Go to Your Quiet Place

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 1:35

Routines. Schedules. Appointments. These are the words that become the rhythms of our daily lives. Whatever your daily routine is, it should include prayer. Prayer should be a part of your schedule that is just as routine as your morning cup of coffee or that granola bar you eat while sitting at your daughter’s soccer practice. Another key part of your routine should be to go to your quiet place to pray.

Jesus Is The Example

For Jesus, praying was His routine. Every time He faced an important decision, He prayed. After feeding the multitude with just five loaves of bread and two fish (Mark 6: 34-44), Jesus climbed a mountain to pray. When choosing His disciples, He spent an entire night alone in prayer. In this week’s devotional, Mark 1:35 tells us another key part to Jesus’ prayer routine: Jesus knew He needed a quiet place to pray, and He routinely sought these quiet places so that He could clearly hear His Father’s voice.

As you pray today, take a moment to reflect on your own daily routine. While you pray for those routine things – your family, your job, your health, your church, your community, and all the other parts of your life – you should also add another piece to your schedule. You should follow His example, and find a quiet place to be alone with God in prayer. Whatever it is that you are experiencing – an incredible high point or a devastating low point – you need to go to your quiet place, and pray, and listen for God’s voice as He guides you in accordance with His will. Amen!

Source:
“Experiencing God Day-By-Day; The Devotional and Journal”, by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby ©1997. Entry January 9.

Additional Reading:
Prayer Is Preparation
Going Farther With God