Luke 5:16
16 But Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray.
Solitude is a place you go to rest. It is a time you need for yourself to be able to become all that you are, to open-up to awareness, to wake up, and to connect with your soul. Solitude settles you and connects you to your Source, Your Father. You are constantly being called to solitude. You are being called to protect your peace and not overextend yourself. You overextend yourself and then have nothing to extend to you.
Seek solitude. Invite solitude in. Plan for it but also welcome it spontaneously. It is beyond the here and now. It is not just sitting in the presence of the most high, but absorbing that presence & acknowledging that presence. It is a moment of understanding that Christ’s time on the cross was a complete solitude in which unconditional forgiveness was born and transferred to humanity. Return to solitude often to recognize the gift of grace.
Learn to say no to over doing and yes to solitude. The Spirit within you will guide you through this with gut feelings that question yeses, give warning signs you have reached your limit and bring up uneasiness. Learn to read these signs and listen to them. Listen for your inner no. Do you ignore your inner no? You hear a strong no and you ignore it. It could be a no to making a large purchase, making a commitment, dating someone, or simply watching TV. You hear the no and decide it will be alright to proceed anyway. Why? Is it to make someone else happy, fill a void or ignore a nagging feeling inside you? Is it because you just want to distract and escape? That strong pull towards no is the Holy Spirit guiding you. He is trying to prevent you from walking into a mess, into chaos and help you to have peace. It is a no that keeps you from going over the edge.
Your life is categorized by work, family, friends, hobbies, God, etc. These times eb and flow into each other. But there needs to be a solitude time for God that is sacred. This is time that needs to be protected for it restores and heals you. Nothing else should seep into that area. Your work time should be well contained. It shouldn’t slip into your God time. God time can certainly flow into work time. You are encouraged to bring God into every aspect of your life. When you find yourself sitting down to pray and you check your emails, check Facebook or answer a call you are not protecting that God time. You are drowning out your inner voice, that is begging for solitude. You are inundated with so much noise you can’t recognize the no that is the call for silence. Anything media is noise. Anything that is not putting you in direct contact with God is noise. If your inner voice is asking for solitude stop and listen. That is God telling you He wants to spend time with you. He wants to know you. He wants to hear from you. He wants that time with you to restore you. You may not feel depleted, but He sees what you are putting out their and He wants to make sure you replenish before you are completely empty and scraping the bottom of the barrel. Nothing looks good from the bottom of the barrel. You hit that and you hit sadness and depression. You hit exhaustion. You hit the feeling that you have nothing else to give.
The enemy loves when you say yes to everyone and anything. He loves to see you over committed and stressed out. His goal is to push you to the bottom of the barrel. He wants you to feel guilty about saying no. He wants you in a state of stress and agitation. The enemy knows the power of solitude with God. He recognizes time with your Source brings peace to your soul. Time with God allows you to manage everything better and more efficiently. You gain focus. You feel your purpose. The enemy does not want you to find your voice, to find your will to say no.
Listen to your inner no. Voice that no. Voicing your no protects your sacred solitude with God. It is ok to say no. Own your no. Be proud of your no. Be aware of the reason you say yes. Question your yeses to ensure they are truly a yes your core being desires.
Prayer,
Father God,
Thank you for not only times of solitude but the urging to return to solitude. Thank you for strong inner no’s that protect my peace. You know what you are doing not just for me but all that are involved. Forgive me for when I ignore that inner voice and do what I want to do. Forgive me for failing to understand my no and yes may affect other plans you have. When I fail to listen to my inner no I fail to listen to your guidance and what is best. I may think I am helping but in fact may be delaying my own or someone else’s growth or blessing. Help me to understand and appreciate solitude. Help me to welcome it and make it a priority. Time with you restores my spirit. It balances my mind, body and soul.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
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