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. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for You!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” (Mark 1:35-38)
 
We examined how Jesus remained faithful to His purpose, even when that meant disappointing the crowds clamoring for Him. You and I need a similar focus on our main purpose(s) in life.
But how can we stay focused in this way? How can we clear up our purpose in life? After all, we’re not Jesus. We aren’t the Son of God. Our minds and hearts are distorted by sin. Can we ever hope to know our purpose and stick to it?
To be sure, our sin does get in the way of our ability to know and do God’s will. But the example of Jesus points to something we can do to nurture our communication with God so that we might have a clearer sense of our life’s purpose. Mark 1:35 says that Jesus got up “very early in the morning, while it was still dark” and “went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” Jesus sensed that He needed some extended time alone with His Heavenly Father. No doubt, in this time of prayer, Jesus received additional clarity and guidance concerning His messianic work. Because He had spent quality and quantity time alone with the Father, Jesus was able to reject the temptation to play to the crowds. He could stay focused on His purpose because He had taken time for prayer.
Prayer clarifies purpose. When we pray and are quiet enough to allow God to speak to us, we can understand why God has put us on the earth. Moreover, prayer enables us to focus on our purpose, rather than being distracted by distractions. So, if we want to live our lives with maximum impact, doing what God has called us to, then, like Jesus, we need to spend time with our Heavenly Father. We may not be able to get up early and go to an isolated place; we need to regularly get away from the distractions of life to quiet our hearts before God and be refreshed in our sense of God’s purpose for our lives.
Now, I’m not suggesting that prayer is some magic key that immediately opens the door of purpose. Sometimes God responds quickly to our prayers for guidance concerning our purpose. At other times, we pray and pray and pray and pray. It can seem as if God isn’t answering or isn’t even there. But in truth, God is there. And when the time is right, God will give you clarity of purpose. Yes, it can be hard to wait. But if you are having a hard time waiting for God, be encouraged by these words from the prophet Isaiah:
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.
                                                                       (Isa 40:30-31).
 
Prayer
Lord Jesus, Your example both challenges me and encourages me. If You, our Savior and the Son of God, needed to get away to spend time with the Father, how much more do I need to do this!
Forgive me, Lord, when I let the demands and distractions of this life keep me from prayer. Put within me a new desire to spend time with my Heavenly Father, and help me to act on this desire. May faithful prayer undergird and permeate my life, even today. Amen.

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. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for You!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” (Mark 1:35-38)
 
Shortly after Jesus began His ministry in Capernaum, He arose early one morning to find an isolated place where He could pray without interruption. Jesus’ time for private prayer didn’t last too long, however, because His disciples looked for Jesus to tell Him what they surely believed to be happy news: “Everyone is looking for You” (v. 37). An expanded paraphrase might read, “Jesus, You’ve made it. You’ve gone viral! Everybody wants more of You. Congratulations!”
Naturally, the disciples assumed that Jesus would leave His solitary place of prayer to please the masses. But then He said a strange thing: “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come” (v. 38). Jesus understood that He was not sent only to Capernaum and the nearby region. His mission would also take Him across Galilee and ultimately to Judea and Jerusalem. Along the way, He would disappoint the crowds who wanted more of Him, as well as many of His one-time followers who turned back when Jesus didn’t fulfill their expectations (John 6:66).
Nothing can distract us from our true purpose in life like popularity (being liked). Even when we know God has called us to a particular work, what people want can tempt us to focus our energies on some other venture. Many pastors, for example, find it easier to preach on what makes people like them rather than on what their people actually need. I surely faced that temptation as a pastor. Business leaders sometimes work long hours because the praise they get at work is much more gratifying than the day-to-day challenges of family life. Of course, popularity is not necessarily bad. But it can be a poor measure of what God wants us to do with our lives.
 
Jesus did not let popularity distract Him from His true purpose. Instead, He remained faithful to His calling. So, He left behind the adoring and needy crowds in Capernaum to preach the good news of the kingdom in other places.
 
Reflection: When have you been tempted to focus on what is popular rather than what you’re really supposed to do with your life?
 
Prayer
Lord Jesus, when I read this story from Mark, I’m reminded of how easily I can become distracted from my primary purpose in life. When people want me to do something that makes me popular, I can go astray, not so much into sin as into activity that isn’t consistent with what You have called me to do.
Help me, Lord, to do in my life that which is most important, whether or not it is the thing that brings the most praise.
Help me, Lord, to be faithful in my closest relationships, especially with my family. Keep me from being so wrapped up in work/school that I forget the relational dimension of my calling.
Above all, may I give top priority in life to my relationship with You. May I live for your pleasure most of all. Amen.

