SOLITUDE
Photo by Ethan Sykes on Unsplash
“At once the Spirit sent [Jesus] out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” - Mark 1:12-13
“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.” - Mark 1:35
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” - Luke 5:16
“Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them.” - Luke 6:12-13
Why Engage It?
Jesus is our master teacher and model for life in the Kingdom and he frequently went away to be in silence and prayer. Solitude is important because it’s almost impossible to escape the pressures and demands of our lives and the people closest to us. In solitude, especially extended (full day or multi-day) solitude, the need to impress others, or meet your own or other’s expectations starts to fade away.
You discover the simplicity and beauty of having nothing but your experience with God. Solitude creates space for the Holy Spirit to speak deeply to us and to reveal deep joys and deep brokenness. Solitude, and silence, is one of the oldest and most grounded practices in Christian history. It’s modeled by Moses and the prophets of the old testament, Jesus, and is still in practice today.
How to Practice It
Supplies: Pen, journal, timer, and a quiet spot away from noise and traffic
Time: 5-30 minutes
Plan to be alone for at least an hour. You’ll need to find a place you can go that will have few interruptions. Being in nature, a park, a botanical garden, a library, on a boat or kayak, or a museum can be a great place to practice solitude. You don’t have to be completely isolated from people and not everyone is comfortable going into a backwoods wilderness area. Finding a place that isn’t noisy and has a pretty low number of people coming by. I have a hard time not talking to even strangers, so I need to find a place where I won’t be tempted to do so. Coffee shops are not good places to practice solitude.
Setting an alarm for your intended completion time is always helpful. During your time in solitude, start with 10 minutes of silence (refer to our discipline on silence). This will help set your heart and mind on Christ. You may have a specific topic you’d like to discuss or pray through with God. This is a good time to prayerfully explore it. Using your journal, you can simply start writing what comes to mind. Remember in this time of solitude, to embrace and lean into having nothing to do and nothing else to occupy your attention. There is no goal in this time other than to be with God. You’ll likely find yourself being a bit stir crazy. Remember to breathe deeply and relax your body and muscles. You may also find yourself drifting off to sleep. If you are in a place that is safe to take a nap, go for it! Lots of us are really tired and taking a nap might be the exact thing God is asking us to do.
If you found the hour of solitude beneficial, you can look to do a half-day or full-day (Sunrise to sunset) of solitude. If you are considering these extended solitude experiences, just remember to bring enough food and water so you’re not preoccupied with hunger or dehydration.