I was thinking today… I know some people thrive on always being around others, for me personally, I relish times of solitude. I like the word “solitude” more than the word “alone” because when you use the word “alone,” a lot of people associate that with being lonely and they are not the same. I think it is important to have times of solitude, to clear our minds and open our hearts to God. Jesus had times where He went off by himself to pray and commune with His father.

I think today more than ever solitude is needed. We have so much technology and so many distractions at our fingertips. We can always be with others in person or online and while that is good, it can also lead to us not spending one on one time with God. I would encourage anyone who has trouble being in solitude to be pro-active about it.

Sometimes we depend too much on other people and not on God. It may sound scary and depressing to some, but what if you didn’t have anyone in your life? What if friends and family and even acquaintances were not around? Who would you turn to? God – that’s who! He would become your everything! We must give God back His rightful place in our lives.

There is freedom and joy in knowing that God is always there for us. Even at our loneliest of times, we are not alone. Practice solitude with God and see how wonderful it is.

(Luke 5:16) But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

(Mark 1:35) “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”

(Luke 4:42) At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for Him and when they came to where He was, they tried to keep Him from leaving them.

To God be the Glory,

Lynn Manucci Warrick