The Jesus Model of Ministry: Meditation

Luke 5:15-16 says, “The news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (NIV). No matter how busy Jesus got, he took time to get alone with God to pray.

You’re not ready to tell the world anything until first you’ve heard from God. Unfortunately, most of us are so busy telling that we don’t have time to hear. We’re in such a hurry doing ministry that we’re like a hamster on a wheel; we’re rolling around and around but making no progress. We need to get alone with God so we can hear from him personally.

Pascal said a lot of man’s problems come from his inability to sit still. The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). I find that if I short-change my time alone with God, I begin to feel frazzled.

We must meet God every day

In 1 Timothy 4:7, the apostle Paul says, “[T]rain yourself to be godly.” In other words, it’s a never-ending battle. How quickly can you lose physical fitness? Very quickly. Many of us are living proof of that. How quickly can you lose spiritual fitness? Just as quickly.

In my ministry, I see my quiet time as a decompression chamber; it’s a time to unload burdens, receive new inspiration, talk to God through prayer, listen to him through the Bible, and evaluate my schedule. If you plan on walking in Jesus’ footsteps and ministering like Jesus, you’ll need to take the time to be alone with God. The more people you deal with, the more time alone you need. I once read that the minister who’s available to people all the time isn’t worth much when he is available. Sounds right to me.

When he got alone with God, Jesus waited for instructions from his Father. He said, “[W]hat I have heard from [the Father] I tell the world” (John 8:26).

Ministry is people-intensive, so Jesus met God every day. In order to follow the Jesus Model for Ministry, we need to spend extended time each day focused on God’s Word.