Prayer - modeled after Jesus

PRAYER HELP

Mark 1:35 CSB

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.

We all need as much help as we can get to pray. Our text gives us much help through the example of Jesus Christ. Note four helpful things from this prayer

FIRST—THE PERSON WHO PRAYED

“He” Some folk do not believe they need to pray. But if the matchless Savior, Jesus Christ, felt He needed to pray, than how much more should we fallible humans do some praying. Prayer is vital. We can be thankful God encourages us to pray. Prayerlessness will lead to many problems but prayer can solve many problems. Some think prayer is for the weak or fearful. But Christ was the strongest and boldest of them all and He felt a need to pray.

SECOND—THE PASSION FOR PRAYER

“Rising up a great while before day.” Getting up early in the morning takes a lot of effort. To get up extra early takes even more effort. Christ so esteemed prayer that He put forth great effort to pray. You may not have to get up early to pray, but you will learn that it always takes much effort to pray. If you are unwilling to put out energy for prayer, you will not do much praying. We put out energy and great effort in many areas of our life but seldom do we put out much effort in spiritual matters. That explains why we are so spiritual deficient much of the time.

THIRD—THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER

“Rising a great while before day.” This phrase in our text not only shows the passion for prayer, but it also shows the great priority for prayer that Christ had in His life. Prayer time was very important to him. In getting up extra early for prayer, He showed His priority for prayer. Praying early in the morning does not mean you cannot pray at day’s end or at any other time during he day. Rather what is taught here is simply the priority of prayer. What has priority in your life will reveal you spirituality. Christ placed a high priority on prayer. That tells us that prayer is a very important spiritual activity.

FOURTH—THE PLACE OF PRAYER

“Solitary place.”

We can pray anywhere.

We can pray when we are alone or when we are busy in public. But in spite of the fact that we can pray anywhere, it is still a good thing to have a special prayer time every day where you are alone in a solitary place. The privacy will encourage a good session of prayer with the Lord. Private prayer is not to negate public prayer. But a “solitary place” tells us the importance of a private place of prayer where you can spend some undistracted time with the Lord. Of course, you must want to spend time with the Lord and that is something in which few people are interested. So they complain they have no private place. But if you are interested in spending time with the Lord, you will find a place.