Do You Choose To Be Alone?

Recently in church we were singing and worshiping to a song that had a phrase about Jesus being alone.  And, no, I cannot remember the name of that song!  However, it made me want to research the times Jesus was alone and why that was the case.  In this blog I want to highlight four instances of when Jesus chose to be by himself.  His reasons were strong and centered around prayer, rest, and preparation.  Let’s dig in!

In The Wilderness: Matthew 4:1-2

Jesus had recently been baptized by His cousin, John the Baptist. The Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness where He fasted for 40 days and nights.  After this time of fasting, Jesus was tempted and tested by the devil.  The first temptation was of Jesus’ own power and ability to turn stones into bread, to satisfy the flesh.  The second temptation was about testing the power of God and His ability to rescue Jesus and keep Him safe from harm.  The third temptation was testing Jesus’ loyalty to His Father.  With all of these temptations, Jesus fought the devil with the Word of God.  

During this time, these 40 days, Jesus fasted, prayed, and gained strength to fight off any evil scheme.  Understanding that Jesus began His powerful ministry upon leaving the wilderness also shows that He was there for preparation of preaching, teaching, and discipling people.  He needed this time away to connect with God, His Father, and to be ready for what was to come.

What does this mean for you and I?  First of all, stay in the attitude of prayer and connection to God because you do not know what is yet to come.  We need the Holy Spirit to lead us just like Jesus was led.  We need that strength and power from Him.  Secondly, by watching the way Jesus handled tests and temptations we have a guidebook given to us when we are tested and tempted.  What a privilege to know that God cares that much about us to let Jesus be the perfect example of what to do, how to respond, and how to fight in this life.

Making a Choice: Luke 6:12-16

Jesus spent time with the disciples who followed Him.  He was also closely watched and scrutinized by the Pharisees who questioned all that He did, hoping to trap Jesus with the law.  Not afraid of them, Jesus answered all questions with scripture and continued to heal any who came to Him.  No doubt, Jesus felt the pressure from the naysayers and the sadness for the ones who didn’t believe in Him. 

So, Jesus went to a mountainside to pray by Himself.  In fact, He prayed all night!  No doubt, Jesus needed time to decompress and strengthen His connection with God, His Father.  When the sun rose, Jesus gathered the disciples and specifically chose 12 of them to be His apostles who would walk beside Him and carry out Jesus’ mission.  This shows that once again, Jesus got away for mental and physical rest and to pray for wisdom.  He needed to know which disciples were ready to be His apostles who walk with Him through His life.

What does this mean for you and I?  Whether you are an introvert craving time alone or an extrovert shying away from being alone, you and I need this time alone.  We need to get by ourselves and pray for wisdom about the things life throws our way.  We need wisdom in our relationships.  We need to rest in the arms of our Father, often by being silent.  Our souls need this.  We are created in the image of God so if Jesus needed time alone, we do too.

Early Hours: Mark 1:35

Before this time of prayer, Jesus was driving out evil spirits and healing so many people.  He spent time teaching to all who would listen.  These events happened late into the night because scripture says He is doing this after sundown.  Because Jesus is fully man, He is likely exhausted!  

But early in the morning Jesus went to be alone to pray.  In all of His exhaustion, Jesus gets up!  He must have pushed away the desire for sleep to go have an important conversation with God, His Father, and to rest in His arms.  After the disciples found Jesus they left for Galilee so that Jesus could preach, drive out demons, and heal the sick!  In between these events, Jesus is refueling for what is to come.  

What does this mean for you and I?  Carve out time in your busy life to get away from it all, to rest, to refuel, to be close to God.  That may be in the wee hours of the morning when the rest of the house is asleep!  He wants this deep relationship with you.  He wants you to just be with Him, to sit at His feet.  Once again, Jesus is our perfect example of what exhaustion looks like in the busiest of times and how to combat it.  Times of retreat are precious.

Desperation: Mark 14:32-34

Jesus had just spent the evening with His disciples at the Last Supper.  He is teaching the significance of His impending death on the cross using the bread and wine as the symbols.  He is explaining how His relationship with them is a covenant relationship. From there, Jesus and the disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  

Scripture tells us that Jesus is “deeply distressed.”  He knows what He is about to face and it is the hardest thing Jesus will ever do.  Jesus chooses to be alone when He cries out to His Father to let this cup pass.  To me, that is Jesus, fully man, crying out and dreading the physical anguish that He knows is coming.  In this moment, Jesus chooses to tell His Abba, His dad, His innermost thoughts.  Yet, Jesus follows it up with one of the most beautiful statements in the Bible, “yet, not what I will, but what you will.”  So pure, so raw, so intimate.  Wow!

What does this mean for you and I?  We must be like Jesus and get alone with God to pour out our hearts!  Yes, God knows our innermost thoughts but He wants to hear us say them.  There is something so cathartic about voicing fears, frustrations, and doubts to God.  We can literally tell God anything.  But it takes pure bravery to then follow it all up with praying and agreeing with God that you desire His will more than anything!  That, my friends, takes real strength.  If Jesus can do it when He is facing the most painful death for the people He loves, then we can do it, too.

Putting It All Together

You may not choose to be alone but when you find yourself there, it is not necessarily a bad thing. What beautiful examples we have set before us of what we should do in the face of everything in life!  Get alone to pray!  Whether you feel lonely, sad, exhausted, angry, or confused, prayer is the first line of defense.  It is crucial!  This is where you find rest, get filled with His Spirit, become more prepared for whatever comes your way.  This is when healing takes place and you find new strength.  Don’t let prayer be your last ditch effort.  Make it the first thing you do.  This verse sums it up…

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17