Most busy people have little time away from the job.  The pressure of 'things to get done', opportunities 'not to be missed' and 'disasters to avert' is constant.  Jesus knew what that was like.  With so many ministry opportunities and obvious popularity, He made the right decision.  Stop and pray!

It was not wrong for people to want Jesus to release them from their illnesses.  After all, He was on a mission to defeat the devil, show that his evil is only temporary (1 John 3:8) and reclaim the lives he had captured (Hebrews 2:14-15).  When Jesus healed the sick, He was demonstrating His authority over Satan as well as showing compassion.  But His time was limited.  The main objective of His mission was to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and to rise in glory (Mark 8:31).  Before then He had to teach and train the leaders of the Early Church.  Even though He was full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14), He also needed to spend quality time with Father God so that each day’s step towards the cross was in trinitarian unity.

That is why Jesus often went away from the crowds.  He often went out before daybreak (Mark 1:35), out of the towns and even away from His disciples, so that He could spend time alone with His Heavenly Father in prayer.  Of course, He cared about people's needs, but would not let them control His agenda.  Nothing must deflect Him from arriving at the cross on time – at Passover as the Passover Lamb (John 1:29).  Meanwhile, His teaching ministry explained the Saviour's role; and His healing and exorcism ministry demonstrated that He had full authority over sin's curse and Satan's terror.  But every day He only wanted to do what was agreed with Father God (John 14:30-31).  That is why He prayed.

Those isolated prayer-times were not for Jesus to de-stress after a busy time, but to pre-stress His soul by loading Himself with the Father's love and wisdom.  The same is true for every Christian.  Without the Father's love we will shrivel inside; without His wisdom we will be foolish outside; and without prayer we will have no confidence that God is alongside.  Too busy to pray ... that is far too busy.  So, whatever your schedule, do not just break into activity; break out with your Father to receive His love, wisdom and the confidence that you are working together with Him.  Pray too for your friends, and the business of your workplace, that God may be glorified as you seek God’s wisdom to be in the right place at the right time.