Mark 1:35-39 – Time Out
35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
As we read yesterday, Jesus’ ministry was booming! People were coming to Him from all over the place to be healed and hear Him teach, but Jesus does something interesting in the middle of all this hustle and bustle. He takes a time out for prayer. Most of us would think that we have SO much to do we need to get our rest, or wake up early to get an early start on the day’s list, but not Jesus. Jesus was up way before the sun had even risen and went off alone to pray all alone! This seems so backwards compared to the way we want to do things, but that is how Jesus did it!
I think the lesson for us Christians in the passage is clear; we need to follow the example of Jesus. Jesus took time out of His day first thing to pray to His Father. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we need to pray first thing in the morning. In fact, that is not always the best time for some people. However, there is a lot to be said that first thing in the morning was when Jesus wanted to pray. Tomorrow, try giving morning prayer a try. Wake up a little earlier or change your schedule around in the morning and, first thing, spend a little time praying to Jesus just like He did in the morning. Maybe you say you can’t do it in the morning. It is still a good idea to try, but the most important thing is faithfulness. Whether you do it in the morning before the sun is up or at night before bed, pray every day!
Life Step: Think about it…
Why is it a good idea for us to try to follow Jesus’ example of prayer?
What are some things that keep us from praying regularly to God?
What are some things we can do to keep on praying faithfully every day?
Study the Scriptures with Ben Jennings 
its a good idea to follow Jesus’ example of prayer cuz we need to follow his example like it says in the Bible.there are gonna be things that are gonna keep us from praying regularly. like a busy scheduele.some people think that just because they have a busy scheduele they can’t pray.like cody said in the devotion we can put aside some time to pray.like wake up in the morning early and pray or at night.
Well Jesus is perfect, so He’s basically the best example to follow! I think praying right when you wake up is a good idea! It’s a great way to start your day! One thing that can keep me from praying regularly is “not having enough time.” Really, I do have enough time, I just don’t put praying or God at the top of my to-do list like I should. Then it comes to the end of the day and I remember that I forgot to pray, but end up falling asleep in the middle of my prayer.. So praying right when I wake is a really good idea for me personally, I think it can really help!