35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
Mark. Mark 1:35. Hi, it’s Nathan, and this is Day 5 of 30 Days of Prayer. Hey, grab your sneakers and throw on a jacket. I want to show you something. I know it’s early. The sun hasn’t even come up, but you gotta see this. I drag you out into the cool morning air. Dawn is underway, but not by much. After following a short winding trail—and then getting your feet soaked by the morning dew, I motion for you stop, pointing across the tiny meadow at a figure under a craggy tree. Who’s that, you ask? “It’s God, I whisper. What’s God doing over there? He’s praying.” “Praying?” “Yep. You can find him here just about everyday.” This is essentially the point of Mark’s brief observation of Jesus’ early-morning prayer habit. When God—Jesus—joined our family, he prayed a lot. He loved it. Probably one of his very favorite things to do. In fact, this prayer time was the fuel for his entire ministry. In spite of being God, Jesus’ mission was not a guaranteed outcome. He was successful BECAUSE he was connected. Because he CHOSE to be connected and took time for that to happen. And you? You’re most certainly NOT God—so, call it a wild guess, but you—I—NEED time with God if we have any aspirations of finishing this life successfully.
