May 13, 2026. The focus of St. James Presbyterian Church’s weekly 30-minute Prayer Break Gathering is based on one of the scriptures of the Daily Lectionary, Luke 6.12, 17-26. Today, we will be focusing our thoughts on verse 17, 19c.

Meditation– "Prayer That Strengthens: Following Jesus Into the Quiet"
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus doesn’t just teach about prayer—he lives it. Again and again, we find him retreating to pray, often alone, sometimes for hours, even through the night. There are at least nine moments in Luke’s account where Jesus prays, and these are not just pauses in the action; they are the foundation of his strength.
In today’s scripture, we read:
“Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God.”
This wasn’t unusual for Jesus. But this particular moment of prayer came just before a major challenge—he would go on to heal a multitude of people, freeing them from illness and unclean spirits. Luke tells us that power went out from him.
That’s the mystery and the beauty of deep prayer: sometimes we rise from it filled and strong, other times we rise spent—because we’ve poured our hearts out, or carried the burdens of others to God. And yet, even in those drained moments, Jesus shows us the way forward.
He shows us that prayer isn’t always about escape or comfort—it’s also preparation. It grounds us in love before we face what the day brings. It reminds us that even when we feel weak, we are not alone. God meets us there.
But Jesus also teaches us something else. Even when healing comes—even when we feel restored—we’re still living in a broken world. And that can lead us to wonder: Why pray? Why seek peace that seems so fragile? Why hope for healing that may not last?
Because, Jesus reminds us, God is not absent in the brokenness. And even temporary peace points to the deeper promise: that in God, life is still blessed, still holy, even when hard. That’s why we pray. That’s why we keep showing up. We are not promised ease, but we are promised presence. And in that presence, we find the strength to “keep on, keepin’ on.”
So pray—when you're strong and when you're spent. Pray—when you're healing and when you're hurting. In every moment, let prayer be the place where God meets you, and sends you out again.
God is still in control.
What will your strength of faith prepare you to pray for today?

​Rev. Derrick