“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray”(Matthew 14:23 NIV).
Are you stressed? Is there something happening in your life that is stressing you and you feel that you don’t have any control over it? What are you doing about it?
I will tell you what Jesus did when he was stressed. The above verse refers to a time in Jesus’ ministry when he was stressed tremendously. He had been to his hometown teaching and nobody believed in him and there were few miracles performed there due to their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:53-58) That had to have hurt him tremendously. The people he had grown up with didn’t believe in him.
Shortly after that he was told that John the Baptist had been killed. When Jesus heard about this he went off to a solitary place in a boat. But when he landed a large crowd enveloped him wanting to be healed. A crowd of 5,000 sick and needy people pressed in on him. After healing many it was evening and they needed to be fed. So Jesus prayed over 5 loaves of bread and two fish and the crowd was fed, with 12 basketfuls left over. He had to have been exhausted after such a day.“Immediately, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (Matthew 13:22,23 NIV).
When Jesus was stressed he went to a quiet spot to pray to his Father. When you feel stressed you need to take some quiet time alone with God. It is there at the Lord’s feet that you can find the peace you need in order to face any obstacle that life throws at you. Think about it. Before Jesus faced the cross, he went to the garden to pray and cry out to his Father in Heaven. It is through that prayer that he gained the strength to face what he knew would be torturous pain and agony. That strength is available to you also.
Paul mentions the power that can help you in his letter to Ephesians:
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph.3:16 NIV). The strength you need is just a prayer away. Call on the Lord and He will give you peace. Nothing is too hard for God.
Dear Lord,
My life is constantly being bombarded with issues that cause stress. Help me to trust you with my stresses knowing that you will give me the peace I so desperately need. Help me to take time each day to spend in quiet solitude praying to you just as Jesus did.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
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