In Touch

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

Daily Thoughts 

January 22, 2025

In Touch

Before daybreak the next morning,

Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

Mark 1:35

Read Mark 1:35-45

Jesus was fully human. Jesus put in a full day in Capernaum where his time with the people needing his touch, and his teaching, went well into the night. Jesus must have been exhausted when he finally was able to lay down. And then, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” (Mark 1:35)

What is your first thought when reading this verse? Mine is of that catchy slogan, “The Main Thing, is to Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing.” Jesus certainly modeled the Main Thing throughout his life; he stayed in touch, through prayer, with his Heavenly Father.

In our house, we try to follow this pattern by using an Anglican/Methodist collect, that dates back at least to the eleventh century (and possibly the eighth), to begin our morning prayers:

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name: through Christ our Lord. Amen.

My Takeaway: The Main Thing is prayer. While the Collect for Purity is helpful in focusing our minds, and hearts, for the day, it is not enough. Jesus prayed so he would have a compassionate heart, and for God to order his steps each day. And so must I.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.