- November 6, 2022
- Scripture: Matthew 6:5-6
Henri Nowen, the Dutch priest, was quoted as saying “without solitude, it is virtually impossible to lead a spiritual life.” It seems that most days, at most all times, we are all jammed together like fish in a basket. Checkout lines at HEB, trying to get gas in the truck, picking up the kids from school, etc. It always seems to be someone RIGHT THERE with you, does it not? An alarming fact of today’s society is that many of us cannot tolerate solitude. It scares us. It terrifies us. I have to be with someone at all times! I can’t function without my buds! We really are never alone as long as we have our technology. Whether we are tweeting, instagramming or tick-tocking, in our minds we are never alone. Solitude is a necessary part of our spiritual lives. Silent, quiet prayer is a powerful weapon against the filthiness of the world around us. Prayer is our direct line of communication to our Lord and Savior. Even though He is always listening no matter when or how we talk to Him, there are times when we need to be alone with our Father. Times of solitude with our Master. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6, when you pray, go into your room, your prayer closet, or even as I used to do: riding fence. Get some solitude and pray. You must spend time alone in prayer for the full power of Jesus to encourage you, to lift you up and empower your life. Solitude is nothing to be afraid of. It is something to be cherished. Take time today to pray to Jesus in solitude. You’ll be glad you did!
