It is late at night or early in the morning, depending on your perspective of time. It is in this silence that the events of the day are played out in the mind. The little joys and successes parade by as to the failures or faltering steps that I may have taken during the course of the day. It is also a time of peace in which to communicate with God.
During this time, I find myself often contemplating on various events and aspects of the life of Jesus. How would he have handled my day? And I am NOT referring to the WWJD fad of a few years ago! Honestly, ask yourself this question; if Jesus had been confronted with the events of your day, how do you think he would have dealt with them? We can't know for certain, of course. However, there is one thing that we can say for certain. Jesus prayed and prayed often. What would you give to have been in on those private moments that He spent with God in prayer. Divine Father and Divine Son communing in love and glory!
Should we not model our lives after Jesus? Especially in the area of prayer! So often, many of us think to pray when our happiness or comfort is threatened. We pray for success. We pray that an ongoing trial may pass from our lives without ramifications. In short, we often pray in a self-centered way! Jesus did not and we have many examples from Scripture that point this fact out. He was always Father-centered. The love for His Father was always the most important thing in His prayer. He praised His Father, gave Him honor and glory, and was always filled with gratitude and joy.
In the silence of the night, these things become so clear. There are no phones ringing. No television blah-blahing away in the background. Nature is quiet except for those nocturnal creatures who are, for the most part, very quiet. Just before bed, listen to the stillness of your heart. There may be a unique gift awaiting you in this very private moment of the day. In that silence, you may actually hear the voice of God whispering to your soul that you are loved and valued highly. He may or may not grant previous requests, but, as long as you have prayed with a spirit of thanksgiving, humility, and most of all, love, you can be assured that He will hear your prayer and honor you with the blessing of His presence!
