Solitude

Back in the late 70s, I listened to a speaker at the Tulsa Soul-Winning Workshop name Alan Bryan.  I don't remember much about his presentation on prayer beyond a personal illustration from his own life experience.  He spoke of a fairly recent event wherein he had been struggling to find time to write a book he had in mind.

Alan said that one morning before he left his house he prayed to the Lord for an opportunity to write this book.  After praying, he headed out the back door and promptly fell down the steps, breaking both legs.  He was bedfast for six weeks, in which time he wrote his book that is still being sold on Amazon today, "Climb Happiness Hill."  I remember him warning, "Be careful what you pray for."

I am not saying that God pushed him down the stairs or tied his shoelaces.  He might have had a part in it or allowed Satan to assist or just let Alan's natural clumsiness go unchecked.  Whatever, I do know that times of solitude, where distractions are removed, can be times of great focus to grow, learn or accomplish great things for the kingdom.

From a biblical  accounting, Moses was alone on Mt Sinai 40 days and nights before God gave him the 10 Commandments to deliver to Israel.  God kept Israel in the wilderness for 40 years before allowing them to enter the Promise Land.  Elijah had to journey 40 days and nights in the wilderness before God met with him on Mt Horeb to prepare him to anoint kings over Aram and Israel, and to anoint Elisha as his successor.  Jesus was sent into the wilderness 40 days and nights in preparation for his personal ministry.

I'm not really saying that God requires 40  days and nights of solitude from you in order to accomplish his work in you or me.  The amount of solitude or time alone with God may be as long or short as He desires.  But I can say that Alan Bryan's 6 week period was about 40 days and nights in duration.  Coincidence?  Maybe.  Perhaps God allows us to carve out daily time on our own or he may carve out a larger amount of concentrated time when necessary.

What I am certain of is that all of us, even the giants of faith like Moses, even the perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ, needed time alone with the Father.  "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mk 1:35).  And, if Jesus needed time alone with the Father, how much more do we need that solitude?

I'm not sure if you or I need to go on a retreat or simply go off by ourselves to pray and commune with the Father for an extended period.  Although, I have no doubt it would be a time of equipping and enrichment.  I am sure that we need to carve out time to be alone with God.  I personally get up early, before the sun is up in order to pray, read and write.  I find this time invaluable.  I hope you will find your time to be alone with God and his Word.  I pray that you can carve out times of solitude to commune with the Father.  Who knows what he might have in mind for you.  Jus' Say'n.