// Read Matthew 14:15-25 //
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
MEDITATION:
The closet prayer is the strength of public prayers. In today’s passage, Jesus looked up to heaven and gave thanks and broke the bread, many people dwell on this and pray like that and they expect the result Jesus had. They do not consider verses 23 & 25. Jesus, after a major miracle, went to pray alone and He prayed from 1st watch (6pm-9pm) of the night to the fourth watch (3am-6am). It is the strength of this private (closet) prayer that brought about the miracle; do not let the devil deceive you.
PRAYER: Pray for grace to enjoy the presence of God until the supernatural takes over.