In a world which values “hustle culture” and idolizes the concept of being as busy and productive as possible, it would seem that being still and alone with God would come as a superfluous luxury. However, as is often said, Jesus is completely counter-cultural. In fact, if one were to observe Jesus’ life, one would be deeply challenged by his example in retreating to be alone with God.
“15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
A Question of Priorities
Jesus prioritises being alone with the Father even above meeting the needs of those around him. As crowds swarmed him after he had performed miracles of healing, driving out demons or miraculously feeding the hungry, he would withdraw to desolate, lonely places to pray and be alone with his Father (Matthew 14:13; Mark 1:35; John 6:15). This was a rhythm in Jesus’ life which gives us an indication of his priorities. While he was indeed sent to minister and proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom, his modus operandi prioritised being alone and still before his Father, since he only did what he saw his Father doing, and only obeyed His Father’s instructions. Jesus’ priority to be alone with his Father in silence and solitude was not only so that he would be able draw on His empowerment and wisdom in order to serve others, but so that Jesus could remain in tune with his Father and His voice in a world with competing voices for his attention.
Silence and Solitude Helps to Grow in Awareness and Mindfulness of God
If we are to follow the example of our Lord, we can see the importance of drawing away and intentionally making time to hear the voice of God. We too live in an age of competing voices for our attention – all the more so as we grow increasingly reliant on technology as the world around us grows ever more interconnected. The remedy to our rushed and overstimulated state of existence is to intentionally draw away from external distractions and to quietly focus our hearts, minds and ears on God. As we attune our hearts to hear what God wishes to say to us, we can not only grow in awareness of His desires, His love for us and those around us, we can also grow in the mindfulness of His presence in our day to day lives. When we adopt this posture, it becomes easier to both say “yes” to Him and His will, and to be encouraged in the midst of difficult and stressful situations, since we know that our God is with us. This rather simple act of intentionally being with God can spill over to more intentional obedience throughout our day.
How to Practice Silence and Solitude
“6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Before all else, the practice of silence and solitude is not meant to be an obligation in of itself. It is in fact, an invitation to be alone and meet with our Heavenly Father who graciously and eagerly desires to meet with us (James 4:10). Thus, while it should be intentional and even sacrificial, it should not be seen as another thing to do. It should be incorporated as a life-giving rhythm in our lives.
There is also no one right time of day to do so. Our schedules might limit us from being able to give a full hour or more at once. In light of this, we can take the time to be still and alone before God at any point throughout our day and for any duration. Naturally, the more time we give, the more beneficial we will find it to be. Strangely enough though, if we prioritise time with Him over and above something else, it will be seldom – if it all – that we find ourselves lacking in time. On the contrary, choosing to spend quality time with our gracious Heavenly Father often provides us with more time and more energy throughout our day to finish the tasks before us. A good way of finding out where you could make time is to assess how you spend your time relaxing. While there is nothing wrong per se with watching two hours’ worth of series on Netflix or browsing Facebook to wind down on a busy day, it shows us that there is indeed space where we could give up at least 10-30 minutes in order to draw close to the lover of our souls.
In order to make the most of this time, however, we need to remove ourselves from distractions. We need to put our phones, computers, laptops or televisions aside and withdraw somewhere where we will not be distracted. It could be helpful to designate a quiet space for yourself somewhere in your home where you know can truly connect without distractions. It could also be helpful to go for a walk in nature. Wherever it is, make sure you have a Bible, your journal and a pen with you. It gives you an opportune time to practice ‘Lectio Divina’, and moreover it is helpful to record your thoughts and that which God has communicated to you so that you can reflect on it in your quiet times.