OK, you’ve stood before a congregation and confessed Jesus Christ as your savior. You’ve been baptized, sat through sermons, attended Sunday School over, let’s say, three years (at least.) You know you are a Christian, a follower of Jesus, and other people know it, too. Maybe you are one who shows up beyond Sunday morning services. You attend fellowships, Bible studies, special meetings, and all of that makes you feel very good about practicing your religion.
How are you doing with one-on-one?
His disciples had been following Him for three years, walking great distances. They had gone out, two by two, and told people about Him. They had stood before adoring crowds and angry protestors.
This particular evening they had celebrated Passover, unknowingly instituting the Lord’s Supper, and it was very, late when Jesus asked the disciples to go to Gethsemane. Peter, James and John accompanied Him a bit further as He sorrowed about the approaching day. Leaving them, He went on alone for prayer.
Returning, he found them asleep and asked:
What, could ye not watch with me one hour? (Matthew 26:40b KJV)
Thus, my question, can we? Can we spend that one hour watching with Him? Not with the preacher in the pulpit, not with the teacher in front of the class, not fellowshipping with like-minded believers.
Can we spend one hour in prayer and Bible study? Remember, He wasn’t with the disciples, they were to wait. He didn’t ask them to accomplish any active instructions, just told them::
… tarry ye here, and watch with me. (Matthew 26:38b KJV)
In our busy-ness, we don’t tarry with Him. Remember, this is the Lord God who spent time walking in the garden in the cool of the day with His children (Genesis 3:8), what makes us think He has changed?
A Canadian Baptist Pastor blogged recently about Just One Hour and had a suggested agenda for that hour:
20 minutes - Bible ReadingThat’s an outstanding plan, isn’t it? Doesn’t matter what time of day. Second Daughter chose mornings. She got up an hour earlier than before and dedicated it to the Lord. Do you know, there was no less time the rest of her day and no lack of sleep time, either. What we do for the Lord simply adds to what we have. That works with being a good steward of our time just as it does with our finances.
25 minutes - Prayer
~ Praise
~ Confession
~ Intercession
~ Petition
~ Thanksgiving
15 minutes - Memorization, Meditation, Singing & Worship
No. No one will see you during this time (well, except maybe for your mother, if she stops by early for coffee) so you’re doing it for the Lord and yourself. Isn’t that what we’re told to do?
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; (Matthew 6:6a KJV)
I know a preacher that preaches the same thing: one hour a day. Can't we do that? It really does make a difference. I know I can't hardly find one hour at a time, but 20 minutes, 3 times a day is doable and it helps me to keep my focus on him.
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