It Starts Small

Yesterday I wrote about isolation. Today I want to focus on solitude. Jesus is our best example for everything, and we see but do not always do.

⁴⁶ And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. Mark 6:46

¹⁸ And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? Luke 9:18

²⁸ And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. Luke 9:29

11 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Luke 11:1

Dictionary.com defines solitude as, the state or situation of being alone. Strongs defines solitude as, the discipline that calls us to consciously pull away from everything else in our lives, including the company of other people, for the purpose of giving our full and undivided attention to God.

Many times we are told that Jesus went off by himself to pray. His sole purpose was to be in the presence of his Heavenly Father. Moments of solitude are necessary to our relationship with Christ and our Heavenly Father. God wants us to practice solitude, but he never leads us away from our responsibilities, accountability, or the presence of people. He does not lead us into complete isolation.

Benefits to Solitude

Great Rewards

⁶ But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6

There is nothing wrong with praying in public, but we are encouraged to find that quiet place, close the door to the world, and just sit and pray, with the expectancy that God will come into our presence. We need to pray with confidence, boldness, and expect God to be in His presence.

Worthwhile Priority

³⁵ And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. Mark 1:35

Where is spending God and being in solitude with him land on your list of daily priorities? First thing, gives God the first part of the day. IF Jesus rose early to pray, do you think maybe he was trying to teach us to give our first part of the day to our Heavenly Father?

Perspective

¹² And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Luke 6:12-13

Jesus had an important decision to make. Before making it, he went an entire day to the mountainside to pray. Being in quiet solitude, free of human action and distraction, allows our ears and eyes to focus in on the Holy Spirit to receive instructions. I believe Jesus said, come to the Father and spend time in quiet to gain understanding and to hear truth.

Healing

¹⁵ But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. ¹⁶ And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. Luke 5:15-16

Those that have worked in ministry know it is exhausting spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Imagine what Jesus went through, day after day, preaching, proclaiming, healing, casting demons out…. We have to know he was exhausted and he knew the cure was to withdraw and pray. We need to allow ourselves time to stop human-doing and just human be. Be still. Allow for our Heavenly Father to renew our mind, body and spirit.

Preparation for the Impossible

³⁹ And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. ⁴⁰ And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. ⁴¹ And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, ⁴² Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:39-42

Jesus was not far from His trusted friends, but he still stepped away to seek his Heavenly Father. I believe Jesus teaches us here, that solitude empowers us to surrender, persevere, and find strength we did not know we had when facing an impossible task.

Solitude offers an opportunity of communication through prayer with our Heavenly Father and gives important spiritual sustenance to our everyday lives. These moments offer the opportunity to gain sensitivity to the movements of the Holy Spirit and becoming alert to our Heavenly Father’s leading.

There are so many ways to practice solitude. You do not have to climb a mountain or sit in the middle of a forest. The importance is to find a quiet, distraction free, place. I heard of one mama who used to go sit in her bathtub and another had shared she actually turned her closet into a prayer closet. The place does not matter, but your hearts does!

Find a Quiet Place

Quiet your heart! Take a few moments to just quiet your heart and mind. Close the doors to everything going on in your life and just focus on silence.

Read God’s Word. Do not just read it, listen to it. Mett the author face to face and let His Words strike a fire in your heart. Our greatest need is to hear from Him through His Word. Take time to just meditate and allow the Holy Spirit to speak in His still quiet voice.

Pray. Sometimes my prayer is all over the map. As people or situations, my own seeking, etc. come to mind, I just pray. Sometimes I try to follow Jesus’ example he taught in praying: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Just open your heart and mind and speak to Him, because he is right there with you! He is listening. He wants to know everything…..evvvvverything!

This time is your time with your Heavenly Father. Make it your own time! Make it a priority and make it real! Do not just go through the motions. Open your heart, and be real.