Spending Time Alone with God: Finding Quiet in a Noisy World

The Disappearance of Silence

Something I notice more and more about daily living is the absence of silence. Everywhere we go, whether shopping or dining out or even the local car dealership we are surrounded by music. It's as though we are never allowed to be alone with our thoughts, almost as if people are afraid to hear themselves. Are we spending time alone with God in the midst of our loud world?

Jesus Made Time to Pray

Often silence is where we hear God speak to us; not audibly but in the quietness of our heart. Without the distractions of music, talking, or just noise in general we can focus on the important spiritual things in our life. Jesus often went off to be alone in the wilderness. These were places of desolation. They were free from distractions and it is plain from Scripture that it was something Jesus viewed as necessary.

In the life of Jesus many major events were preceded by time alone with His Father. Sometimes He would go out in the early morning darkness and sometimes He would pray all night. Probably no decision was as important as the call to His twelve disciples to follow Him. Prior to this He spent all night by Himself in prayer (Luke 6:12-13).

Another defining moment came earlier when He spent forty days alone fasting, praying, and facing temptation in the wilderness after His baptism. This helped prepare Him for His public ministry (Luke 4:1-2; 14-15). He spent the evening before His arrest in solitude and prayer because His disciples could not stay awake to pray with Him (Luke 22:39-44). Big decisions need time for prayer and reflection. God should be our focus when we make them.

Jesus also felt the need to spend time in prayer by Himself after the death of His dear cousin, John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-13). Jesus was grieving the loss of someone He loved. Don't we all feel a need to spend time with God when we are in sorrow over losing someone we love? It's okay to be alone. It can be a time of spiritual healing.

Why We Need Rest and Solitude

Jesus' ministry was a demanding one. It was spiritually, physically, and mentally tiring. He took time to be alone; to recharge and rest (Luke 5:16). His time spent in desolate places after healing and teaching enormous throngs of people was not only justified but needed. He prayed to His Father then, as we should. We forget sometimes that He was also human. The people who He loved so much would scarcely let Him rest; pleading for just one more person, one more friend to be healed. Jesus knew His followers needed that same rest.

After the twelve had been sent out to preach, heal, and cast out demons they returned and Jesus encouraged them to, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31). They didn't even have time to eat. God understands our human need for rest. We may be doing the Lord's will and working hard but still need time to rest and pray. If we don't take care of ourselves properly we can easily get sick or discouraged.

Sometimes being surrounded by other people all the time puts a lot of pressure on us to do what they want us to. You know those people who can never say "No." But Jesus' example lets us know that it is okay sometimes to say no. He obeyed His Father's will. Not everyone was always healed (Mark 1:35-38). Jesus' humanity required Him to discern just how much He was physically and mentally capable of doing for others before He needed solitude and prayer.

The Importance of Private Prayer

Jesus showed us how to pray humbly. He didn't put on a show when He prayed (Matthew 6:5-15). He prayed sincerely and with a heart focused on His Father. Our motives when we pray are what is important; not so much our location.

But sometimes the only places we really pray are in public. It's as if we fear being alone with God. What might He say to us? What might He ask of us? God has spoken to us in many ways, we just need to be able to listen.

Many times I have written Bible studies about the importance of Christian community in the life of a Christian, but solitude, prayer, and time to think without distractions are also important. How can we know God's will without being able to hear Him? Our world is so full of distractions it may be difficult to separate ourselves long enough to really focus on God.

Learning from Those Who Sought God in Solitude

God spoke to several Old Testament figures when they were alone as well. He spoke to Moses from a burning bush in the wilderness (Exodus 3), to Abraham in the night during the covenant ceremony (Genesis 15), and to Elijah in a cave (1 Kings 19). David also learned to trust God during solitary seasons: as a young boy tending sheep alone (1 Samuel 17:34-37) and when he hid from Saul in caves (Psalm 57; 142). In those quiet places, prayer deepened his confidence in God and prepared him for what lay ahead. Have we missed opportunities to hear from God simply because we never take time to be alone long enough with Him? David put this into words in the Psalms.

Spending Time Alone With God

In Psalm 62:1 David says that, "My soul silently waits for God." Have we waited, prayed, and contemplated God in silence or do we stay constantly distracted, constantly hurried, always expecting God to announce Himself above our distractions?

Psalm 62:5 gives an excellent reminder,

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him."

In deliberate stillness and calmness, David knows that his hope in the future and in his own deliverance relies on no one but God. He knows God is trustworthy. He can stop worrying and quietly wait for God to take care of him. If each of us could just be like David and stop trying to frantically fix everything but in stillness just let God be God, how much more content we would be.

Making Room for God in Our Lives

We can do something as simple as taking a walk without listening to music or making sure our phones are on silent when we pray. Some people like to make special places in their homes away from others so they have a place of solitude when they pray. Whatever we do we can pray without the television in the background or even a needy pet who wants attention. Silence matters.

For Elijah, God spoke in a still, small voice. It is difficult to hear that voice if we are never alone, in quiet, and prayerfully expecting to receive what He has for us. The real issue is whether we make room in our lives to seek Him, attend to His Word, pray sincerely, and obey what He has revealed.

Let's find our deserted place, our wilderness, where we can hear Him and find that He is everything we need.