Solitude

Solitude is the practice of being alone. Dallas Willard says, “Of all the disciplines of abstinence, solitude is generally the most fundamental in the beginning of the spiritual life, and it must be returned to again and again as that life develops.”
Silence is the practice of being in a quiet place and/or not speaking. Solitude and silence together provide a foundation for prayer that will radically transform your communication with God.

Many people in the Bible made solitude a part of their lives. Jesus practiced solitude throughout his life and ministry. At the beginning of his ministry he went to the wilderness for an extended period of fasting and prayer (Matthew 4:1-2). He sought solitude prior to preaching (Mark 1:35-39), after he had healed a leper (Mark 1:45), after hearing about the death of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:13), after his followers had been involved in ministry (Matthew 14:23), and before he chose the disciples (Luke 6:12-16). At the end of his life he sought solitude in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36ff).

What makes solitude so important? John Ortberg says, “Solitude is the one place where we can gain freedom from the forces of society that will otherwise relentlessly mold us.” Henri Nouwen describes solitude as “the furnace of transformation.” If Jesus needed time to be with the Father, how much more do we need this time? The reason Christians are to seek solitude and silence is the same reason Jesus did – to be able to hear from God.

What do you do during time in solitude? The best answer to this question is:  “Nothing.” While at first you might feel like this is a waste of time, allow these feelings to cause you to consider that your worth is not determined by you always needing to keep busy or be “doing” something. For many it is a temptation to take things with them such as books, worship music, a “to-do” list, your calendar, or even that project you’ve been meaning to get done. One of the most important principles to grasp is that solitude is not about doing something . . . it is about not doing something. Richard Foster says:  “What we must clearly understand and underscore is that our real task [in solitude] is to create a space in our lives where God can reach us. Once that space has been created we wait quietly, expectantly. From this point on, the work belongs to God.”

In solitude & silence, it is important to listen . . . to pay attention to what comes to you. It’s like being on the phone with a friend who has something important to tell me. I will move out of a noisy room so that I can hear what my friend is saying. When our desire is to hear Jesus, there will be many competing “voices.” One of the greatest challenges is to sort through these “voices” and learn to put them aside so that we can hear Jesus. A first step here might be to identify these other voices and what it is they are saying. You might even take time to write these down. If you can identify the influence these voices are having on your life, you will have a much easier time moving beyond these influences to the voice of God.

There are many ways to build the practice of solitude into your life. These include regular alone times with God, preferably on a daily basis. It is good to plan special times maybe weekly or monthly where we can spend a few hours to a day in solitude. We also need periodic extended times, once or twice a year, where we can have several days.