Monday: A Place
Daily Lesson for Monday 27th of April 2026
Jesus is our perfect example in all things, and when it comes to personal devotions, it is no different. What does Mark 1:35 tell us about Jesus’ time with His Father?
Although Mark 1:35 is just one verse, we can learn so much here from Jesus’ example. Long before the sun came up, He removed Himself to a solitary place of quiet so He could be with His Father. Can you imagine the scene—Jesus, sitting by the Sea of Galilee or on the side of a hill, praying and communing with His Father before the world around Him woke up? Although this verse describes Jesus’ commitment to prayer, we clearly see that it was a priority for Him. No doubt this time was what gave Him strength to face all that He endured. If Jesus needed this to start every day, how much more do we?
God tells us, “ ‘Seek My face,’ ” and He hopes our response will be “ ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’ ” (Psalms 27:8, NKJV).
What does 1 Chronicles 16:11 say about how we should seek His face?
Image © Providence Collection at Goodsalt.com
Do you have a place you can go each morning to be with God? Perhaps you can find a chair by a window, a quiet spot outside, or even the kitchen table, where you can come daily to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn from God’s Word. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is the best place to be (Luke 10:39-42). By forming a daily habit of going to a certain place to spend time with God, you’ll be more likely to return there each day. Don’t become discouraged when you miss a day here or there, because emergencies arise, and you may not be able to spend time with God. But try not to let too much time pass without spending time with God. Remember that having an abiding relationship with God is a daily decision, one that you can start again, today, if you choose to.
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Quite a bit of my current Bible study time is devoted to thinking about comments to write on Sabbath School Net these days. And I will be honest with you; I am not systematic. I don’t wake up early in the morning every day and spend time in study.
Typically, I like to glance over the lesson sometime in the week before to try and pick up the main themes. Then, while I am out birdwatching, often early in the morning. I go over these themes in my mind. I call this soakage time. This is when I recall scripture I have learned, things I have read, personal experiences, and illustrations. They don’t all occur to me at the same time. When I have time, I write the ideas down and try to flesh them out a bit. Of course, things do not always go to plan. Sometimes I change what I write at the last moment.
There are two things in my mind. I don’t want to write a catechism – the sort of comment that gives the church-approved answer. I try to write something that has made me think a bit about my spiritual experience. Secondly, it is about communication with others. I hope my shared Bible study has a bit of “Have you thought about it this way?” sense about it. When I write to share with others, it helps my own spiritual growth.
I actually thank God for the comments here, especially the ones that include an experience or example from real life, and also the ones that connect to other verses in the Bible.
They teach me to not only look for Jesus in the Bible itself, but in every thing around me or any task I do, and it’s such a great learning experience. Christ object lessons in practice.
While I was thinking what it actually means to “abide (stay, endure, dwell) in Me”, my mind went to connect this to what we need in order to build endurance in physical training, so I drew a parallel between the two:
– Consistency = daily Bible study;
– Interval training = high focused reading & slow chewing on the verses read;
– Progressive overload = gradually increase the time spent in the Word;
– Cross training = very your methods: reading, listening, watching;
– Recovery, nutrition & hydration = rest, prayer & community.
May we all abide in Him.
God bless.
Welcome Vikica! I think you are new to this forum. Please come back daily and comment frequently. It’s enlightening to have fresh ideas and new viewpoints.
Its really good to develop in the lord.
In Luke 5:16, Jesus Christ withdrew Himself into the wilderness and prayed. It all began with a desire to get away and have time alone with God in prayer. Being alone with God in the particular place meant temporarily disconnecting from family, friends, and coworkers, our ordinary situations, our possessions—disconnecting from particular patterns and practices of our life. It involves purposefully seeking to connect with God—speaking, listening, and silently listening in God’s presence. This experience can be adventurous, reverential, and liberating. God does communicate with different people in diverse ways. God connects with us through Scripture and in different circumstances. We must be intentional in engaging God’s Word and be in a place, position, and posture that can enable us to receive God’s direction.
