Jump Start # 3430

Mark 1:35 “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there.”

Early in the morning, is a great Biblical expression. Have you ever just chased that phrase throughout the Bible? When Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac, he rose, early in the morning and the two of them headed to the place. Moses was instructed to rise early in the morning and present himself before Pharaoh. Jeremiah tells us that God would send the prophets daily,  “rising early and sending them.” And, the women gathered at the tomb of Jesus, early in the morning.

Here in our passage today, we find the Lord rising early, while it is still dark. He goes to a secluded place to pray. Lots of thoughts enter our minds. Why didn’t Jesus just pray in bed? One can pray silently, why did He have to go outside?

The text doesn’t tell us the “whys” but there are some things we learn from this:

First, Jesus practiced what He taught. He had told the disciples to go into the closet and shut the door and there pray. Just you and God. There you can be frank, honest, open and pour your heart out to God. You can say things in the closet that you would never say in a public prayer on a Sunday morning. In a lonely place, you can pray about your sins. You can name names. You can pray about what bothers you.

Jesus taught His disciples to do that, and here, He lived by what He taught. One of the first attributes of leadership is to lead yourself. Telling others, while you do not do that yourself makes it seem like you do not believe what you said. Jesus was not like this. He departed to a lonely place. Quiet. Dark. No one to disturb Him.

Second, a lonely place, the inner room, blocks distractions. They help one stay focused. It’s hard to pray with the TV on. It’s hard to pray when your phone is beeping because of texts, emails and calls coming in. Distractions. Noise. People. Jesus departed to a lonely place. That lonely place could be your back deck. That lonely place could be the walk you take in the neighborhood. That lonely place can be in the car as you drive. Jesus found it and we need to do the same. Deep prayers. Personal prayers. Prayers about those we love. Prayers about the congregation. Prayers about the nation. Prayers about the people we know who are not walking with Christ. So much to pray about. And, around the house, there are too many things that need our attention, too much going on. Jesus departed to a lonely place.

The following verses from our passage today reveal that Peter and the others were out looking for Jesus. When they found Him, they say, “Everyone is looking for you.” I wonder if the Lord had just been talking to His Father about Peter.

Third, Jesus saw the need to pray. What He said in that secluded place is not recorded. No one knows. It was between Jesus and His Father, and that ought to be a great reminder for us. First, we need to pray. Second, there are things between me and the Father that no one else needs to know. There are things we can say that others may not understand or even appreciate. There are people in our lives who many never know that we have thanked the Lord for them. These people have helped us and encouraged us. There are people who are struggling and fighting great battles in their lives. They may not know how many times we say their name to Heaven.

Relationships are built upon two major foundations, trust and communication. Both are needed. The communication aspect is what keeps relationships going. We talk to friends. We connect in fellowship. We share, listen and include things about our lives with others. In our walk with God, it is not enough to just read His word. We need to pray. We need to express our love and thankfulness to God. We need to talk because that strengthens our bond and our relationship with Him.

Jesus departed to a lonely place to pray. Jesus was not alone. He was with His Father in heart and words. And, when you find your lonely place, you are not alone. You, too, are with your Father in heart and words.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer.

Roger