Learning the Way of Jesus: Solitude & Prayer | Mark 1:35-38

Sermon Guide for January 4, 2026

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How to Use This Guide:

These guides are designed to help you engage more deeply with my weekly sermon. Use this guide to prepare your heart to receive God's Word before worship, or to reflect on God's Word the week following worship.

Parents, use the information in this guide (especially in the "Family Discussion Guide" section) to have meaningful conversations with your kids that nurture their faith and help them grow in God’s love.

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Big Idea

Learning the way of Jesus means learning how to withdraw for solitude and prayer—because it is in stillness that God forms our hearts, clarifies our direction, and sets the agenda for our lives.

Scripture Focus

Mark 1:35–38

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying…” (v. 35)

Setting the Stage

We live in a world that avoids silence. Phones, music, background noise, and constant stimulation fill every quiet space.

Silence is uncomfortable because it confronts us with ourselves—our anxieties, grief, and inner thoughts. So we often turn to noise as emotional anesthesia.

This is a problem because God often does his deepest work in us in the stillness and quiet of prayerful solitude.

Jesus understood this—and lived accordingly.

What We Learn from Jesus (Mark 1:35–38)

1. Solitude and prayer must be intentionally fought for

Jesus withdraws to pray after a night of success, healing, and growing crowds.

Responsibilities, urgency, and even good things will always press in. If solitude and prayer are not fought for, they will be crowded out.

Reflection

• What “good pressures” most often crowd out prayer in your life?

2. Solitude and prayer require a concrete place of withdrawal

Jesus didn’t just intend to pray—he went out to a deserted place.

Solitude usually requires:

• intentional space,

• physical withdrawal,

• creativity and commitment.

  
  

For some, that may be early mornings. For others, it may require finding quiet in unconventional ways.

Reflection

• Where could you realistically withdraw to be alone with God?

3. Solitude and prayer are not an add-on, but a central component of life

Jesus—and every major figure in Christian history—treated prayer as central, not supplemental. Prayer wasn’t squeezed into spare moments; it set the direction of life and ministry.

Making prayer the main business of life doesn’t mean praying all day—but it does mean letting prayer shape everything else.

Reflection

• If someone looked at your schedule, what would they conclude sets the agenda of your life?

4. Solitude and prayer clarify direction and form obedience

When the disciples say, “Everyone is looking for you,” Jesus responds:

“Let’s go to the neighboring villages…”

That decision wasn’t driven by popularity or pressure—it was shaped by prayer.

Solitude and prayer reorder our desires and help us say:

• Yes to God,

• no to distractions,

• and move forward in obedience.

  
  

Without prayer, we react. With prayer, we discern.

Reflection

• Where might God be inviting you to say no—or to move in a new direction?

Practicing the Way of Jesus This Week

Twenty minutes of solitude and prayer each day can change your life.

Not because it earns God’s favor—but because it creates space for God to shape your heart.

Try This

1. Choose a consistent time and quiet place.

2. Leave distractions behind.

3. Begin in silence.

4. Speak honestly to God.

5. Listen for God’s guidance through Scripture, the Spirit, and a quiet, attentive heart. (If what we ‘hear’ in prayer contradicts Scripture or leads us away from love, humility, and obedience, it isn’t God’s voice.)

6. End by asking: “How are you inviting me to live today?”

Closing Thought

If you don’t make time to seek God through solitude and prayer, you will be at the mercy of your day and its demands—rather than living with intention, discernment, and obedience.

Jesus shows us a better way.

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Family Discussion Guide

Step 1: Read Together

Read Mark 1:35–38 aloud.

Ask:

• What do you notice about when Jesus prays?

• What do you notice about where Jesus goes?

Step 2: Talk About It

• Why do you think Jesus chose to be alone and quiet with God?

• What makes it hard for our family to slow down or be quiet?

• How do you think prayer helped Jesus know what to do next?

(Parents: It’s okay if answers are short or simple.)

Step 3: Take Action Together

Choose one practice to try this week:

• Sit in silence together for 2 minutes and then say a short prayer.

• Choose a quiet time each day to pray for one specific thing.

• Turn off screens for 10 minutes and talk about what silence feels like.

• Pick one morning or evening to pray together before starting or ending the day.

Step 4: Close in Prayer

Thank God for loving us and guiding us. Ask him to help your family learn to slow down, listen, and trust him in prayer this week.