During a concert,
singer-songwriter David Wilcox responded to a question from the audience about
how he composes songs. He said there are three aspects to his process: a quiet
room, an empty page, and the question, “Is there something I should know?” It
struck me as a wonderful approach for followers of Jesus as we seek the Lord’s
plan for our lives each day.
Throughout Jesus’s public
ministry, He took time to be alone in prayer. After feeding 5,000 people with
five loaves of bread and two fish, He sent His disciples to cross the Sea of
Galilee by boat while He dismissed the crowd (Matt. 14:22). “After [Jesus] had
dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that
night, he was there alone” (v. 23).
If the Lord Jesus saw the
need to be alone with His Father, how much more do we need a daily time of
solitude to pour out our hearts to God, ponder His Word, and prepare to follow
His directions. A quiet room—anywhere we can focus on the Lord without
distractions. An empty page—a receptive mind, a blank sheet of paper, a
willingness to listen. Is there something I should know? “Lord, speak to
me by Your Spirit, Your written Word, and the assurance of Your direction.”
From that quiet hillside, Jesus descended into a violent storm, knowing exactly what His Father wanted Him to do (vv. 24–27).
