“After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.” (Matthew 14:23) The prayers of Jesus remind us that he was a man. Just as He sat down by the well because he was tired (John 4), and he wept because he was sad (John 11), Jesus prayed because He needed help. It was less a religious duty, more a daily source of power and guidance. What an encouragement! No life is so high or holy that it becomes self-sufficient. We never outgrow our need for God’s daily assistance. We “pray without ceasing” because our needs never do. Today as we approach the throne of God, let us do so with the assurance that it is as the Father intended. It is not unusual for us to need Him. Jesus did.
