"I can do nothing on my own ..."
(John 5:30a)
Nothing. Not one thing. Words spoken by Jesus - the perfect, faultless Son. In the midst of His short time here on this earth, away from His heavenly home, He continually depended on His Father, and needed to pull away to spend focused one-on-one time, listening, communicating. After a full, successful day of miracles of healing, in His great times of need (as before His arrest) - He chose to find a quiet place and spend time alone with His Father.
You would think that He would live life in His own strength and power. If any of us could manage on our own, it would be Him. But maybe the opposite was true. Because He is without sin, He knows what is essential. He shows us the way to true relationship with the Father. And this relationship was His life - essential, more important than any other.
"His prayer life is an expression
of His relationship with His Father.
He can't conceive of Himself
outside of that relationship."
(Paul Miller in A Praying Life)
If Jesus, the perfect, faultless Son of God, can do nothing on His own - what about us? What about me? As I go through my days, faced with numerous decisions and choices - and even at the end of a successful, full day - where do I go? Who do I choose to talk with, share my heart with, listen to? Who do I depend on?
"If you know that you, like Jesus,
can't do life on your own,
then prayer makes complete sense."
(Paul Miller)
Thinking on these words as I recently read through an amazing book on prayer ( A Praying Life by Paul Miller). And filling up the pages of my journal with my prayers, learning more and more from Jesus, who realized that He could do nothing without His Father.
(Photo above: Beautiful Lake Monarch, taken on our trip to Colorado this past fall.)
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Heart Connect: Living a Life of Prayer
Beautiful reminder. Thank you for sharing here what you are gleaning from that book. It is a blessing to hear about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patty - always so much to learn and grow in! This book was packed full of encouragement on prayer.
Deletelove.these.words.
ReplyDeleteonly in Him do we have a hope of living free, living in light, living in love.
Thanks for your visit - and yes, it's only in Him. Each day, each moment.
DeleteAmen. Prayer has guided me through difficult times.
ReplyDeleteYes, difficult times are often what call us to prayer ... so thankful for His presence in our times of need, and for how He uses those times to draw us closer to Him.
DeleteI am finally grasping this message, after living to long in my own strength.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy to resort to doing things in our own strength - I am so thankful for His continual reminders that we can do nothing without Him.
DeleteThese quotes touch the truth of the matter don't they? Thank you for sharing what you have been learning. I will be processing these thoughts for a few days I think. I'm glad I stopped by.
ReplyDeleteThis book is just filled with thought-provoking words - so thankful to be reminded of deep thoughts on prayer. Something I need to be continually reminded of. Thanks for your visit, Karin.
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