Alone With God

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In the midst of the challenges of ministry and a demanding schedule, Jesus would withdraw to solitary places to pray. We can follow Jesus’s example by practices such as entering into the quiet place to meet with God and observing fixed hours of prayer.

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Introduction

Good evening and welcome back!
This evening if you would, turn in your Bibles to .
Tonight we are going to be looking at primarily, but also going to turn over to briefly.
And what we are going to be looking at is prayer.
And not so much that we should be praying, because I believe that we already know that.
But rather we are going to be looking at some of the deeper aspects of prayer and more so how we enter into prayer.
Because the reality is, we can pray all we want but if we do not intentionally enter into prayer with the correct mindset and correct environment, our prayer time is going to be mediocre at best.
Ever go to enter into a prayer time and just seem all alone?
Or seem like every single distraction that can come your way comes?
That’s what we are talking about tonight.
And we are going to do so on the backdrop of what Jesus did when he entered into a place and time of prayer.
So, if you have found in your Bibles I’d invite you to stand with me if you are able.
Again, I will be reading verses 35-39.
Mark writes this . . .

Scripture Focus

Mark 1:
Mark 1:35–39 NIV - Anglicised
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Background (vs 1-34)

Alright, so we find Jesus is a very familiar place here.
He was out by himself praying, which was very often what Jesus did.
And of course, the disciples eventually came looking for him and off they went back to work!
But what was going on before this?
Jesus didn’t just wake up and decide, “ I think I’m going to go pray a while today.”
No, rather this time of prayer had built up over the days and maybe even weeks prior.
Now that doesn’t mean that Jesus was not praying all day, everyday.
What I’m talking about it is this intentional, set apart time of prayer that in many ways was a time of renewal for Jesus.
A time when he could get away from the noise of the world.
And we find that noise in the first part of the chapter.
The chapter beings with Jesus’ baptism and first recorded time of solitude before entering the ministry.
Mark 1:9–13 NIV - Anglicised
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13 and he was in the desert for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
Mark 1:9–12 NIV - Anglicised
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,
And the one thing that is important to point out here is the fact that the first thing Jesus did after his baptism was go in the wilderness to prepare.
:9-
Mark 1:
And the one thing that is important to point out here is the fact that the first thing Jesus did after his
And the one thing that is important to point out here is the fact that the first thing Jesus did after his
He had went for 40 days to get himself in the right mindset for what was getting ready to take place in his life.
And even there, in the most solitary place there was, guess who shows up?
Satan.
He comes to “tempt” Jesus.
To distract Jesus.
To pull Jesus away from where the Father was leading him.
Of course we know it didn’t work, but this is one reason that we, many times fail to #1 retreat to our place of solitude.
And #2, when we do retreat to that place, we get so distracted and pulled away from God that we often lose focus of why we were there in the first place.
But we know Jesus doesn’t fall into the trap and he spends 40 days out there.
And the first thing Jesus does after this is learn that John has been put into prison and then calls his first disciples to follow him.
And then immediately after this, they get to work.
Mark 1:21–22 NIV - Anglicised
21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
Mark 1:21
So, Jesus had went to the synagogue to teach the people, which in itself was a taxing experience because some believed but we know that there were others there who did not.
And then, before he was even done teaching . . .
Mark 1:23–26 NIV - Anglicised
23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
Mark 1:23–25 NIV - Anglicised
23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”
Mark 1:23-
So now Jesus is driving out demons, which added to the stress of the overall situation and as a result of what Jesus did . . .
So now Jesus is driving out demons, which added to the stress of the overall situation and as a result of what Jesus did . . .
Mark 1:27–28 NIV - Anglicised
27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Mark 1:27-
And I point this out because of parts of verse 22 and verse 28 . . . “the people were amazed at his teaching . . .news about him spread quickly over the whole region . . .”
Jesus was becoming a celebrity very, very quickly.
People were flocking to him, just trying to see him, touch him, get him to do something for him.
Everywhere he turned there was someone else needing something.
Mark 1:29–34 NIV - Anglicised
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
Mark 1:29-
And his work itself taxed his spirit enough, now add all the pressure of the people pressing in on him.
And his work itself taxed his spirit enough, now add all the pressure of the people pressing in on him.
And that is the part that we often forget.
Jesus was still subject of all of the stress and pressures of being a man, and his batteries ran low just like anyone else’s would.

