Episode 164: Get Alone with God
“Very early in the morning while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place, and there He was praying.” (Mark 1:35)
When was the last time you made a purposeful escape to an isolated place so that you could spend time in prayer with God? We see Jesus do this many times during His ministry. In this particular instance, Jesus had been up late on the night before performing miracles. He had been healing the sick and driving out demons long after sundown. He didn’t take the next day to sleep in and rest up for the next adventure. Jesus got up early, before anyone else, so that He could get alone with His Father without any distractions.
I imagine Jesus thanked God for all of the miracles that were done on the previous day. Possibly, He recounted each one by name and praised the Father for each of them. He would have taken the time to sit in stillness and listen to His Father. He would have given God time to respond and direct Him on the next steps of His mission.
This would have been a time of reflection and restoration, a time for preparation. Jesus made these times of prayer in isolation a habit. After His triumphs and before the next trial, we often see Jesus retreat to solitude away from distractions to spend purposeful time in prayer. This was much more than a spiritual discipline, this was vital for His strength, resolve, and perseverance.
It is just as vital for us to imitate Jesus in this practice of prayer. Our prayer time is meant to be one on one communion with the Father. This is not a time of repetitive incantations. This is not where we get to advise God on how we want Him to act in our lives. This is meant to be a conversation where we allow God to do the majority of the talking. In my own prayer life, the times when I talk less than I listen are much sweeter and productive.
Let us be a people who set aside purposeful time to be alone with God. Let’s make it a refuge for restoration, not a routine to be followed. Let’s make it a point to listen to God much more than we speak to Him.
Love Y’all! Be Blessed!
Let Us Be A People 