Praying in the Dark

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

February 8, 2015

Mark 1:35

Praying in the Dark

†

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. (Mark 1:35)

It had been quite a day. Jesus had gone to church where He was confronted by a screaming demon-possessed man. After He had cast out the demon, He was invited to the home of one of His disciples for dinner. But upon His arrival He was told that Peter's mother-in-law was very sick. So He healed her and then they ate. And when the Sabbath ended at sunset, hundreds of people converged on Peter's house. And Jesus spent the evening and into the night healing the sick and driving out demons.

When Jesus was finally able to lay down, He only did so for a few hours. He got up before the sun was up and went off to pray. He got up early to spend time speaking with His heavenly Father. We don't have a record of their words, but it is safe and wise to assume that the topic of discussion was us and our salvation.

"I pray . . . for those who will believe in Me through [the apostles'] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them." (John 17:20-26)

These words from John 17 were prayed by Jesus just before He died. This time of praying in the dark from Mark 1 happened very early in the morning and very early in Jesus' preaching ministry. And we can safely see Jesus' prayer with His Father even earlier in His earthly life. When Mary and Joseph found the 12-year old Jesus, they found Him in His Father's house. Jesus made it clear that this was the natural place for Him to be: at His Father's.

Where is your natural place to be when you speak with your heavenly Father? To start with, in His house, church, either here or St. Paul's. And we see Jesus in the Temple and in Jewish worship at the synagogue. But in Mark 1 He also prayed early Sunday morning. He prayed in the dark in a secluded place. He needed to find a place where He could focus on one thing, the most important thing, the Word of God, His Word, without distractions.

I encourage you to find a place where you can speak to your Father without distractions. And perhaps your secluded place isn't so much a where, but a when. In the morning or at night when the rush of life slows, make a choice to listen to God's Word and to speak with Him about what He has just told you. Pray the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer and then let Him speak to you as you open His Book to where you left Him yesterday.

Dearly beloved, pray in the quiet dark and hear His voice as He comforts and forgives you with His Word. And His Word will do what He says. His Word drove out demons. His Word drove away fever and blindness. His Word certainly will heal your soul, day and night.

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. (Mark 1:35)

I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one: I in them and You in Me. (John 17:22-23a)

Christ Jesus came into the world

to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

Alleluia! Amen.