Jesus praying

Mark 1:35 has been on my mind lately:
"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. "

Whenever I've heard this verse discussed or preached in the past, it has always seemed to be that the emphasis is on the fact that Jesus got up "very early," so early that it was still dark. Viewed in context, we should be even more impressed to see that Jesus had had a busy evening of ministry the night before, healing and teaching. That Jesus, who was in very nature God, was drawn to prayer should certainly motivate those of us who are most certainly not God to likewise seek our Father in prayer.

Lately, however, I've been reminded of the importance of finding a "solitary place" for prayer. There is something significant about pulling away from the world and its myriad distractions to focus our minds and hearts on God, if only for a brief time. Even good things can choke our prayer times. Jesus needed to withdraw to get away from the pull and pressures of the people He was serving. How much more do I need to get away from other people, from work, from study, from whatever else demands (and deserves) my time and attention.

I have found that I'm more disciplined in prayer when I have a time and a place set aside for that purpose. (Not mentioned here, but equally important in my life, is accountability in the discipline). What about you? Do you have a time for prayer? A place where you can be removed from the normal activities of your day?