.....alone

Nothing compares with the presence of God. Even a thousand days in an earthly paradise cannot equal a single day in fellowship with Him. Yet although we understand the value of His presence, we often fail to make the decisions and practice the discipline needed to truly seek Him.

During His ministry, crowds constantly surrounded Jesus. People came from everywhere to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses, yet Jesus deliberately withdrew from the noise of the crowds. Scripture tells us that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” Luke 5:15–16. Even in the middle of great demand, He made time to be alone with the Father.

Jesus lived in perfect unity with God. He said, “If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well… Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” John 14:7,9. Christ was not only pointing people to God—He revealed God Himself. As John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” John 1:1,14.

Though Jesus had this perfect relationship with the Father and demonstrated authority over nature when He “rebuked the wind and the raging waters” Luke 8:24, He still devoted time to prayer. Before choosing the twelve apostles, He “went out to a mountainside and spent the night praying” Luke 6:12. On the night before His crucifixion, He prayed with such agony that “His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” Luke 22:44.

If Jesus, who was perfect, depended so deeply on prayer, how much more do we need it. We cannot command the storms of life to stop, but we can pray for patience, strength, and guidance. We are called to live in constant communion with God and to “pray continually” 1 Thessalonians 5:17, even while carrying out our daily responsibilities.

Yet we must also set aside quiet times to be alone with God. His presence can be experienced in the midst of busyness, but we all need moments of stillness where we can be refreshed and guided. Let us cultivate the discipline of regularly entering His presence and withdrawing to quiet places to pray, lifting our hearts to Him in gratitude and devotion.