Charles Stanley Daily Devotional 19 October 2025 (In Touch) Sunday Message
Charles Stanley Daily Devotional TOPIC: Alone With God
TODAY’S SCRPTURE: Mark 1:35-39
35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
36 Simon and his companions searched for Him;
37 they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”
38 He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.”
39 And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.
Is prayer part of your daily schedule? In thinking about your answer, don’t include times when your attention is divided; consider only the occasions when you’re fully focused on Him. While prayer at any time is good, we also need to have a set time and place where we meet with the Lord each day.
Even though Jesus was the Son of God, He knew the importance of solitary prayer time. He didn’t do anything on His own initiative but lived in dependence on the Father. In today’s reading, we don’t know exactly what Jesus prayed. But when the disciples interrupted His morning prayer time, it was obvious that in communicating with His Father, He’d received direction for that day—to “go somewhere else” to preach.
Jesus was the perfect example of a Spirit-led life. Since we are to follow in His footsteps, wouldn’t it make sense for us to meet with God in preparation for the day (Psalm 5:3)? This is the time to lay our concerns at His feet, seek His guidance, trust Him for provision and protection, and intercede for others.
Although many things demand our time and attention, we should strive to make prayer a regular part of our daily routine. When that is our priority, we’ll have a firm foundation for the day, no matter what it brings.
Bible in One Year: Mark 15-16
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: When we make prayer a priority, we’ll be ready for the day ahead.
Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life