Has it been a while since you have had time alone with the Lord? Is the hectic pace of life militating against your relationship with Him? Do you need to schedule some “alone time” with God as soon as possible?
Please don’t feel an ounce of condemnation as you consider this issue. I have to admit that I regularly answer “yes” to all the above questions. The pace of life is often so frenetic that it seems impossible to get a breather. During those rare moments of down time, other pressing options usually push aside the prospect of spending extra moments with the Lord.
I’m not bringing up this topic to make you uncomfortable. Instead, let’s take this letter as an opportunity to dig a little deeper in a commonly neglected area of our spiritual lives.
Recently, my wife, Cindi, and I were having lunch with Christian friends who are partners in ministry. At the time of our get-together, I had begun some study on the theme of being silent in the Lord’s presence—and my thoughts were starting to gel.
At one point in our conversation, the Lord confirmed to me that writing an article on this theme might be on target. It was when our friend, Karen, referred to a decision she needed to make: “I could talk with a number of my friends about what to do. But really, I just need to get alone with God to find out His answer.”
I don’t remember much else of what was said in the next few minutes. I was too busy scribbling a note to myself for the title of this letter: “Getting Alone with God.”
What are the benefits of having private time with the Lord? What outcomes can we expect when we intentionally seclude ourselves with the Lord? There are as many possible results as there are reasons to draw apart. We see this point in one particular chapter from the life of Jesus which sheds additional light on this need in our lives.
In Matthew 14, we read how Jesus responded to the disturbing news that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded by wicked King Herod. “When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself” (v. 13).
Why did Jesus insist upon getting away? Perhaps He needed interaction with the Father to process this news, to grieve in solitude over the loss of His cousin, or simply to strengthen Himself in prayer. Without question, John’s martyrdom was a solemn reminder of what lay ahead in His own life and ministry. We don’t know all the reasons for the seclusion, but Jesus’ first instinct on this occasion was to be by Himself with the Father.
Was Jesus able to get all the “alone time” He needed? Unfortunately not.
Similar to what we often experience, the demands of everyday life pressed in on the Savior. The crowd of people seeking His ministry inserted themselves into His private time—and true to His compassionate heart, Jesus did not ignore them. Instead, He responded to their need, feeding the multitude who had tracked Him down.
It is significant to note what Jesus did immediately after that “interruption.” What was His next step after ministering to the hungry crowd? He made sure that He got right back into isolation with the Father.
“Immediately Jesus made [invited, strongly urged] His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray” (vv. 22, 23).
By this time, the Messiah must have been exhausted. Yet time alone with the Father was such a high priority to Him that He went right back to it. We see this as a recurring pattern in the life of Jesus. Even after a full day of demanding ministry, our Savior would find a secluded place to be together with the Father—sometimes for the entire night.
Is there a secret here that we need to see for ourselves? A missing element of great value for our own spiritual growth and well-being? What if we were to set this same priority—carving out time alone with the Lord, no matter how hectic our schedules might be? We might be amazed by what the Lord says to us when we do.
Early in our marriage, Cindi and I experienced a surprising, somewhat undeserved outcome from drawing near to the Lord. At that time in our lives, I was not the most sensitive or spiritually mature husband, and Cindi herself was going through a rather dry season. As we talked about our struggles, she said, “I just feel really distant from the Lord right now, like I can’t even approach Him. Would you pray for me?”
Somewhat reluctant to pray, and not being in the strongest condition myself, I began a rather halting, but honest prayer for my wife: “Lord, we’re not in the greatest shape here, and Cindi is feeling far from You. So, we don’t know what else to do right now except to simply come to You.” A few moments of silence ensued, and then Cindi began to weep.
“The Lord just spoke to me,” she said, still weeping. "He said, ‘I missed you.’”
Who knows what answers will come when we draw away to be with the Lord? What unexpected encouragement might the Lord supply? Maybe—as in the answer to Cindi—we will realize the Lord is even more eager to be with us than we are to be with Him.
Derek Prince deals with the priority of getting alone with God in a teaching entitled “Taking Time to Wait on God.” It is a unique message—containing a wide variety of helpful topics laced with very direct language that occasionally borders on stern admonition.
You will pick up a little of the flavor of Derek’s tone in the excerpt below. (Later in this letter, we will let you know how you can have this entire helpful message for your own.)
Clearly, one principle reigns supreme in all Derek shares here: the primacy of making our relationship with Jesus Christ the foundation of our entire lives.
Please don’t feel an ounce of condemnation as you consider this issue. I have to admit that I regularly answer “yes” to all the above questions. The pace of life is often so frenetic that it seems impossible to get a breather. During those rare moments of down time, other pressing options usually push aside the prospect of spending extra moments with the Lord.
I’m not bringing up this topic to make you uncomfortable. Instead, let’s take this letter as an opportunity to dig a little deeper in a commonly neglected area of our spiritual lives.
The Best Option
Recently, my wife, Cindi, and I were having lunch with Christian friends who are partners in ministry. At the time of our get-together, I had begun some study on the theme of being silent in the Lord’s presence—and my thoughts were starting to gel.
