A Solitary Place

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35

Jesus placed a premium on solitude and prayer. At times, our daily routines and responsibilities can make it seem impossible to find time to be alone and pray. Undoubtedly, Jesus experienced similar pressures in His life, but He always found a way to make time for what was important to Him. As we look at the number of times it is recorded in scripture that Jesus prayed, we begin to understand that prayer was more than a religious ritual for Him; it was something that He felt He needed to do. If Jesus felt that He needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray? He was the sinless Son of God, part of the Trinity, and yet He needed to pray. He was the active member of the Godhead in creation. He made everything that surrounded Him, and yet, He needed to pray. He had experienced oneness with the Father for all eternity past, and yet, while He was walking this earth and living as a man, He needed to pray. Sometimes Jesus prayed in public, sometimes He prayed with His disciples, but in the text above, we find Him resorting to a solitary place. Jesus wanted to be alone. He wanted to be undisturbed. He did not want any distractions or interruptions. Christ wanted to focus on sharing His heart with the Father. I believe we all need a solitary place. We need to have time when we are alone and uninterrupted so that we can get our hearts in tune with God. Do you have a solitary place?