Mark 1:35-39 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
In this story, we find that Jesus gets up very early, to go out to talk with His Heavenly Father, despite the fact that the prior day was very long and hard. Even though He was at Peter's house, He still got up and withdrew from everyone, and looked for a solitary place to have a time of communion in prayer with His Father.
The reason that prayer is not a priority to most Christians is because one does not have the discipline to pray. Discipline is a habit that each person generates in their life to achieve objectives, goals and achieve what we set out to do. Being a Christian is imitating the life of Christ. His priority of prayer is the most important thing an individual could follow. For Christ, praying was so important and necessary in His life that He decided to make it a priority, and disciplined Himself to be able to pray every day without fail.
In our day and age, we can remember there is power in prayer, there is rest in prayer, there is peace in prayer, there is tranquility in prayer, there is hope in prayer, the impossible becomes possible in prayer, there is strength, and there is courage in prayer. There is no hardened heart that cannot be broken, there is no stone that cannot break, there is no evil that does not become good with prayer—because prayer is when we speak to God, and nothing is impossible with God!
Our negligence and our inconstancy are the two greatest enemies of Christianity.
Here are two things to remember when making prayer a priority:
1. The Schedule | Christ disciplines Himself in His time to pray.
Vs 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Christ had a schedule to pray daily and faithfully with His Father. He had an appointment and had decided to be faithful to His appointment with God. I am sure that it was not always easy and sometimes even exhausting, but He made an effort to remain faithful to His prayer because it was important to Him.
Psa 55:16-17 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
2. The Place | Christ withdrawing to a specific place to speak with His Father.
Vs 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Christ got up early and then withdrew to pray in a lonely place because He wanted to able to pray without interruption with His heavenly father.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
The place where Christ prayed was a solitary place.
Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