At one point in our conversation, the Lord confirmed to me that writing an article on this theme might be on target. It was when our friend, Karen, referred to a decision she needed to make: “I could talk with a number of my friends about what to do. But really, I just need to get alone with God to find out His answer.”
I don’t remember much else of what was said in the next few minutes. I was too busy scribbling a note to myself for the title of this letter: “Getting Alone with God.”
What are the benefits of having private time with the Lord? What outcomes can we expect when we intentionally seclude ourselves with the Lord? There are as many possible results as there are reasons to draw apart. We see this point in one particular chapter from the life of Jesus which sheds additional light on this need in our lives.
The Need for Time Alone
In Matthew 14, we read how Jesus responded to the disturbing news that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded by wicked King Herod. “When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself” (v. 13).
Why did Jesus insist upon getting away? Perhaps He needed interaction with the Father to process this news, to grieve in solitude over the loss of His cousin, or simply to strengthen Himself in prayer. Without question, John’s martyrdom was a solemn reminder of what lay ahead in His own life and ministry. We don’t know all the reasons for the seclusion, but Jesus’ first instinct on this occasion was to be by Himself with the Father.
Was Jesus able to get all the “alone time” He needed? Unfortunately not.
Similar to what we often experience, the demands of everyday life pressed in on the Savior. The crowd of people seeking His ministry inserted themselves into His private time—and true to His compassionate heart, Jesus did not ignore them. Instead, He responded to their need, feeding the multitude who had tracked Him down.
A High Priority
It is significant to note what Jesus did immediately after that “interruption.” What was His next step after ministering to the hungry crowd? He made sure that He got right back into isolation with the Father.
“Immediately Jesus made [invited, strongly urged] His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray” (vv. 22, 23).
By this time, the Messiah must have been exhausted. Yet time alone with the Father was such a high priority to Him that He went right back to it. We see this as a recurring pattern in the life of Jesus. Even after a full day of demanding ministry, our Savior would find a secluded place to be together with the Father—sometimes for the entire night.
Is there a secret here that we need to see for ourselves? A missing element of great value for our own spiritual growth and well-being? What if we were to set this same priority—carving out time alone with the Lord, no matter how hectic our schedules might be? We might be amazed by what the Lord says to us when we do.
Unexpected Answers
Early in our marriage, Cindi and I experienced a surprising, somewhat undeserved outcome from drawing near to the Lord. At that time in our lives, I was not the most sensitive or spiritually mature husband, and Cindi herself was going through a rather dry season. As we talked about our struggles, she said, “I just feel really distant from the Lord right now, like I can’t even approach Him. Would you pray for me?”
Somewhat reluctant to pray, and not being in the strongest condition myself, I began a rather halting, but honest prayer for my wife: “Lord, we’re not in the greatest shape here, and Cindi is feeling far from You. So, we don’t know what else to do right now except to simply come to You.” A few moments of silence ensued, and then Cindi began to weep.
“The Lord just spoke to me,” she said, still weeping. "He said, ‘I missed you.’”
Who knows what answers will come when we draw away to be with the Lord? What unexpected encouragement might the Lord supply? Maybe—as in the answer to Cindi—we will realize the Lord is even more eager to be with us than we are to be with Him.
A Direct Message
Derek Prince deals with the priority of getting alone with God in a teaching entitled “Taking Time to Wait on God.” It is a unique message—containing a wide variety of helpful topics laced with very direct language that occasionally borders on stern admonition.
You will pick up a little of the flavor of Derek’s tone in the excerpt below. (Later in this letter, we will let you know how you can have this entire helpful message for your own.)
Clearly, one principle reigns supreme in all Derek shares here: the primacy of making our relationship with Jesus Christ the foundation of our entire lives.
Let no one ever interfere with your personal connection with the Head [Jesus Christ].
Pastors are wonderful people, but they cannot take the place of Jesus. The function of a pastor is not to be your head—it is to help you cultivate your relationship with the One who is your Head. It is not to tell you the answers to all your problems—it is to show you how to find the answers for yourself from Jesus.
Some people are lazy; they just want some human being to solve all their problems. It doesn’t work that way. And some leaders are despotic; they want to take control of people. I have been through all that and, thank God, I’ve come out of it. I have no desire to be in it again.
You have to have your own personal relationship with Jesus. You have to be able to hear Him speak to you. You have to be able to be directed by Him. You have to have something inside you that tells you when He’s pleased and when He’s not pleased. You have to be sensitive to the Head.
Pastors are wonderful people, but they cannot take the place of Jesus. The function of a pastor is not to be your head—it is to help you cultivate your relationship with the One who is your Head. It is not to tell you the answers to all your problems—it is to show you how to find the answers for yourself from Jesus.
Some people are lazy; they just want some human being to solve all their problems. It doesn’t work that way. And some leaders are despotic; they want to take control of people. I have been through all that and, thank God, I’ve come out of it. I have no desire to be in it again.
You have to have your own personal relationship with Jesus. You have to be able to hear Him speak to you. You have to be able to be directed by Him. You have to have something inside you that tells you when He’s pleased and when He’s not pleased. You have to be sensitive to the Head.