A Prayer to Seek Solitude with God in a Rushing World
By Emma Danzey
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” - Luke 5:16
Each day we have the invitation to join a fast-paced world in running after the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:14 says, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” The concept of following the wind is comical because the wind is unpredictable and unseen. It is solely based on feelings. We feel the wind and see its effects on the world around us. However, we would be foolish to follow the wind because it would lead us in circles.
If we pursue the things of this world, then it is pointless. We will be chasing after temporary pleasures that lead us nowhere with purpose. Jesus knew the answer did not lie in the culture or his feelings, it lied within the truth of God’s Word. Jesus withdrew to lonely places because, in solitude, He communed with the Father. We see the word often used in verse 16. Jesus made it a priority and a habit to get away and spend time with the Father. Jesus was the perfect model of humanity untainted but in the world. Why would He have pulled away and gotten alone?
- Spiritual Renewal: When we seek the Lord in solitude, our spirits are renewed to face whatever the day holds.
- Remembering our Purpose: When we seek solitude, we are reminded of our purpose on earth as Christ-followers.
- Relational Growth: When we spend time with God, we grow in our relationship with Him just like we would when spending time with any other person. Prayer was a major practice of Jesus when He went to solitude. As we prepare to pray to Him today, let us remember the gift of approaching His throne with confidence. He delights to hear from us, and we delight to listen and learn from Him. He guides us, He hears us, and He loves us. Any time that we choose to seek Him, we are not chasing the wind but pursuing the truth that sets us free.
Let's pray:
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the gift of solitude. Whether we are able to physically get away at this moment or not, solitude can be a state of our hearts. Help us to get away with you no matter what we have going on in life. You are our priority. You are our purpose. We are grateful for Your consistency and Your love for us.
Open our minds to comprehend Your Scriptures. Teach us how to pray like Jesus. Show us Your ways and guide us. Hear our prayers. Forgive us for our sins that become barriers in our time together. Lord, our temptation is to believe that faster is better and less time is more desirable. However, You show us that we do not need to rush our time with you. Forgive us for making our relationship with You into a checklist or a time crunch. Enable us to connect with you in a deep way that is fully focused and dedicated. Help us to fight for this even if it means sacrificing other things that we enjoy. Help our hearts be after greater things.
God help us not to fall into the trap of the rushing world, but to seek solitude with You. We know that our true treasure is in heaven. You say in Matthew 6:19 that we should not lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where our treasures are, there our hearts will be also. Give us the strength of Your Spirit to treasure You above all things. Where we are tempted to be swept up in the wind of this world, keep us anchored on You, our Rock and Fortress.
You tell us in Jeremiah 29:13 that when we seek You with all of our hearts, we will find you. Help us to slow down and seek You today. Thank You for always meeting us when we draw near to You. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/TongTa
Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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