On Rising Early to Pray

I’m working my way through the 40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer (which you can receive for free via email from BibleGateway).

On Day 3, here’s what Bonhoeffer has to say about Mark 1:35, which says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

This order and discipline must be sought and found in the morning prayer. It will stand the test at work. Prayer offered in early morning is decisive for the day. The wasted time we are ashamed of, the temptations we succumb to, the weakness and discouragement in our work, the disorder and lack of discipline in our thinking and in our dealings with other people – all these very frequently have their cause in our neglect of morning prayer. The ordering and scheduling of our time will become more secure when it comes from prayer.

I definitely find this to be true in my life. How about you?

We can draw a number of other implications for our devotional life from Mark 1:35 as well.

1. Jesus rose very early, while it was still dark.

The previous day had been a busy one for Jesus. Starting at sundown, he healed “many” and cast out “many” demons (verse 34), but he got up early anyway. We do not know what time he went to bed, but generally speaking, it would seem that we need to go to bed early enough to rise early the next morning so we can spend time with the Father before the cares of this world creep in. 

2. Jesus went to a desolate place to pray.

If Jesus desired, or needed, a private place to pray, how much more do we? Bible commentator Matthew Henry makes this point: “His retirement to his private devotion; He prayed, prayed alone; to set us an example of secret prayer.”

3. Jesus prayed.

And here’s Henry’s take ... I love this: “Though as God he was prayed to, as man he prayed. Though he was glorifying God, and doing good, in his public work, yet he found time to be alone with his Father; and thus it became him to fulfil all righteousness.”

How does your early morning prayer routine compare or contrast? Personally, mine needs some work.