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.”
1. Do you feel the intimacy of verse 35? Early, dark, and solitary . . . Jesus intentionally seeks out connection with his Father. How’s your intentionality with the Father?
2. How are we responding to Jesus’s actions? The disciples came with an agenda: that Jesus should be doing active ministry. What are we expecting from Jesus and is it Biblical? What do we expect from ourselves: constant service? Or are we entering the quiet intimacy that breathes life?
3. Is the proclamation of the Gospel high on our agendas? It was the purpose for Jesus’s coming–to preach the Good News and to be the Good (sacrificial) News.