The Day's Work
"Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, 'Everyone is looking for you.' He told them, 'Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.'” (Mark 1:35-38)
Christ didn’t rise early to check emails or squeeze in a quick workout. He rose early to pray.
Take a moment to ask yourself: What’s the first thing I do in the morning? Do you reach for your phone? Scroll through notifications? Dive straight into the demands of the day?
Notice how Jesus begins His day. Before addressing the crowds, before preaching or healing, He retreats to a quiet place to pray. Even when Simon finds Him and says, “Everyone is looking for you,” Christ doesn’t rush to meet the demands. He doesn’t let the urgency of others dictate His priorities.
Here’s the key: the work was already waiting for Him. People were already looking for Him. Yet Jesus chose to start His day rooted in prayer, drawing strength from the Father before taking on His mission.
“For this purpose I have come”—yet He didn’t leap into action without first grounding Himself in God’s presence.
For us, the lesson is clear. Our work will always be there. The emails, the to-do lists, the people who need us—they’ll still be waiting. But if we follow Christ’s example, we’ll start not with the hustle, but with prayer.
So tomorrow morning, resist the urge to check your phone or get swept up in the demands of the day. Instead, find a quiet place and lift your heart to God. Begin your day with Him. Then, with His grace, step into the work He’s given you to do.
Pray first. Then work.