Being alone in a place of prayer means being vulnerable and opening ourselves to God. Here we get real with God about what we think and feel without mincing our words; we tell God our frustrations and listen to what He says. God understands and knows what is in our hearts and minds, and thus a place alone with God helps us carry our thoughts, our experiences, our pain, and our emotions to the seat of God. As much as life can be challenging, there is value in bringing our realities and fantasies to the Lord in prayer. Jesus faced His most vulnerable and intimate moments in Gethsemane, a familiar and quiet place, on His knees, alone with His Father, in hope of another way—how much more for us? He “prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44)- Jesus found rest in knowing God’s will.
“Into the wilderness.” In Matthew 14:23, He would send multitudes away and go up into a mountain apart to pray; and when the evening had come, He was there alone. He sought solitude for prayer and was setting a perfect example for His followers both then and now. If Jesus understood the need for a place and time alone to pray in seekibg His Father, then we should seek to do the same more often, since we are fully human. As much as it seems impossible at times to set a place and time alone with God, especially for prayer, it is of utmost urgency that we do it. Like in the movie War Room, where the main character was fighting to save her marriage and keep her family together, we need our own “war room”—a safe and designated place to plan and prepare strategically for battles. We all face serious battles daily, and these battles can only be fought and won in the spiritual realm. Whether in a bathroom, closet, car, or at the park, we can appreciate God’s creation by having a place designated for time alone with God in prayer.
As I read this, I thought about how I wake up in the morning and the messages on my phone often take priority. It seems like every morning there is always some kind of emergency. I also reflected on how busy I am working for God in church, but not spending time with God Himself.
I am writing this as a word of encouragement to myself: to prioritize spending time with God daily and not allow myself to be distracted by my phone, work assignments, or other demands.
Charlie Kirk’s book, released after his death, just arrived at my house. Entitled “Stop In the Name of God, subtitle, “Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life.”
He shares how he also had to determine to “disconnect” on Friday evening until sundown Saturday by actually shutting off his phone and all electronic devices.
We as Adventists have much to learn.
Jesus’s example is the best.
Jesus had a pattern for how He carried His personal devotion with His Father. He purposefully withdrew into quiet places to commune with His Father.
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a [a]solitary place; and there He prayed.” (Mark 1:35, NKJV).
“So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” (Luke 5:16, NKJV)
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12, NKJV)
“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” (Matthew 26:36, NKJV).
Christian spiritual growth requires commitment and discipline. It is essential that we cultivate certain practices to enhance our experiences in our relationship with God. These are not mere rituals but create an enabling environment to have a personal encounter with God. A quiet and private environment creates an environment for soul searching. It is a moment for surrender. It is a moment to establish a close touch with God. It is a moment to listen to the still voice of God (1 Kings 19:11-12). With the mad noises of this world, it is very easy to miss out when God speaks to us. Moments of quietness and solitude with God bring true inner peace in a noisy, mad world.
Like Martha in Luke 10:39-42, we might seem to be too busy with our daily businesses to find time to sit at the feet of Jesus. We might not physically find Him in our room and sit with Him as the Mary did, but that quite place every morning ,pleading with Him in prayer and through his word,can replenish our strength to face our days without fear.
3rd Quarter 2025 Lesson 12 got my attention about today’s lesson,and have got some thoughts that inspired me very much about The Tent of Meeting,”We must not confuse “the tent of meeting” (built outside of Israel’s camp) with the tabernacle, which was later constructed and located in the center of the camp. We do not know how often Moses consulted with God in the tent of meeting. However, one thing we know for sure: Moses’ encounters with God resulted in a close friendship between them. “The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exod. 33:11, NKJV). A friend is a person we can consult and openly discuss most everything with and trust that he or she will never reveal it to others. A friend is one of the nicest things to have and one of the nicest persons to be”.
What A friend we have in Jesus,Stay blessed
Time spent with God is time well spent. I start my day praying early in the morning and follow that with Sabbath school together with Bible studies. I often pray while lying in bed. Honestly, sometimes the weight of the world feel heavy on my shoulders but I do not let that overcome me by the grace of God. It is the power of God that energizes to devote time for prayer and Bible reading
Jesus is out best friend!
What I am about to share with you occured many years ago. My mother had very recently died. I was her only child. She was not close to her family ; no mention will be made of my “absentee Dad or his family. She may have meant well; but I was spoilt rotten, as a young man I never washed even a pair of my socks.
