Mark 1:35–39
35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
In this quick segment we see again Mark writing through the lens of Simon (aka. Peter), again signifying that these accounts originated with Peter.
Mark mentions Jesus praying three times in his gospel: here, 6:46, 14:32-39. In each instance he escapes to pray in solitude. I know the point of this devotional isn't to apply things for you, but today I'm going to break that rule. Act like Jesus today and find a solitary place to escape and pray.
The scene here of Simon and Jesus' followers looking for him carries a negative connotation. Mark uses the term translated "searched for" 10x in his gospel and each is a negative reference. As one commentator says, "'Seeking' connotes an attempt to determine and control rather than to submit and follow." It seems as if Peter and Jesus' followers simply didn't understand his need for solitude, time to connect with the Father. And they didn't quite grasp his mission at this point.
Mark notes that Jesus ministry at this point was primarily confined to the Jewish synagogues. Jesus then reproduces the scene from 1:21-28 throughout all of Galilee, teaching with authority and casting out demons. It is significant to note that Jesus is specifically confining his ministry to the Jews and their places of teaching at this point. Elsewhere Jesus makes it explicitly clear that his ministry is specifically to the Jews as a fulfillment of the Jewish scriptures, yet even they reject him. Then in Acts we see Jesus' disciples fulfilling his commission and carrying this gospel to the ends of the earth for all people.