Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.
While it was still dark
Mark places this right after the busiest day of Jesus's public life: a synagogue, a healing, the whole city at the door by evening. And the next thing he does is disappear. Before dawn, before the disciples can find him, into a place with nothing in it.
This is the pattern of his life: the great things are preceded by solitude. Forty days before the ministry. A night on the mountain before choosing the twelve. A garden before the cross. If Christ needed this, it is not optional for us. The solitary place is not a retreat from the work; it is where the work comes from.
Practically: the hour before dawn is the quietest hour that will exist today. Nobody needs you yet. Your body is fasting, your mind is not yet full. It is the easiest time to find the deserted place, and the hardest to choose it.
Practice
Set the alarm thirty minutes earlier than you need. Don't eat. Don't look at a screen. Go somewhere with nothing in it and stay until the light changes.
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