in mark 1:35, Jesus gets up early, before anyone else in the house, and goes out to pray. while it was still dark out, he leaves the comfort of His bed, and the numbness of sleep, to go out and spend some quality time with His Father.

why did He leave the house? couldn’t He just sit up in bed and pray? (of course what happens when we try to accomplish anything, reading, prayer, etc, in bed?) His actions are very purposeful at this point. if you get up at o-dark-thirty in the morning, you usually have something very specific to do, something that stands out from normal daily activity.

Jesus had just completed His first full day of public ministry. i guarantee you it was exhausting. but rather than indulge Himself in sleep, He rises early to start the day with God, free of distractions. He had to physically walk away from sleep in order to go spend precious minutes with the Father.

What are the values and benefits of solitude? Do we need a daily hermitage? How long should be set aside?

One thing is for certain, it must be done purposefully, and as a priority. If we struggle, and strive for just 5 more minutes under the covers, we will wind up losing the battle of the bed more times than not.

making the effort to spend time with God is always worthwhile. and a daily hermitage can be a very beneficial thing.