After we draw away from the crowds (privacy) and rush towards the mountains (God’s presence), what do we do once we get there?  Is our part over?  Have we done all we need to do by simply getting out of the world’s rain and under the Lord’s umbrella?  How can we be sure that our time in the mountains is quality time and not just grains of sand dripping through the proverbial hourglass?

The answer is simple.  We must pray.

In order for a relationship to grow, communication is essential.  It’s funny how women are so quick to notice lack of communication from men, but so blind to see it in our own relationships with the Lord.

How many times have you cried out in frustration because your husband or your boyfriend wouldn’t tell you what he was thinking?  What is he thinking?  What does he want from me?  Why can’t he see that he hurt me?  If we’ve lived mere minutes as a woman, we’ve experienced communication aggravation.  We know what it’s like to long for someone to share his thoughts with us.

Imagine how much more the Lord wants to hear our thoughts.  The thoughts of his children.  The thoughts of his creations.

In one action-packed day recorded in the Gospels, Jesus tried to go to the mountains to pray.  Earlier that day, he learned that his cherished friend and relative, John the Baptist, was beheaded by King Herod.  Upon hearing the news, Jesus immediately tried to slip away in order to find a place to pray to his Father, but the crowds followed him.  He allowed the tangent, performing many miracles despite his inner desire to be praying in the mountains.  But finally, after sending his disciples ahead of him and dismissing the well-fed crowd, he made it to the mountainside to pray.  He didn’t let his responsibilities or unexpected circumstances stop him from finally making it to the mountains.  And when he got there, he remained until evening, talking to his Father and sharing his heart in faithful prayer.

How many times do we get distracted on our way to pray in the mountains?  We intend to set aside that precious time of prayer, but something suddenly comes up and we’re stifled by an unexpected delay.  Jesus’ time of prayer was postponed by his responsibilities just as ours sometimes are, but he didn’t let that stop him.  He allowed brief tangents that were necessary for his ministry, but he never ignored an unfulfilled desire to pray.

It’s been said that prayer is most powerful yet the least practiced Christian discipline.  For some reason, it’s always our last resort.  Do you think that prayer was JD’s last resort after the news of her father’s vow sunk in?  I doubt it.  For some reason, when I close my eyes and picture her running barefoot to the mountains that day, I can’t imagine her not praying.

Q:  Having a true mountaintop experience does not involve you being alone with your thoughts; it involves you being alone with God’s thoughts. Read the following verses: Psalm 55:2, Psalm 92:5, Psalm 94:11, Psalm 139:17-18, Isaiah 55: 8-9, and Matthew 15:19.  What do you notice about the difference between man’s thoughts and God’s thoughts?  Why might these differences be important to remember when spending time in prayer?