Jesus Prays (vs 35-39)

And Jesus realized that he had to get away.
He had to recharge.
He had to have some alone time with the Father.
He needed renewal, refreshing.
So . . .
Mark 1:35 NIV - Anglicised
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1:
And what I want us to notice is how Jesus structured this time.
How he went about things here.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Now, that doesn’t mean that you have to get up at 4AM and go somewhere to pray.
But I will tell you what I have found is early in the morning seems to be much free’er from distractions.
The world is still sleeping.
The phone is not ringing.
The emails are not coming in.
People don’t seem to need much early in the morning.
But the time is not the important part here.
The important part is that Jesus was intentional about what he was doing.
He intentionally got up early.
He intentionally left the house, leaving all distractions behind.
He intentionally sought out and found a solitary place.
And if we want to be successful in our own prayer lives we must also be intentional about it.
We can’t get out here and just be willy-nilly with our prayer life.
Pray “when we get a chance,” or minute here and a minute there.
Now we are to pray with out ceasing but that attitude of prayer shouldn’t replace intentional times where we pour ourselves out to God and receive the pouring in of the Holy Spirit.
Those times when we are recharged and renewed.
And we would be better off if we did this at least daily because our days have a tendency to suck the life out of us.
Look at our example here.
Jesus is out trying to pray and what happens as soon as everyone else wakes up . . .
Mark 1:36–37 NIV - Anglicised
36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Mark 1:
So, what does Jesus do?
Mark 1:38–39 NIV - Anglicised
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Mark 1:38-
Right back to work.

Practical Application (Matt. 6:6)

But, how do we go about doing this?
What do we have to do to have this sort of prayer life?
We’ve already said we have to be intentional about it.
But Jesus also gives us a few more clues.
This time over in .
Matthew 6:5–8 NIV - Anglicised
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
So, let’s break it down a bit . . .
First, don’t be like the hypocrites, meaning don’t be like those who are just pretending anyway.
Those who are not very sincere, but rather just love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.
And we have all seen it.
People who go out of their way to make sure everyone knows they are “good Christians,” that they are “humble.”
Folks, if you have to tell people how humble you are, then you are not humble.
Humility is a state of mind, a way of life, not a badge of honor.
Instead though, if you want to have a lasting and strong prayer life, then do what Jesus says here.
Matthew 6:6 NIV - Anglicised
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6
Go to your private place.
Get alone with God.
Don’t go out bragging about it.
Remove any distractions that may be in that place.
And pour yourself out to God and allow God to pour the Holy Spirit into you.
And when you are in your prayer closet . . .
Matthew 6:7–8 NIV - Anglicised
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:
In other words don’t make it into a “gimme” session.
God knows what you need so, don’t spend your entire prayer time asking for stuff.
Spend your time listening and honestly just being in God’s presence.
And most importantly trust in God.

Altar Call

And I believe this is one of the many things the church is weak on today.
We don’t pray as individuals anymore like we should.
And as a result we don’t pray as a church anymore like we should.
But the good thing is we have a chance to remedy that.
As a church but also as individuals.
And to be honest, it doesn’t do a lot of good to force a prayer program on a church full of people who do not have a prayer life at home.
Church should just be an extension of our relationship with God.
But, still we struggle.
So, tonight I ask you, what is your prayer life like?
Are you where you need to be with God?
Is your relationship strong, or does it need some work?
Well, the only way to fix it is to pray.
So, we are going to put some music on and you will have the opportunity to do that tonight.
What will you decide to do with that opportunity?
The altars are open, will you use them tonight?
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