Liturgy for Life : WK 4 - WED
Solitude
Luke 5:15-16
But despite Jesus' instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Mark 1:35
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.
John 12:36
After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.
Our passages today reveal how disciplined Jesus was about His time with His Heavenly Father. At one point in His life and ministry, Jesus said that He and His Father were so close and worked so intimately together that He didn’t say anything He didn’t hear His Father saying or do anything He didn’t see His Father doing. That is a very close relationship. One night while praying with His Father, Jesus prayed for us. He prayed that we would have the same relationship with Him as He had with His Father. And, through His Spirit, it is possible. We can grow deeply in our relationship with God if we desire to. It does require some intentionality and a decision to make it more than just a desire but an actual priority. Solitude, time alone with God, is essential for us to experience the life God created us for. He created us for the purpose of relationship. A very personal and intimate relationship. He didn’t create us with the intent of never knowing us and of not sharing life together.
A great relationship requires a vision to have the relationship and that it is something I value and desire. It then requires me to be intentional about it. The question now is, how will I be intentional? This is where the means come into play. The means represent the how and what of the equation. What actions will I take because I have this vision and intention? For a great relationship to become a reality, time is always involved: time spent together, time devoted to one another, and time spent talking and listening to each other—focused time without distractions.
This is what Jesus had with the Father: time together listening and talking without distractions. Jesus’s relationship with His Father was so important to Him that “He often withdrew to the wilderness” (read lonely place here). He would get up early and go “to an isolated place” where He could give His Father all of His attention.
It is evident that Jesus practiced the ritual of solitude. As we follow Jesus and live our lives at His feet as His disciples and apprentices, we will also walk with Him into the lonely places—often, just as He did and continues to do. We don’t remain in these lonely places; rather, we visit them frequently because that is what Jesus invites us to join Him in. Furthermore, we follow His lead out of the lonely places and into the world, allowing all that He fills us with during our times of solitude to overflow into the lives of those we encounter at home, in the workplace, at school, and even with strangers we meet along the way.
If solitude with God is new to you, I encourage you to start slowly—perhaps with just 5 to 15 minutes of being still and recognizing that God is with you. Talk to God about anything on your heart and mind, and allow yourself some space to be silent and learn to listen. Also, engaging in fun activities like drawing, listening to music that inspires you to focus on God, or doing something physical like walking, jogging, or stretching can be great too. Let it be a learning experience, and remember that progress, not perfection, is the intention.
Luke 5:15-16
But despite Jesus' instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Mark 1:35
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.
John 12:36
After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.
Our passages today reveal how disciplined Jesus was about His time with His Heavenly Father. At one point in His life and ministry, Jesus said that He and His Father were so close and worked so intimately together that He didn’t say anything He didn’t hear His Father saying or do anything He didn’t see His Father doing. That is a very close relationship. One night while praying with His Father, Jesus prayed for us. He prayed that we would have the same relationship with Him as He had with His Father. And, through His Spirit, it is possible. We can grow deeply in our relationship with God if we desire to. It does require some intentionality and a decision to make it more than just a desire but an actual priority. Solitude, time alone with God, is essential for us to experience the life God created us for. He created us for the purpose of relationship. A very personal and intimate relationship. He didn’t create us with the intent of never knowing us and of not sharing life together.
A great relationship requires a vision to have the relationship and that it is something I value and desire. It then requires me to be intentional about it. The question now is, how will I be intentional? This is where the means come into play. The means represent the how and what of the equation. What actions will I take because I have this vision and intention? For a great relationship to become a reality, time is always involved: time spent together, time devoted to one another, and time spent talking and listening to each other—focused time without distractions.
This is what Jesus had with the Father: time together listening and talking without distractions. Jesus’s relationship with His Father was so important to Him that “He often withdrew to the wilderness” (read lonely place here). He would get up early and go “to an isolated place” where He could give His Father all of His attention.
It is evident that Jesus practiced the ritual of solitude. As we follow Jesus and live our lives at His feet as His disciples and apprentices, we will also walk with Him into the lonely places—often, just as He did and continues to do. We don’t remain in these lonely places; rather, we visit them frequently because that is what Jesus invites us to join Him in. Furthermore, we follow His lead out of the lonely places and into the world, allowing all that He fills us with during our times of solitude to overflow into the lives of those we encounter at home, in the workplace, at school, and even with strangers we meet along the way.
If solitude with God is new to you, I encourage you to start slowly—perhaps with just 5 to 15 minutes of being still and recognizing that God is with you. Talk to God about anything on your heart and mind, and allow yourself some space to be silent and learn to listen. Also, engaging in fun activities like drawing, listening to music that inspires you to focus on God, or doing something physical like walking, jogging, or stretching can be great too. Let it be a learning experience, and remember that progress, not perfection, is the intention.
- Is solitude with God something you already practice? If so, how has it developed over the months or years? If not, what are your thoughts on it? Is it something you might want to start doing?
- Using your imagination, how do you envision the times of solitude that Jesus spent with His Father? What do you think their conversations were like? What emotions do you think they experienced?
- Since we are all wired differently, with some of us being morning people, some night people, and some middle-of-the-day type of people, what time of the day is best for you to practice some time alone with God?
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