A Sojourner's Quest

PA RT I V: P E R S E V E R I NG F O R T H E L ONG H A U L / 2 2 3

Spiritual Blueprints Templates for Spiritual Formation Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

Mark 1.35 – And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 6.31 – And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

Mark 6.46 – And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

Luke 6.12 – In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

Heb. 5.7 – In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Spiritual Blueprints: Structuring Times and Events of Special Seeking after God A cursory look at the spiritual habits of our Lord reveals a constant determination to spend time alone with the Father – in prayer, in solitude, in fasting, in dialogue with him. Through these times of isolation and reflection our Lord demonstrated his own absolute dependence on the Father, his yieldedness to the Holy Spirit, and openness to God’s direct, immediate leading. We too, ought to be inspired by our Lord’s patterns and habits, structuring and designing set times of spiritual retreat and focus to seek the Lord individually and together, in order to be enriched and empowered from on high. Setting Time to Be Alone with God As God leads us, we ought to set time apart from our ordinary, hectic schedules and tasks to seek the Lord in a heightened, more focused, and concentrated way. Throughout the year we will pursue the Lord alone and together, mapping out select events and times to seek the face of God, and position ourselves to hear from him in a clearer way.