As you could imagine my life was in total chaos, dirty clothes were shoved under the bed . The house was in a state. One morning I awoke in this “Confusion”. I went to the table of the three room house (bedroom , living room, kitchen) ; if I remember correctly we might have had only one table on which was scattered a host of varied items.
It would have taken probably half of an hour to place them in their appropiate spaces : so I calmly took both hands and threw everything on the ground; placed my Bible on the cleared table pulled a chair and spent quiet ,uninterrupted time with God.
I have to some extent improved in my house-keeping. However that was not simply an event; in a multitude of various ways, shapes and forms that episode has been relived in my life ; the passion to put Him first in a manner that means FIRST; with its unchanging outcome of peace , calmness and serenity.
Spending time with God will look different for everyone.However,the principle remains the same,that in order to grow in our Christian walk ,we must set aside time for God.Personally for me,it doesn’t have to be early in the morning,although it is my preference.However,things happens and there are times when I’ve woken up late or missed my alarm for the for one reason or another.I feel that having a specific time to meet and spend time in the word is important and neccessary for our relationship with God and others,and growth in the word.I also think having specific times to seek God demonstrates our desire and intentions as it relate to Him as a priority.
Because God is intentional with is,likewise,we must be intentional about our relationship with Him.Daniel 1: 18 states that “Daniel purposed in His heart not to eat of the Kings meat,nor drink of his wine which he drank.”That is one example of being intentional.Of course,in the lesson we are reminded that Jesus is our greatest example.Therefore,let us purpose in our hearts to follow Him all the way.
There is a time for everything. Mmmmmm Seems as though Soloman said that there is a time to gain, Ecclesiastes 3:6. Now I give my opinion on many Biblical texts, so don’t hold me line for line. What Soloman is saying with this particular verse, I am applying it to several different gains. Our gain by reading the Bible, gain by learning from instruction, reproof, comfort, and being loved by God, gain more insight of God, gain a loving relationship with God, and gain God’s knowledge of ourselves (critique or reality check from God). Psalm 139:23.
23. O Lord, search my heart; test me so I can know my thoughts as you know them.
24. Let me know if there is any wicked way in me, and then help me walk in the way I should go. Psalm 139:23-24. The Clear Word.
Jesus lived a very public life. He had no privacy, did not follow a routine, but He always followed the Father’s Spirit prompting His heart. Can one say that He felt a ‘commitment’ to pray, or was ‘withdrawing’ to meet with the Father essential for their intimate, personal relationship? He was the Father’s Son given flesh to meet with man, but when meeting with the Father, They met in Spirit – John 10:30.
Being born again to live life in Jesus Christ, we are in the presence of our heavenly Father; He knows everything about us at all times. But when we reach out to the Father for a deep, soul-searching meeting, we search for what a quiet place provides – solitude to hear the Spirit speak to us. Matt.6:6; Psalm 46:10.
Withdrawing to find ‘stillness’ – solitude – helps the heart to commune with God. Yes, ‘words’ are used to speak with Him, though it is His Spirit within our heart which the Father recognizes and communes with. By loving God with all our heart, we are never separated from Him, though the ‘stillness within our heart’ is needed to hear Him speak to us.
It is not so much a ‘physical place’ which we establish when we withdraw to meet the Father. It rather is the disposition of the heart which seeks intimacy – longing for closeness with Him. We want to hear Him speak with us, and solitude aids the heart to become ‘still and understand’ – Psalm 37:7.
Just so us “not morning people” don’t feel left out, I will remind you that Jesus also spent time with God in the evening (see Matthew 14:22-23). The consistency is more important than the time, though I do feel praying first thing in the morning is very valuable.
I remember back in college, when I was going through some personal challenges, I developed a habit of getting up really early—around 4 a.m.—to spend time with God. I would read my Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings and just pray, without feeling rushed.
Those were very special moments for me. I experienced a kind of joy I had never felt before—and honestly, haven’t experienced in quite the same way since, even though life has had its share of challenges.
Now, in this season of my life, I find myself asking the Lord to help me return to that kind of experience again.
I meet at 6 AM every day, in a virtual room, with friends (8-10) for prayer. We pray together for 15 minutes. After that, each of us may have our own time alone with God, but this is how we start our day. Usually, before going to bed, I study the SS Lesson alone or with a special friend (lately). And I share these thoughts with around 400-500 people across different social media platforms.