Many of us are familiar with the popular Bible story of Jesus and Peter walking on water. A famed miracle? Yes, it is! But we should not allow ourselves to feel too estranged from that great feat. Why? Because God calls each and every one of us to walk on water in our own lives.
Life is a tumultuous sea! Full of ups and downs – goals to reach, obstacles to overcome, and enemies to defeat. Sometimes it seems impossible! But the only time we will ever sink is when we take our eyes off of the prize — our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let’s explore this idea in greater depth as we turn in our Bibles to Matthew 14:22 – 33. This passage of scripture primarily details Peter’s experience of walking on water with Jesus Christ. Before we get to the exciting meat of the text, however, there are a few other points along the way that we would be greatly disadvantaged to overlook.
For part one, our main point is: We have to be prayed up before we can even dream of walking on water. Our key verses are Matthew 14:22 and 23. The King James Version reads:
“22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 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.”
Take note. Even Jesus, the Son of God, makes a point of separating Himself from all distractions to spend time with The Father: one-on-one, in private. Translated into today’s terms, Jesus did not pray while He had the radio on. He did not read the Sunday School lesson while watching TV. He did not try to seek The Father in prayer in the middle of the grocery store. He sent His disciples away along with the multitudes, entered a private place, and there engaged in fellowship with The Father. Jesus, as our example, is showing us what we are to do as His followers. Of course, we can call on the Lord no matter where we are or what we are doing; that is the wonderful God we serve. However, an essential part of keeping our eyes focused on the Lord and what He desires of us is setting aside private prayer time in a private place where we can hear what the Lord has to say.
Take this step today! And vow to do it always. Here’s to more smooth striding and less teeter totter. Remember, with God’s help, you too, can walk on water.
In addition to being the founder of The Penn Speaks and Your Black Poets, Miss Penn is also the author of Ephemeral Moments: a book of poetry and short stories exploring issues such as domestic abuse, struggles of faith, and contemporary love from the perspective of a black Christian woman (available on Amazon). As a rising playwright, Miss Penn is an inductee of Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society and a member of the Dramatist Guild of America. She uses her gifts of writing and the performing arts to testify to the glory of God’s greatness both inside and outside of the church. Click to follow Ayvaunn on Facebook and Twitter.
