Prayer is our most important activity if we want to see God work in and through us, yet it is the most difficult to work into our schedule as a priority. Jesus found this to be true just as we do, but He did something about it. He made time for prayer.

Often that will require sacrifice. In this case, for Jesus, it required fasting of sleep and possibly breakfast. At other times it might require doing without something else. For some it might require stopping what you are doing in the middle of the day, closeting yourself, and seeking God in prayer. These times should be in addition to the normal flow of prayer along the way.

He got alone to a solitary place. For Him that required leaving his house. For many of us we can find a spot in our home where we can be alone. The key here is to find a place where we won't be disturbed. The verse closes with the phrase, "there he prayed."

I find I can make time and get to a solitary place and still have my mind so full of things I have a hard time to actually pray. The best way to learn how to pray is to pray. Talk to God. Let Him know what is on your heart and mind. If there is something compelling, focus on that. If other things start to crowd in and distract, write them down and get back to what you were focusing on.

Take time to listen. Jesus obviously talked to His Father about His schedule that day and got His directions -- note verses 38-39. We need to do the same if we want our lives to count for God.