But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.
—Matthew 6:6
Jesus rose early to be alone with God, but Peter pursued Him to let Him know that everyone was looking for Him (see Mark 1:35-36). When you get alone to pray, it may seem that everybody tries to hunt you down. But Jesus sought time alone with God so He could focus on His purpose.
We see the scenario of Jesus praying alone and then meeting the needs of others again and again. Jesus went throughout Galilee preaching and driving out demons. When a leper begged to be clean, Jesus touched him, and the leprosy completely left him (see Mark 1:39-42). If Jesus needed to be alone with the Father before He ministered to others, so do we.
Rebuilding the Temple
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.”
Ezra 5:1–2
When the children of Israel returned from the seventy years of captivity in Babylon, one of the first things they did was to build a new altar on the site of Solomon’s Temple which had been destroyed, and then lay the foundations for a new Temple. But it was not long before work on the Temple was abandoned as the people focused on their own homes. God sent prophets to rebuke the people, and remind them to complete the task that they had begun. “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?” (Haggai 1:4). Finally almost twenty years after work was begun, the second Temple was completed and dedicated.
In this story, there is a powerful reminder for us of the importance of maintaining proper priorities. There will always be competing claims and interests—more things to do than time and resources will allow. This reality forces all of us to make choices day after day. And those choices reveal what we value most.
It is not our words that declare our hearts, but our actions. When the people of Israel relaxed in their finished homes while the Temple still lay in ruins, they were showing that their declarations of love for God were not genuine. If you examine where you spend your time and your money, it will be clear what you value most. The things of God must come first if we are to please and honor Him with our lives.
Ezra 5:1–2
When the children of Israel returned from the seventy years of captivity in Babylon, one of the first things they did was to build a new altar on the site of Solomon’s Temple which had been destroyed, and then lay the foundations for a new Temple. But it was not long before work on the Temple was abandoned as the people focused on their own homes. God sent prophets to rebuke the people, and remind them to complete the task that they had begun. “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?” (Haggai 1:4). Finally almost twenty years after work was begun, the second Temple was completed and dedicated.
In this story, there is a powerful reminder for us of the importance of maintaining proper priorities. There will always be competing claims and interests—more things to do than time and resources will allow. This reality forces all of us to make choices day after day. And those choices reveal what we value most.
It is not our words that declare our hearts, but our actions. When the people of Israel relaxed in their finished homes while the Temple still lay in ruins, they were showing that their declarations of love for God were not genuine. If you examine where you spend your time and your money, it will be clear what you value most. The things of God must come first if we are to please and honor Him with our lives.
Today’s Growth Principle:
When we put the things of God first, our lives will remain in order.
Get Alone With God
by Joyce Meyer - posted February 25, 2017But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.
—Matthew 6:6
Jesus rose early to be alone with God, but Peter pursued Him to let Him know that everyone was looking for Him (see Mark 1:35-36). When you get alone to pray, it may seem that everybody tries to hunt you down. But Jesus sought time alone with God so He could focus on His purpose.
We see the scenario of Jesus praying alone and then meeting the needs of others again and again. Jesus went throughout Galilee preaching and driving out demons. When a leper begged to be clean, Jesus touched him, and the leprosy completely left him (see Mark 1:39-42). If Jesus needed to be alone with the Father before He ministered to others, so do we.
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