A woman, a poor soul named Ida, once came to church and heard the Gospel about Peter's mother-in-law. For her, it was not only an obscure text, but also an insignificant homily. She lasted through it, but left unfulfilled. So she went out to the country and discovered that the pastor she had just heard was there as a guest and he preached the same homily.

There was still time to redeem the day at the chapel in the hospital. Her pastor was there, doing "triple duty," and so she heard him preaching the same sermon for the third time!

The next day, she got on a bus riding downtown and her pastor got on the bus and sat next to her. An ambulance roared by, siren screaming, and the pastor asked, "Wonder who it is?"

She said, "Probably Peter's mother-in-law ... she was sick all day yesterday."

A typical day in the life of Jesus had him curing a man of his demons, then going to Peter's house and curing Peter's mother-in-law of her fever. She then got up, and she served them. She went from being touched to touching service. In the evening, all the sick were brought to Jesus and cured. The whole town gathered at the door!

Jesus was continually surrounded by crowds of people. They pressed around upon him everywhere he went. People wanted to see him, be near him, touch him and to have him touch them, especially those who had a serious need. It was evident that, from time to time, Jesus needed a time out. You ever feel like that?

Jesus needed to get away by himself to get himself together. Time out was essential to the effectiveness of his ministry. Jesus needed time alone to pray. The Son of God, the only begotten Son of the Father, knew from first hand experience what a powerful force prayer can be in human life.

You have a resource that can help you in life's daily battles if you only make room for it: time alone with God, a one-on-One communication. You and I can kneel down anywhere on earth and communicate with the One who created this universe. It is easy to neglect that which is most important for our lives.

Jesus needed time for prayer in order to focus on his primary mission. His primary mission was to preach the kingdom. Jesus' heart went out to all the sick and hurting people who came to him for help, but his mission something akin to running a free clinic.

His mission was to touch the lives of people who would form his Church. A spiritual force which would eventually build hospitals and care for the sick. The World Day for the Sick is Feb. 11.

Jesus needed the time out for prayer to make sure he was doing what his Father wanted. He made the time. He didn't say, "I can't find the time for this person or that one, I'm too busy to find the time."

In the pure, strong hours of the morning, when the soul of the day is at its best, lean upon the window-sill of the Lord, and look into his face, and get your orders for the day. Then go out into the world with a sense of God's hand upon your shoulder.

No one who will watch the Super Bowl Sunday simply "finds" the time. They make the time.

The sick were touched by Jesus because someone presented them to Jesus and pleaded for them, prayed for them. In your life, who needs to be brought to Jesus by you?

Who needs to bring you?