| | | JULY | 9 | WEDNESDAY
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| Morning Prayers
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
—Mark 1:35
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| READ: Mark 1:35-39
REFLECT: Tossing and turning, I seek the slumber that would wrap me like a blanket, bringing restorative, soothing sleep. The events of the day, especially the troubling parts, keep replaying in my mind’s eye. I worry about myself, my loved ones, and a host of the world’s ills. Sleep, and the peace it brings, seems nowhere near.
Will counting sheep help? How about deep breathing to release the day’s tension? What if I recall the faces of my loved ones and allow their smiles to quiet me? Finally, I remember, I can pray!
In a world often noisy and cluttered with distractions, we can use our middle-of-the-night moments to pray as Jesus did. We do not know if sleeplessness or the urgency of his work pulled Jesus from his bed. It is clear, though, that Jesus headed to these dark morning prayers after an exceedingly busy day. He had taught in the synagogue, healed a number of people, and cast out many demons. Naturally, Jesus would seek additional time to communicate with God, to seek direction and replenish his depleted resources.
Jesus’ friends find him and tell him that everyone is looking for him. He goes with them, moving throughout the towns of Galilee, “proclaiming the message” that he was sent to proclaim. Like Jesus, we can turn to prayer in the dark of our sleepless moments, finding guidance and sustenance for the work God has entrusted to us.
— Melissa Miller
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| RESPOND: Companion God, be our rest when we are sleepless. Be our friend when we are lonely. Be our wisdom when we are lost.
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