A Solitary Place
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:1-4 (NIV)
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 (NIV)
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” Luke 6:12 (NIV)
We were created with the need for relationship. God does not want us to be without people. In Genesis 2:18 He said it was not good for man to be alone, so He created Eve for Adam. There are some individuals who have the gift of singleness and remain unmarried, but they too have a need to connect with others. Friends, family, the Body of Christ/church, and pets all offer opportunities to fill their need for relationship.
However, God longs for our fellowship as well. There are times when we should seek out moments to be alone with God, in order to give Him our undivided attention. During prayer, our focus should be free from distractions. We need to listen to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, and this requires times of quiet……. And solitude.
Solitude is one of the most important disciplines to master in your spiritual life. It means to be still and know that He is God (Ps 46:10). Wait on the Lord and still your emotions, calm your heart and listen with your spirit. When you are in solitude, don’t try to make anything happen. Just bring your transparent self to the Lord and be with Him.
There are many examples of Jesus going off to solitary places to pray. One of the most important and well-known examples is when He took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked them to pray for Him and then, He went off by Himself to a solitary place to seek His Father in prayer.
Solitude is not a bad thing. At no time are you ever completely alone, for you are never out of God’s sight or reach. God built you for relationship, and that includes a PERSONAL relationship with Him. Seek and He will be found for he is always available and waiting to dine with youThen He returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes My betrayer!” Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV)
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