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
In His life of secret prayer, my Savior is also my Example. He could not maintain the heavenly life in His soul without continually separating Himself from man and communing with His Father. The heavenly life in me has the same need of entire separation from man—the need not only of single moments, but also of time enough for fellowship with the Father in heaven.
The event that so attracted the attention of His disciples happened at the beginning of His public ministry, and they wrote it down. (See Mark 1:21–38.) After a day full of wonders at Capernaum, the crowd in the evening became even greater in number. It was late before they got to sleep. And as the disciples rose early in the morning, they found that Jesus was gone. In the silence of the night, He had gone out to seek a place of solitude in the wilderness. When they found Him there, He was still praying.
Why did my Savior need those hours of prayer? Did the Father not, in the depths of His heart, enjoy unbroken communion with Him? Yes, that hidden life was indeed His portion. But that life, as subject to the law of humanity, had need of continual refreshing from the Fountain. Just because it was strong and true, it could not bear the loss of direct and constant communion with the Father.
If you and I want to be like Jesus, we must especially contemplate Jesus as He prayed alone in the wilderness. What He did and spoke to man was first spoken and lived through with the Father.In communion with Him, the anointing with the Holy Spirit was each day renewed. He who desires to be like Him in His walk and conversation must simply begin by following Jesus into solitude. Even though it might cost the sacrifice of sleep, of business, of fellowship with friends, the time must be found to be alone with the Father. In our secret chamber, with closed door, God must be found every day and our fellowship with Him renewed. If Christ needed it, how much more do we! What it was to Him, it will be for us.