Jesus Withrew

Hills in the Judean countryside where Jesus fasted and prayed during his temptation after his baptism.

The mountains of Galilee where Jesus withdrew to pray during the Galilean portion of his ministry.

Throughout his ministry, the Gospel writers report that Jesus withdrew to desolate places to pray and meditate.  This is one literary technique that the Gospel writers use to encourage us to see the value of prayer and meditation in the Christian life.  For example, in Mark 1:35 we read, "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."  If missionaries and pastors were honest to their supporters and parishioners, they would admit that they often do not spend adequate time in prayer and meditation.  Life is busy and the demands of ministry are high!  We must admit, this is too often true of us.  For this reason, we spent three days at the Hermitage Community, a secluded corner of southwest Michigan where you can pass an entire day sitting in the forest praying and meditating without seeing another person.  Zach passed his days praying and struggling with the book of Ecclesiastes.  Sharon enjoyed bible reading and journaling.  We reflected on our ministry Haiti, searching for God's direction in the future.  By the time our visit finished, God had finally calmed our heart and given us the assurance to move forward.  Thanks for supporting us in prayer.