Jesus Rising Before Dawn to Prayer

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day" (Mark 1:35). If we would pray well, we must pray early. Christians face a choice: indulge in sleep and offer hurried, scant devotion, or embrace self-denial and give God the freshest hours of the day. Christ had no natural conveniences for securing quiet, yet He made them. The hilltop became His chamber; darkness, His bolted door. He had no time for prayer, yet He made time, rising "a great while before day." Do not claim you lack a secret place for prayer—where there is will, there is a way.

Jesus in secret prayer demonstrates the reality of His human nature and His subjection to the same moral conditions as we are. Even sinless beings, when tried, need Divine help. If Jesus prayed, it is neither unscientific nor unbecoming for us to pray. No disciple becomes so strong or holy as to transcend the necessity of prayer. Prayer possesses positive power with Yahweh, more than mere subjective influence. All ought and need to pray. Having the name of Jesus to plead, every believer may be assured of being heard and answered.

Observe Christ's example of swift, unselfish activity. The Saviour cannot forego prayer—it is too important and necessary—yet He will not permit it to interfere with His activity on behalf of others. Only by combining prayer and work will work be prevented from injuring us. Secular work's wear and tear upon the spirit, amid the rush of the world's business, will seriously unfit a man for spiritual exercises.