Oh, how I must be restored to a life of prayer⎯times of prayer spent alone, so that I will not fall into temptation. For many have come to tempt me; some of them have caused me to misstep, but my path is to be restored unto the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jesus was led into the wilderness for forty days without a bite to eat to spend this time alone in prayer. He was tempted by Satan, who offered the kingdoms of the world to be granted into His dominion, but He did not misstep; He remained true unto His Father.
The apostle Paul, upon his conversion, did not immediately go to Jerusalem to congregate with the other apostles. Instead He spent three years in Arabia before finally going to Jerusalem.
When I was converted to Christianity at fifteen years of age, I did not even join a church for a full year, but remained true to the faith, prayerfully considering my hope in the Father.
I am not advocating a Christianity that is walked with God without other believers. I was associated with other believers in the first year of my conversion, but in my alone time, my faith was sealed as being tested and true.
What good is a disciple of Christ who easily falls into temptation because he doesn't have a firm foundation of faith? He is surely going to lead others astray, isn't he? As Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, immediately prior to His betrayal, He ordered the disciples to pray so that they would not fall into temptation. Not realizing the magnitude of what was to take place, the disciples were drawn to sleep.
I don't want to fall asleep in the faith, I want to be faithful in my times spent alone. I thank God that He has drawn me to awake from my slumber, so that I may be tested with temptation in order to stand firm as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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