Commune With God In A Quiet Place

Friends,
In order to follow Christ closely and be one of His intimate companions, there must be much time spent alone with Him. This means that we must give up many parties, picnics, concerts, movies, shopping sprees, church or sports functions, and all sorts of other involvements that may not be sinful in themselves. But because they are time-consuming and a distraction to God’s purposes for us, we must ignore their pull, leave the crowd, and walk alone with Jesus in quiet places.

The Lord can talk to us in noisy places, while we’re driving, or through another person’s attitude, a sermon, an event, a song, etc., but the main place He speaks is out of His Word and into our quiet, listening spirit. Then often, He will confirm His words to us as we sit alone meditating on His creation, praising Him, adoring Him, thanking Him, praying, and listening. But the alone time of worship, instruction, and communion is necessary.

Jesus often went into the hills alone to commune with the Father. He did so to receive strength, wisdom, and comfort, and to keep the relationship intimate and strong. He also did it in order to stay focused on His Father’s purpose for Him, refusing to be tempted by the purposes men had for Him. (John 6:14,15)

If Jesus, in His humanity, found it necessary to get alone with His Heavenly Father, shouldn’t we realize this necessity for our own spiritual walk and well-being, and the health of our friendship with God? We read in Luke 6:12-16 that it was after Jesus had spent a night alone in the hills praying to God that He then chose, from among His disciples, twelve who would be His apostles. Yet how often do people make decisions and choices that may affect their entire lives without having had an all-night prayer encounter first with the One they say they follow, listen to, and obey? And if Jesus had to agonize in prayer before going to the cross in order to keep His will subjected to the Father (22:41-44), and if God sent an angel to strengthen Him (v. 43), then why should people think that they can go forward into difficulties without having agonized in prayer themselves?

Fervent prayer is much neglected –even amongst those who are trying to proclaim God’s Word and serve Him in various ways. This is why there is such a lack of power, purity, and fruit. We know that Jesus told us we must remain in Him and He is us, and that apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:5) Yet in order to be one with Christ we must be continually filling our spirit up with the Word of God, and then applying it by the power of His Spirit. This is why Jesus kept saying that His words cleanse us, must remain in us, and must be obeyed. But all of this must be done through prayer, petition, and time spent listening to God.

So, as Jesus did, we’d best get alone with God in a quiet place so that we can hear His voice clearly and receive from Him the strength, the wisdom, the discernment, the instruction, the comfort, the counsel, the guidance, the peace, etc., that only He can give, as well as the ability, the determination, and the power to rise to whatever He has called us to do or say.

Sincerely,
with love,
Rachel