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

Bobbin thread wound and dropped back into its case. Cover popped back on. Material under needle. Needle foot lowered. Sewing machine whirring and off we go!

Off we go, except for one thing, I never rethreaded my top needle after rewinding the bobbin. That certainly does not lend itself to much success in sewing two pieces of fabric together. I had done a lot of the things I needed to do in preparation, but not all, and not one of the most important.

Sometimes life is like that. We get up, eat breakfast, take a shower, get groomed and dressed. In our exuberance to get to our day’s plan, we sometimes forget the most important thing – threading that last needle. We forget our quiet time – Bible study and prayer time with God. We may have prepared physically for our day, but not spiritually.

I find when I make that mistake, I feel off kilter. Something just does not feel right.

Mark 1:35 – 39 shows us an example of Jesus preparing for his day. Even Jesus needed time with the Father before he tackled the day’s tasks. After he “went off to a solitary place where he prayed” the disciples came looking for him. Jesus first words – “let’s go.” Go and do what? He went to preach, heal, and drive out demons. Because he spent time in prayer that morning, he had the spiritual weapons he needed to do the things planned for him to do. He knew the plan because he spent time with the planner.

If Jesus took the time he needed to get on board and ready for the day, how much more do we need to do the same thing. Spiritual readiness does not happen by accident, we must be intentional about it.

God, thank you for the privilege of coming to you each day. We delight in that time. Help us not to neglect it.

Susan Partida