As we begun January 2021, we the church were called once again to a time of prayer and fasting for the coming year.  After our 2020 year that we have all had, it was probably one of the most important things we should do. I normally pray and fast in this month along with our church and continue a small portion of fasting weekly through the year, but it was not until Pastor Appreciation Day 2020 that I realized how profoundly important this January call was, not just to fast but to develop in this time “A Heart of Prayer” as well so that we could be ready for God’s agenda for the coming year.

For you see, yearly we try to give our pastors a unique gift to represent the theme or direction the Lord was taking us during the year. As we gave them a picture of a heartbeat representing that they never missed a beat ministering to the Body of Christ in this trying time, it was then that I realized the importance of their call to have us develop “A Heart of Prayer” for the coming year.

 I believe we do this by following Jesus example. In (Mark 1: 35-37) Jesus is up early to pray before anyone else. The day before, He had had a full day of ministry, and now the scriptures say “before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. 36 Later Simon and the others went out to find him. 37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

Every time I read this part of the scripture, I often wondered what was going through the minds of Simon and the others that came looking for Jesus. Earlier Jesus had called several of these disciples to follow Him and they immediately left at once and followed Him to become “fishers of men. “Now Jesus, is up at daybreak and they are not following behind.  Could it be they were already making plans for an earthly kingdom after hearing Him speak with authority to the evil spirits and watching Him heal many from various diseases, including Simon’s own mother-in-law? Perhaps they were dreaming of being a part of that new earthly kingdom and slept in? Could it be they were beginning to make their own agenda without the most important thing, “A Heart of Prayer?”

What about you? When you start your day, are you following Jesus, or are you dreaming about your own agenda without Him?

In verse 38 Jesus replies to their statement with “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” Jesus knew the agenda; He knew His father’s heart was to seek and save that which was lost. He also knew that without a “Heart of Prayer” there is no ministry, and no Spiritual Kingdom to take place without it.  We also see Jesus after a full day of ministry in (Mark 6: 46) leaving the crowd to go once again to His Father to pray, “After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.”

What is on your agenda as you begin your day?

Do you have “A Heart of Prayer” for 2021?

Are you ready to follow Him to get His agenda for your life or did you sleep in?

Find that isolated place to pray daily to develop “A Heart of Prayer”! We Need Him!