Solitary Place,

Jesus stepped away; whether on a mountainside, in the wilderness, to a lonely area, isolated himself or He went to a deserted place to pray.

Luke 22:39-46 NIV. 39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed. 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Jesus went away to secret places to pray, to fill up spiritually. While temptations fell upon his disciples, instead of praying they were asleep so they were not filled up in the spirit to handle what they were going to have to face.

When we are not spending time alone with God in prayer we are not spiritually filled up, when we get thrown an obstacle, we are unable to handle it in a respectable, calm, or passive manner. We may even over-react or make a big deal out of nothing…

Jesus was strengthened by an angel while in prayer, we are to do the same. Find a quiet spot away and pray Gods will for your life and spend time in prayer with your High King often, so you too can become strengthened by one of Gods angels.

Mark 1:35 NIV. 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 1:35 AMP. And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed.

Mark 1:35 LNT. The next morning He was up long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.

Mark 1:35 RSV. And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.

Mark 1:35 NLT. Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

All of these bible versions describe Jesus going off in prayer in one way or another. Jesus set up these examples I believe because he knew we wouldn’t be able to go off in prayer the same away as He was able to; into a wilderness, or mountainside so we need to find our wilderness – say in a quiet room in your house, or your mountainside is plainly just somewhere quiet and isolated, we need to quiet everything around us and isolate ourselves to have no distractions in order to hear God clearly and be in His presence in a more intimate way.

So step away from time to time and bask in your Heavenly Fathers presence.