Jesus And His Prayer Life Series

We need to pray. We need to follow the example of our Lord Jesus who made prayer a priority. We will look at the passage of scripture that tells us about when Jesus got up very early and got off by himself to pray.

There was a cartoon where one praying mantis was talking with another and said, sure everyone thinks we pray, but how much do we really do it?

Jesus called out the Pharisees as hypocrites. They were merely play actors because they had the prayer postures down, but they were not really praying. Our example for prayer is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our passages tells us about Jesus in the activity of prayer.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” (Mark 1:35-37)

We notice a few things about how Jesus prayed from these verses and others that give us insight into how Jesus prayed. Jesus would get up early to pray. He would at times pray all night. Jesus agonized in prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus prayed because he wanted fellowship with God. Jesus was as busy as anyone could be. All of his responsibilities could have kept him from prayer. This whole situation we are looking at now, where he rises early to pray, is a time when the crowds are looking for him. They are pouring in just to have a moment with Jesus. They are seeking his heavenly touch.

Jesus got up early that Sunday morning but think of all he had been through the previous day, Saturday, the Sabbath day. That day before Jesus taught in the Synagogue in Capernaum. It was on the previous day that he amazed the synagogue crowd with his teaching. While he was there at the synagogue a demon who possessed a man there cried out, I know who you are Jesus, you are the Holy one of God. Jesus cast out the demon from that man.

When they left the Synagogue, they went to the home of Peter’s mother-in-law. Peter’s wife’s mother was there with a fever and Jesus healed her. Then the crowds flooded the place.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door. 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. (Mark 1:32-34)

Those who give of themselves in ministry find that, like Jesus, they too become exhausted. After a very exhausting day like this Jesus got up early, while it was still dark, he departed from the home of Peter’s mother-in-law to pray. The emphasis is on how the time was early and the place was solitary. When he was all alone Jesus prayed there. Jesus needed to depart. Jesus needed to be alone. Jesus needed to pray.

For Jesus prayer was even more important than his needed sleep. It even says before he selected his disciples, he spent the whole night in prayer. He chose them with much prayer.

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (Luke 6:12-16)

When Jesus was the most sought after by the crowds was the time that he most sought God in prayer. He did not wait until things slowed down for prayer, he made time in the most demanding of situations, to spend time in prayer as his priority. Keep in mind that prayer is your most valuable resource.

Peter and the other disciples that were there woke up and Jesus was missing from the house. He was already gone. They went out to find him and call him back. After all he was in demand. He was sought after. They may have thought Jesus was wasting precious time.

Jesus had need for a quiet communion with God. In his time alone praying he got new direction to go to new places. The obvious thing would be for Jesus to go back to where the crowds are. But he is sensitive to God’s leading him to the new places.

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” (Mark 1:38)