When word got out that Jesus had cured this man of leprosy, others wanted to seek Him out and receive the same. Complete healing. A miracle. And Jesus could have given them that. He could have stayed and He could have cured, but He withdrew and He prayed instead in today's Gospel, Luke 5:12-16.
When I look at this story from the perspective of those suffering, I want healing for them too. I want Jesus to stay and give them what they want. Probably because I am one of them, looking for Him, and asking for His healing.
But when I look at this story from Jesus' perspective, I consider how tiring His ministry must have been, what weight was on His shoulders, and how He just might have needed to rest—the rest that can only come from prayer.
I think of how He needed time with the God the Father to prepare for what was to come, for what was next, and for the healing He would eventually offer to every single soul through His death and resurrection.
I have sought rest from many different avenues—whatever you've read in a self-care article in a magazine, I'm sure I've tried. A lot of those things seem to boil down to pampering, though, and while some of them have left me feeling better, I know that that sort of rest looks and feels different than the kind that comes from rest found in prayer.
Rest in prayer is still something I'm working on. It can feel uncomfortable to sit in silence with the Lord. Your mind wanders off. You work your way through your prayer petitions.
And then what? More silence. But that's a space where God can work, where He can speak, and where we can receive. And that's the key to resting in prayer: receiving.
What did Jesus receive when He left to pray? I have no idea, but I believe it's worthwhile to try and see for ourselves what we might receive if we leave our crowds to pray, too.
How's your prayer time? Resolve to start the day with one specific prayer and end it with one, too.
Annie Deddens is a writer and producer. She runs a prayer ministry with her husband, called Pray More Novenas. She has a heart for the sick & suffering, and she writes about living with greater faith (hope & love, too) in this imperfect world as a Catholic wife on her blog, Catholic Wife, Catholic Life. Find out more about her here.
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