In Scripture, we see numerous references to Jesus going off by Himself to pray.  We specifically see references to times of prayer on the Mount of Olives, most notably during His Passion.  In His times of prayer, He gained strength for ministry and especially gained strength for the ordeal leading up to and including the Crucifixion.  As the great Southern poet Sidney Lanier's life was declining, he gave thought to Jesus' time on the Mount of Olives and similarly, spent many hours in the woods to regain composure and inner peace.  From his reflections came the short but powerful hymn, Into the Woods My Master Went.  It is refreshing to spend such time in a wooded peaceful setting and meet with Christ in His creation.  He gives us the strength we cannot find on our own and that peace that passes understanding. Article taken from Living Stories of Famous Hymns by Ernest K. Emurian. Copyright © 1955 by Baker Book House Company. Used by permission of Baker Book House Company.