A Solitary Place
**Do you have trouble listening to God’s voice? Are you too busy to hear Him?
Please join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our women’s chat room at 10:30am est
“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place” (Matthew 14:13).
“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” (Mark 1:35).
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).
In the gospels, we see a pattern in Jesus’ life of seeking solitude. Jesus sought out quiet times to be with God. It is an example that we need to follow.
Is there no quiet place for you to go?
Susannah Wesley was a godly woman who lived in the late sixteen and early seventeen hundreds. She gave birth to nineteen children, nine of whom died in infancy. It is said that if she could not find a quiet place to pray, she would simply flip her apron over her head, as a signal that she was not to be disturbed, and pray where she was.
Maybe it isn’t that lack of quietness in our world that hinders us as much as the loss of the ability to be still.
Though the noise of our daily lives is great, sometimes the noise within our hearts is greater. We cannot be still because we are afraid of the quiet. We keep running, hoping that the hurts we have received, the pain of our own failures and our restless thoughts won’t catch up to us. We are so tired, but we can’t stop.
It is time to stop running.
It is time to make seeking out a solitary place to be with God a priority.
It is time to be still.
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7)
“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)
~Heavenly Father, I want to pattern my life after Jesus. Help me to withdraw from the busyness around me to spend time in prayer. Show me how to be still and wait on You.
Questions: What keeps you from seeking a quiet place to be alone with God? What thoughts or fears prevent you from being still?
About the Author: Suzanne Benner
Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, When You Open the Door, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog
suzanne, thank you for this devotional. I see that the very topic of not enough prayer time, quiet listening time is a concern for many of the sisters here.
Ignorance, ignorance and immaturity is what keeps me from Him period!! sadly I have experienced too many years of my life without God’s amazing grace, love and understanding. Marilyn, you took the words right out of my mouth when you said, quote”unbelief that He cares about the matters of our puny lives”. in my overwhelming gratitude i have felt that way exactly. why would God have looked at me twice after all the past entailed? why me, God? i have asked myself that and then delve into scripture and listen for the answer. ignorance is not bliss to me any longer. i can’t go it alone and that my dependence on Jesus’ love, well, it is that powerful today. i feel His unconditional love and it is my time to embrace the plan God has laid out for me. prayer, prayer from the heart has taken time for me to feel comfortable talking to the Lord. My running has come to a halt yet I’ll admit being still and patience requires much spiritual labor, a labor of love 24/7/365. we may have only been introduced a year and a half ago but like all new relationships(I can only speak of flesh relationships until now), tender, unconditional love is respected and given. And as this relationship flourishes, Jesus’ strength, love, understanding and guidance will bring us closer together.
to answer the question:”what keeps me from seeking a quiet place to be alone with God?”—ME!
Dear Emily, our God is a patient God, loving and long-suffering, and He offers forgiveness to those who come humbly and broken! We ALL have fallen short (Ro 3:23), my friend, and need daily cleansing and forgiveness! Do not allow Satan to discourage you, Emily, for he prospers when we listen to his lies! God is waiting for your heart to be wholly His, at which time you will hear His sweet voice guiding your steps and blessing your obedience!
Precious Savior, we thank You for Your loving-kindness in waiting for us when we tarry! Forgive us, Lord, when we permit Satan to distract us and keep us from following You and listening to Your voice! The noisy-ness of life can drown out Your gentle whisperings, leaving us feeling like a ship with no captain! We lift up dear sister, Emily, to You, asking for Your grace to make choices that are pleasing to You, and a blessing to her! Holy Spirit, may Your power in her guard her heart from Satan’s efforts to discourage her and keep her from the joy and peace of her salvation! Strengthen her spirit, Lord, that she may live in confidence and victory, not because of her own ‘goodness,’ but because of Your mercy and grace! Draw her close to You, Lord, and fill her with a hunger to walk in Your light and follow Your path for her! We ask these things in the matchless Name of Jesus, Amen!
thank u 4 the article i find it hard coz i feel so resentful and angry with ma self for failure to listen to god am trying hard pliz pray 4 me
Barb R. says,
Dear Karen,
The hardest thing is to get our focus right because as long as it is on ourselves, we will always feel unworthy, because we are! It is Jesus Christ Who makes us “worthy”. Our focus needs to be on Him! Otherwise our trust is in ourselves, & that is a dead-end street. I used to think I wasn’t good enough to witness because, like you, I messed up. (Who doesn’t?) That’s why it says in 1 John1:8 “If we confess our sins He is faithful & just to forgives us our sins, & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. “Cleanses” here is a continual action verb which means that not only does He forgive us but He is continually removing the hold that sin has on us, as we repent of it. The Lord spoke to me about this idea of not being good enough from Romans 8:1 that says “There is now therefore now NO condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit”. This promise from HisWord set me completely free. It is the Word of God that sets us free, as we focus on the truth that He tells us. In Philippians 1:6 it says ” He (Jesus) Who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”. It is He Who performs the work, not us, our part is to surrender to Him. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 the Bible says “For we have this treasure (Jesus Christ) in earthen vessels (that’s us) that the excellency of the power may be of God & not of us”. It’s not about doing, it is about being, & the doing will follow automatically as we fall totally in love with Jesus. That’s what His heart longs for! “Rest” & “trust” in “Him”, my dear Karen.
