If you want to grow stronger in your faith, you’ve got to spend more time alone with God

“And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:23) Several times throughout the New Testament, we read about Jesus departing from the company of other people to spend time alone with God and pray.

Be still and know that He is God

It seems like more often than not, people today have a tendency to do just the opposite. Not wanting to be alone, they surround themselves with other people, turn up the music or turn on talk radio, and fill their solitary moments with noise, all in an effort to avoid being alone with their own thoughts. They fill their schedules with activities, work, time spent always in the company of others. While listening to music and spending time with friends is certainly not wrong, busying ourselves in order to bypass being alone is a direct contradiction of God Himself telling us to “Be still,” (Psalm 46:10).

Perfect peace often eludes us because we’re always filling our minds with everything but God

We don’t understand the importance of daily time alone with God, because we have a tendency to seek peace in all the wrong places. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusts in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3). Perfect peace often eludes us because we’re always filling our minds with everything but God. We’re working our own way in order to get ahead and to move forward, when really we should be exercising our faith and putting our trust in God. And that’s another reason we don’t understand the importance of daily time alone with God: We’re impatient. We want answers to prayer in an instant, and we’re more apt to be flippant than we are to be faithful. Remember, we are called to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.” (Heb. 10:23) If you want to grow stronger in your faith, you’ve got to spend more time alone with God.

Time alone with God and talking with Him directly are not things reserved for a booth or a certain day of the week

Not only do we not understand the importance of daily time alone with God, we also take for granted the privilege that it is to spend time alone with God. We have not an high priest (Hebrews 4:15) because we are the priest. When you know Christ as your personal Saviour, you have direct access to talk to Him whenever you want and wherever you are – confession, prayer, praise, sharing hopes and fears – time alone with God and talking with Him directly are not things reserved for a booth or a certain day of the week. The Lord is near to all who call on him (Psalm 145:18). You have the ear of the Creator of the Universe. Consider that. He wants to hear from you, and He wants to talk with you!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

Joseph Scriven wrote the famous hymn, “What a Friend we have in Jesus,” the first verse of which reads: “What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!”

Originally published as “Spend more time alone with God.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. March 7, 2019: 6. Print. Web.