“But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
– Luke 5:16
What a verse. Right before this, the Bible says, “The report about Jesus was spreading everywhere and great crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities”. Then verse Luke 5:16 says, “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray”.
Luke 5:16 Shows Us how much Jesus valued Prayer
This was what was most important to Jesus, more important than preaching to great crowds, more important than even healing people of their diseases was getting alone with the Father. He would love to withdraw to a desolate place, to a place where nobody else was, just to be with the Father. Everything He was doing, preaching and healing, was flowing from His intimacy with the Father from these times alone with the Father.
When I read Luke 5:16, I’m reminded this is the most important thing in my life and in your life, withdrawing to places where we’re alone with God the Father just to pray. I hope this podcast is an encouragement for you. I know many people listen to it on the way, on the road, driving or walking or exercising or well, any number of other circumstances, but I hope that there is, in your day, at some point, just concentrated time alone with the Father, even with no devices on, unless you’re journaling.
It’s what I do so I guess I use a device in that way but nothing is distracting you, just you and God, His word and prayer, His spirit speaking to you. You would withdraw to desolate places and even as I say that, I know that’s such a challenge. One, in just a busy world and two, I think about moms and dads in homes where kids are up at all hours of the night or early in the morning, finding quiet time alone is really hard.
Luke 5:16 Encourages us to find time alone with God
To the extent with which it’s possible, I encourage you to fight to find that time and to the extent with which other people in the home can help you find that time, to help guard time alone with God, but to trust that even when it’s not possible, doing the best we can to withdraw and pray. The Lord is pleased and honored by that. But that’s the point, He desires it with us. He desires time alone with you and with me. So let’s make this a priority in our lives, in every way we possibly can.
Jesus, we praise You for your example to us in Luke 5:16 and all throughout Your word. We praise you for the picture we see of You and Your relationship with the Father and intimacy with Him is the spring from which everything in Your life and ministry flowed, even reading right after this about the power of the Lord, about the power of the Father with You to heal.
God, we want to experience the fullness of Your presence and Your power, Your love in our lives, the fullness of Your joy and Your peace, Your comfort, Your help in our lives. So help us, we pray, to prioritize time alone with You, unhurried time with You. God, we pray for that. We pray for concentrated, close communion with You, isolated time and solitude with You, just enjoying You, You speaking to us, us pouring out our hearts before You.
Praying for the Bania People
God, we praise You for this privilege that You’ve given to us and so, help us. Help us in our days to prioritize time alone with You in prayer for our own sake and for others’ sake as we participate with You in prayer and what You’re doing around the world today to pray for the Bania people of India, Nepal, millions upon millions of them unreached by the gospel, and we, right now as we pray, are joining with what You are doing among the Bania.
We’re praying for the spread of the gospel to them. We pray for success in the church in India in spreading the gospel to the Bania and missionaries in India for the spread of the gospel to the Bania. Lord, we pray that You would send out more missionaries, even some of us as the Spirit leads us to go to the Bania of India. We pray for disciples we made in churches to be multiplied among the Bania of India and Nepal and we praise You for the privilege You’ve given us in prayer of being a part of what You’re doing among them on the other side of the world for most of us. Oh, God, we praise You for this privilege of withdrawing to be with You and pray. Help us to prioritize it in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
