TEMPLO DE LA CRUZ
The Power of Withdrawal (March 23,2020)
"So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed."Luke 5:12
"Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles." Luke 6:12, 13
Jesus understood the Power of withdrawal. He would often withdraw from everything and everyone to be alone, not because He was an extreme introvert, but because He knew that everyone needs time to rest, reflect, and pray if they want to be their best. Jesus modeled the importance of withdrawal; “He often withdrew.”
In the Gospel of Luke, the author makes it a point to emphasize that Jesus regularly withdrew. Jesus’ ministry was flourishing and multitudes were coming to Him to be healed. You could say His ministry was successful and had momentum, yet He withdrew. Some might think, I can’t afford to withdraw because my absence might have an adverse effect on my ministry. But Jesus offered a different perspective- He demonstrated that we can’t afford not to withdraw. He didn’t let the distractions of the world or the demands of the multitudes stop Him from withdrawing on His own.
After long periods of intense ministry, Jesus withdrew to refresh and recharge physically, emotionally, and spiritually. What did He do during His times of withdrawal? He Prayed!
He made sure to stay connected to the Father because their relationship was the source of His strength and power. In the Father’s Presence is where He found rest. It was there that He received wisdom, direction, and discovered God’s will. He withdrew and prayed all night before choosing the twelve disciples, who would become the apostles that would lead the church and the spread of the gospel. Big decisions require dedicated times of prayer. This is what Jesus taught us by His example.