Dear cubby, I would encourage you to seek an email mentor at this website, who would be available to you for personal spiritual encouragment and development. The one-on-one mentoring and spiritual counseling might offer you a place of safe transparency, where you might feel more comfortable sharing your deepest hurts and struggles. We would love to see you continue blogging with us, and an email mentor would just add a supportive arm to your spiritual growth! God bless, dear one!
Dear Heavenly Father I bring cubby to You tonight; Lord she so desires to Know You, to Hear You speak to her and feel You. Jesus I just ask that You would reach out right now as she reaches out to You and You would meet her every need and her hearts desires. Lord wrap Your loving arms so tightly around her, hold her close to You and make Yourself real to her, allow her to feel Your presence right there with her. Help her to learn just as newborn babies we as newborn Christian have to grow in You, spend time in pray, Your word, Singing & Worshiping You. Please take this discouragement away from her, but lift her up and fill her to overflowing with Your Love, Joy, Peace,gentleness,faith, long-suffering, goodness and faith. Help her to remember that You are always with her You said You would never leave us for forsake us so just help her to rest in You and draw close to You. I just pray these things In Your Name In Faith Believing Amen and Amen. Hugs,Linda !!!
I want to thank You sharon for the wonderful prayer. I am in a good sound struture church southern baptist. Ijust really started. My life has been such a BIG BIG mess and its getting messier. I broke down in singles tonight cause I dont know where GOD IS.. I pray, I do my bible studies, I write in my journal but there is no GOD.. I dont see him I dont hear him, I dont feel him.. I want to . I stuggle everyday to find, hear ..something from him. NOTHING… I dont understan dwhen everyone around me is so full of him why aint I? I pray and I pray.. BUT wher is the GOD that I read in the bible? I be still and know that he is GOD but where is he ? My quite time is nothing but quite time.. Why dont I get it?
I tend to grave quiet moments! and I am finding I really have to make an act of my will to say I am going to spend time with the Lord and It is like breathing I hve to spend time with the Lord!
Thanks Sis.Marilyn for upholding prayer for the sister and brother in Christ. I know Christ for three over year. I am still spiritually feed and nurture. I want to thank God for bring 3 church mate who have help me on my spiritual journey. I do hear God thru Words of God and sometime He bring people to me. We must wait faithfully for His answer prayer though sometime our prayer are not answer. God got His plan for us. He know what is best for us. Thanks God for watching and protecting me when sometime I am not strong.
I think busy days makes it easy to put a my regular time with the Lord.
I value the time I spend with the Lord. I know that he is there! It is a sweet communion listening and waiting to hear his voice. I am never disappointed and I tell him what is exactly is on my heart!
thank you
Hi cubby! As a ‘baby’ Christian, it is critical for you to be spiritually fed and nurtured. Do not feel compelled to dive in and ‘serve’ the Lord immediately. This is where many new Christians can find themselves stumbling later, as they have not matured in their faith, and they lack conviction in their belief. Connecting with a Bible-believing, Christ-centered church is essential for your growth as a Christian. Spending time studying God’s Word alone or in a Bible study, and surrounding yourself with seasoned Christians (those who have matured in their faith) will foster your spiritual development. Yes, cubby, God does know your hurts and struggles, and it is not His desire to see you feeling abandoned. But, I can assure you, dear friend, that as you hunger to know Him, to learn of Him through His Word, you will start to hear His gentle voice in your heart! He will illuminate the Scriptures for you, and unfold the glory of His Kingdom and His plans for you! He has given you ‘spiritual gifts’ which He desires to use to benefit the body of Christ, which will bless you, as well! And, as you grow in your knowledge of Him, cubby, His indwelling Holy Spirit will be at work in your life, gradually transforming your character to reflect the light of Jesus, producing the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace. patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness! God bless you, cubby, as you share this journey of faith with your sisters here, trusting Him to teach you, comfort you, encourage you along the way!
