SCRIPTURE READING

“Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer.”
– Mark 1:35 (CEB)

DEFINITION

Priority – Something that you think is more important than other things and should be dealt with first. (Oxford Dictionary)

INTRODUCTION TO THE LESSON

“Jesus could’ve prayed anywhere, of course —- and He often did pray in public, among crowds, where others could hear and perhaps participate. But the Gospels show us that He made solitude a priority. If he did, shouldn’t we?”
– Bob Hostetler

Solitude is a spiritual discipline that encourages us to spend quiet time with God, listening for God’s way instead of relying on our human way.

MAJOR POINTS

1. The scriptures and Jesus’ life example remind us that the spiritual way of the life must be our first priority and not our last consideration. See Matthew 6:33; Matthew 5:24; Mark 12:29-31; Philippians 4:8 and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5, 6 and 7.
2. The more intentional we become in following Spirit’s way, the more our priorities are re-ordered. It just maybe that what we’ve prioritized as ‘first’ becomes ‘last’ and what we prioritized as ‘last’ becomes ‘first.’ See Luke 13:30

QUOTES TO PONDER

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interest we pursue, and the order of our priorities.”
– Ezra Taft Benson