and life Jesus took time to pray and be alone with the father.

We should too.

APPLICATION`

What would your life look like if you weren’t too busy to pray?

Does that mean that you have to discipline yourself and go to bed earlier or set a reminder on your phone?

Does it look like clearing out a closet space or marking out a space like your recliner or kitchen table where you can really seek God out in prayer?

Maybe you have kids and it makes it difficult.

So maybe you have go out to your garage or in your car.

Whatever it looks like for you.

Can you imagine how different our lives would be if we had the mindset of im too busy not to pray instead of i am too busy to pray?

What mistakes would we prevent ourselves from making if we just listened to God.

or how different our days would be if we started them out in communion with God.

Instead of starting out grumpy and goggy we would start it out by being grateful and Godly.

Closing Song*

Closing Prayer*