Hi Colleen! The only ‘right’ way to pray is with a humble heart! God doesn’t care about the dialog so much as He cares about our heart condition as we approach Him! When we come to His throneroom of grace, with our hearts bowed before Him, and lifting Him up in praise and thanksgiving, He is rightfully honored and receives our spirit of worship! We are called to praise Him at all times, both in joy and in sorrow. As we offer our praises to Him, we are reminded of His faithfulness to us. God bless!
Dear Karen, you have so touched my heart, dear one! Surely, none of us are worthy to pray to Almighty God, but for the magnificent grace of our Lord, Who sacrificially spilled His blood for us, yet sinners, that, in His righteousness, we are deemed ‘worthy’ to boldly approach the Father in humble prayer and worship! Do not give Satan audience, for he seeks to destroy, and what he can’t destroy, he attempts to thwart. Know, dear Karen, that you ARE worthy to come to the feet of Jesus, for He has washed you clean and robed you in His righteousness!
Precious Lord, thank You for these dear sisters here, for Your great love for them, and for leading them to this site, where You will minister to them according to Your goodness! We praise You for tenderly shepherding Your flock, for tending those who are spiritual newborns, as well as those whom Satan has tempted with doubt and discouragment. We ask for Your grace to be poured out upon them, that Your Holy Spirit would empower them to resist Satan’s efforts to hinder their joy of salvation. For cubby, Lord, we ask for a mentoring friendship, that she would be partnered with someone of Your choosing, to share her faithwalk and learn of You! For Colleen, Lord, we would ask for Your provision of employment opportunities for her and her husband! Thank You, Lord, for Your grace in their lives as they wait upon You! And, for Karen, Lord, we ask that You would build up her spirit, help her to remember that it is not about ‘what she does,’ but about what You can do through her! Grant her an understanding of the ‘gifts’ that You have bestowed upon her, that Your Spirit in her is all that she needs to accomplish Your will for her life! Guard her heart from Satan’s deceit, that she would not be hindered by his assaults. Help us all, Lord, to fight the good fight, and keep our eyes on You, the ultimate prize! In the holy Name of Jesus, Amen!
I always feel that I am not worthy to pray. I don’t intentionally go out here and sin or do things that are wrong, but I just feel like I mess up all of the time and that I am not worthly to pray . I know logically that it is the enemy coming against my mind. Please help me by praying for me. I always feel that I’m not doing enough or not good enough.
I have a hard time also hearing him and just knowing how to pray the right way, or is there a right way?
Do I leave out things that I should always pray about?
If so what are the things we should pray about on a daily basis.
i know that he hears me. I can tell jus tby the way my life was and the way it is now.
Even though both my husband and I are unemployed.
He has a plan for us both and now is not the timeto reveal it to us.
BUTTTTTT this waiting is HARD!!!!!!!!
You know I just have trouble hearing GOD. I pray everyday. I am a new christian. Im started started this jourmey with the Lord. My life has been susch a mess but I dont hear him like people say they hear him. None of my prayers I feel have been answered. Especially not my questions. I feel close to God when I am riding my motorcycle. I can look up at the heavens. If he knows my hurt then why must I keep hurting and stuggling. If he knows my every thought an dmove why dont he stop me when the bad things happen? I go to him alone but I dont hear like people say they do
When I withdraw myself to the presence of GOD to pray, no matter where I am, whatever noise is around me, in a fleeting moment, I find myself away to the tranquil presence of GOD because my heart, soul and spirit is in HIS presence to worship HIM, thank HIM for the opportunity to be able to commune with HIM to voice my needed petition to express so HE can work on them. I know HE loves to hear from me more often.
Romel H
I lost my job of many years last week. I keep rushing around trying to find a job or ways to make money with the talent the Lord has givrn me. Todays devotional has shown me i need to stop and spend the day with the Lord listening to him through his word.
I think it is a matter of unbelief. Not necessarily unbelief in God, but unbelief that He cares about the matters of our puny lives in the vastness of His universal reign. We may come to Him in hurried prayer over our concerns, but often we follow that with our own efforts to tackle the problems, unwilling to wait upon Him and His answer. In our fast-food culture, we want a fast-answer God, and when we don’t get that response, we surmise that He’s too busy to intercede. “No” and “Wait” aren’t answers that we are accustomed to, so we often pray, act, then ‘hope’ that we did the right thing. Instead, as Christians, we should pray expectantly, then hope in our Lord, trusting Him to guide us according to His perfect will and time.
I’d like to thank all our Christian brothers and sisters across the globe, who’ve been praying over our presidential election in the US. We would ask for your continued prayers for our incoming leaders, that God would touch their hearts, and give them His wisdom and divine perspective! Please be praying for the Christians of our nation that we would reflect Jesus to our declining culture, and stand up for Him and His Word! Thank you, dear sisters! God bless!