This passage always reminds me of times I have been on camp outs and retreats. Usually, everyone sleeps in, and hardly anyone that I have found goes out in the wild to pray–like Jesus did.

Mark 1:35-39 (also Lu.4:42-44)

35 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. 36 Simon and his companions searched for Him; 37 they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38 He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.”

After Peter’s mother-in-law was healed “the whole city” came to see Jesus, and He healed many. Apparently, Jesus slept there in Peter’s home that night. Here in the text, we see that Jesus got up early to pray in a secluded place. And Peter gathered a search party of his companions to look for Him; it seems that Peter was the leader of this group (and he was the natural leader everywhere he went). And when they found him they were surprised saying, “Everyone is looking for you.” They were probably wondering why he got up so early to go to this secluded place. What was He doing? They didn’t understand the concept of prayer—of having an early morning quiet time. But here they got a first-hand knowledge of Jesus’ prayer habits. Soon Peter and his companions would learn more about a prayer life.