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
 
We have been considering the question, “Do I have to get up early to pray?” I believe that the biblical answer to this question is “No,” though I would never discourage anyone from the excellent discipline of getting up early to pray. Yet, those who insist that all Christians must get up before the sun to pray are wandering into legalism that doesn’t fit with the example or message of Jesus.
In my experience, the well-intended folk who insist that we must follow Jesus’s example by praying in the early morning do not often demand that we go “off to a solitary place,” even though that’s what Jesus did (v. 35). The Greek word translated as “solitary” (eremos) actually means “isolated, desolate, deserted.” It’s the standard Greek word for “desert” or “wilderness.” So, the point of Mark 1:35 isn’t just that Jesus found a place to be alone. Rather, he went out into the wilderness near Capernaum to be isolated and to be in a place where people often encounter God with particular intimacy.
Ironically, this is something people can get excited about, even suggesting that all Christians do likewise (which I won’t). Why? Because, though you may not be wired to be a morning person, you are a lover of nature. If you want to spend an extended time in conversation with the Lord, you will go to your own version of the wilderness. Your “wilderness” may be the mountainous area near where you live. For you, hiking in the mountains is a perfect place for deep prayer.
I recognize that this would not be everyone’s cup of tea. (You might be glad for this, because if thousands of Christians were hiking and praying in your “wilderness,” it would no longer be an ideal place for prayer anymore.) My point, once again, is that we should surely imitate Jesus by finding times and places to be alone with the Lord. But we miss the point if we focus on the details.
So, whether you head for the hills, sit by a lake, go to a retreat center, sit in an empty church sanctuary, or find a quiet corner in your own home, by all means, follow the example of Jesus. Take time to be alone with God in prayer. Some translations of Matthew 6:6 read, “Go into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father.”  You need it . . . and God desires it.
Prayer
Gracious God, thank You for the example of Jesus, who helps us learn how to pray. Though we may not be able to go to the wilderness, we can find places to be alone with You. Our souls need this! Help us, Lord, to find such places and set aside the time for a deeper relationship with You. Amen.

​Numbers 6:1-8(NIV)
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.5 “‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.6 “‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body. 7 Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head. 8 Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.
Well, what is a Nazarite? How does it relate to us today? Many important biblical figures are connected to Nazarites, like Samson and Samuel. The term “Nazarite” means "dedicated to the Lord." It signifies separating oneself for God. This is voluntary; both men and women can take this vow.
This was special at the time, as women had few religious privileges in ancient culture. Remember, only men could be priests in Israel, and the Levites serving in the temple were also all males. But Nazarites are different; the Bible says both men and women can be Nazarites. This means you don’t have to be a priest—who inherit the position and are all male—to fully dedicate yourself to God. Anyone, regardless of gender, can be as devoted to God as a priest, or even more so. Many of our brothers and sisters today are very devoted and closer to God than many pastors. So, you can be today’s Nazarite.
However, becoming a Nazarite was not easy. There are three main requirements. First, they cannot drink alcohol, including vinegar made from wine. They also cannot drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. Anything from the grapevine, from seeds to skins, is off-limits. Second, they cannot cut their hair; it must grow long enough for others to see they are Nazarites. Third, they cannot touch dead bodies, even if their parents die. Each of these requirements is very challenging but fulfilling them is necessary to be a Nazarite. The scripture states that during all their days of separation, they are holy to the Lord.
This passage makes us think about every Christian. While not everyone is called to be a pastor and serve full-time in the church, each of us can choose to separate ourselves and dedicate our lives to God like a Nazarite. We may not follow the exact rules given in scripture, but the core principle of being set apart for God remains unchanged. This often comes with significant cost and the relinquishment of certain rights. To be a Nazarite today may mean letting go of worldly pursuits and fully seeking God. It may feel like giving up better job offers, important connections, or more comfortable living arrangements. Yet, doing so can lead to a deeper experience of God’s grace and a closer relationship with Him.
Today, while there may not be an exact role of Nazarite in the church, everyone can become a Nazarite because we are all called by Jesus to be wholly sanctified. God says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Paul also says, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.” May we all, like Nazarites, fully dedicate ourselves to God and shine His glory in this crooked and perverse generation!