“In the morning, while it was still very dark, [Jesus] got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” What an example Jesus gives us of how to keep in touch with the Lord, to develop and strengthen our relationship with God, to be prepared to live into our call to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. This is how he starts his day, making prayer his priority, making time for God. He goes to a place where there will be no distractions, no interruptions, and opens himself up to God. His itinerant ministry is just beginning. He is on his way to proclaim the good news of God’s love, the reality of God’s healing grace, to the people in the Galilean towns around Capernaum. He somehow knows deep within that if he is going to give of himself to others, he must first be filled with the life-giving power of God, and he presents himself to the Lord for that purpose, for the anointing of God’s Spirit to invigorate his ministry in the world.

Prayer time is important for all of us if we want to know God, to experience God’s presence, to recognize God’s hand at work in our lives. It doesn’t have to be before dawn, of course; rather offering the time of day when we are our freshest is one way to demonstrate our desire to be completely present with the Lord. Neither does it have to be outside in a deserted place, though that can be helpful sometimes. It is good, however, to have some place where we won’t be disturbed or distracted by others as a way of intentionally offering the best we have to God. Prayer time is especially important for us when we feel called to be God’s hands and feet in the world. Whether it is to share God’s love with those who feel unloved, to lift up the light of Christ for those who sit in darkness, to be with those who need to experience the presence of God, to comfort those who are grieving, to celebrate with those who are joyous, or whatever our call may be, we first need to go to God in prayer to be filled to overflowing with God’s life-giving love. It was true for Jesus; it is true for us.