Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 14:13, 23, 25

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 14:13, 23, 25
"When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea."

After the death of John, Jesus sought to be alone. The first time He was interrupted because people followed after him. Then He performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes and feed all of them. After the multitudes were gone He went up into the mountain to pray. Coming down afterwards He walked upon the water to his disciples. I pondered on how much Jesus was strengthened by praying and having time alone. Time alone to pray and read my personal scriptures daily really does strengthen me. This reminds of how after President Jeffrey R. Holland near-death experience he spoke about prayer. He was told to "Pray more than you pray. However much you have prayed pray more. And in however many places you've prayed, pray in more places. However many times during the day you pray, pray more times in the day."

"Ultimately, we can look to the example of the Savior, who prayed so very, very often. But it has always been intriguing to me that Jesus felt the need to pray at all. Wasn’t He perfect? About what did He need to pray? Well, I have come to realize that He too, with us, wanted to “seek [the Father’s] face, believe his word, and trust his grace.” Time after time, He retreated from society to be alone before piercing heaven with His prayers. At other times, He prayed in the company of a few companions. Then He would seek heaven on behalf of multitudes who would cover a hillside. Sometimes prayer glorified His clothing. Sometimes it glorified His countenance. Sometimes He stood to pray, sometimes He knelt, and at least once He fell on His face in prayer.
Luke describes Jesus’s descent into His expiation as requiring Him to pray “more earnestly.” How does one who was perfect pray more earnestly? We assume that all of His prayers were earnest, yet in fulfilling His atoning sacrifice and through the pain that attended its universal reach, He felt to pray ever more pleadingly, with the weight of His offering finally bringing blood from every pore."
(Jeffrey R. Holland, "Motions of a Hidden Fire", Apr 2024 General Conference)

Day 4067