When Was the Last Time You Were Alone With God?“
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
When was the last time you were truly still?
Not scrolling through your phone. Not answering messages. Not worrying about tomorrow. Not taking care of everyone else's needs. Not running from one responsibility to another.
Just still.
Alone with your thoughts. Alone with your heart. And, most importantly, alone with God.
We live in a world that rarely stops. There is always another notification, another responsibility, another problem demanding our attention. We can become so busy surviving life that we forget to actually live it—and so busy doing things for God that we forget to spend time with God.
Yet Scripture gives us a powerful example.
Even Jesus Stepped Away
Jesus understood the demands of people. Everywhere He went, crowds followed Him. People needed healing. They needed answers. They needed compassion. They needed hope.
And yet Jesus repeatedly stepped away.
After ministering to the crowds, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)
Think about that.
Jesus—the Son of God—made time to withdraw.
Before choosing His twelve apostles, Jesus went up onto a mountain and spent the night in prayer (Luke 6:12–13).
Before beginning His public ministry, He spent forty days in the wilderness, fasting and preparing Himself (Matthew 4:1–2).
And when He faced the greatest trial of His earthly life, Jesus went to Gethsemane.
He stepped away from the disciples, fell to the ground, and prayed:
“Not my will, but yours, be done.” — Luke 22:42
If Jesus intentionally made time to be alone with the Father, how much more do we need it?
Sometimes We Need to Step Away to Hear Clearly
There are seasons when our minds are crowded and our hearts are tired.
We may be carrying disappointment, fear, grief, unanswered questions, broken relationships, financial pressure, or simply the exhaustion of trying to hold everything together.
Sometimes we keep asking God, “Where are You?”
But perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is:
“Have I been quiet long enough to hear Him?”
God does not always compete with the noise around us.
Sometimes we need to leave the noise.
We need to close the door.
Put down the phone.
Turn off the television.
Stop trying to solve everything.
Open the Bible.
Bow our heads.
And say:
“Lord, here I am.”
Self-Reflection Is a Spiritual Discipline
Taking time to examine ourselves isn't about becoming obsessed with ourselves. It is about allowing God to reveal what is happening within us.
David prayed:
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” — Psalm 139:23
That is a courageous prayer.
Because sometimes we don't want God to search our hearts.
We would rather hide the bitterness.
Ignore the unforgiveness.
Dismiss the fear.
Cover the pain.
Pretend everything is fine.
But God already knows.
And what God reveals, He can begin to heal.
Maybe there is something you need to surrender.
Maybe there is someone you need to forgive.
Maybe there is a habit you need to leave behind.
Maybe you have allowed disappointment to create distance between you and God.
Or perhaps you simply need to remember who you are—and whose you are.
Don't Just Talk to God—Learn to Listen
Prayer is not merely giving God our list of requests.
Prayer is relationship.
It is conversation.
It is coming before our Father with our fears, dreams, failures, questions, gratitude, and pain—and then becoming quiet enough to listen.
The world constantly tells us to do more.
God often invites us to come closer.
Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
Notice that He doesn't say, “Fix everything and then come.”
He says:
Come.
Come tired.
Come confused.
Come broken.
Come disappointed.
Come with questions.
Come with tears.
Just come.
Make an Appointment With God
Perhaps we need to stop treating time with God as something we will do if we have time.
We make appointments for work.
Appointments with doctors.
Appointments with friends.
Appointments for meetings.
Why not intentionally make an appointment with the One who gave us life?
It doesn't have to begin with an hour.
Start with fifteen minutes.
Find a quiet place.
Put away the distractions.
Read a passage of Scripture.
Ask God to examine your heart.
Tell Him what is really troubling you.
Then sit quietly.
Listen.
Reflect.
Rest.
You may be surprised by what God reveals when you finally become quiet enough to hear.
There Is Power in the Secret Place
The world may never see what happens in your quiet moments with God.
No one may applaud your prayers.
No one may know about the tears you shed.
No one may see you opening your Bible before sunrise or kneeling beside your bed late at night.
But heaven sees.
And those hidden moments can become the foundation for your public life.
Jesus didn't withdraw because He was weak.
He withdrew because He knew where His strength came from.
We need that same understanding.
You don't always have to be strong.
You don't always have to have the answers.
You don't always have to keep moving.
Sometimes you need to stop.
Sometimes you need to breathe.
Sometimes you need to cry.
Sometimes you need to be silent.
And sometimes you simply need to sit in the presence of God and remember:
He is still God.
Your circumstances may have changed.
Your plans may have fallen apart.
People may have disappointed you.
Doors may have closed.
The future may feel uncertain.
But God has not changed.
So today, step away from the noise.
Find your quiet place.
Open your heart.
And spend some time with your Father.
You may discover that what your soul has been searching for isn't another solution—it is His presence.
A Prayer for the Quiet Place
Heavenly Father,
Help me to slow down.
Help me to step away from the noise and make room for You.
Search my heart and reveal anything that is keeping me from drawing closer to You. Give me the courage to surrender what I cannot control, the wisdom to learn from my experiences, and the faith to trust You with what lies ahead.
Forgive me for the times I have been too busy to pray, too distracted to listen, or too consumed with my circumstances to remember Your faithfulness.
Teach me to seek You—not only when I am hurting, but every day.
Give me a heart that longs for Your presence.
When I am weary, give me rest.
When I am confused, give me wisdom.
When I am afraid, give me courage.
When I feel alone, remind me that You are near.
And when the world becomes too loud, teach me to retreat into the secret place and hear Your voice again.
Lord, help me to know You—not merely know about You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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