Learn to Be AloneSample

Practice

I understand that practicing solitude can feel uncomfortable at first. But hopefully, by now, you’ve begun to give it a try!

God waits for you at the center, ready and willing to sit, encourage, converse, and challenge you. What’s stopping you?

Maybe it’s who comes to mind when you think of God.

Is He the spitting image of the abusive, alcoholic father you grew up with?

Is He distant? Cold? Uninviting? Impatient? An irritated God with his arms crossed and foot tapping, sneering at the child who just can’t seem to figure it out?

Perhaps God is impersonal to you. He’s a being, a mystical force, a pie in the sky that you neither know nor believe yourself to be known by.

But what if—today—God simply wants you to see Him as your friend? As a person—an individual—to know and be known by. To love and be loved by.

Today, retreat for even just five minutes. If you don’t enjoy walking, then find a quiet place to sit and be still. Then, borrow the words of the prophet Samuel: “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

And then, listen.

Remove all distractions. Be still. Trust that in this space of grace, God—your Friend and Father—will reveal himself to you.

If we are to get in step with the trail that God desires for us to blaze, we must first recover the practice of solitude and silence—especially in this world so driven by noise and distraction.

Consider this countercultural formation, my friend. We exist in a world full of noisy online echo chambers, incessant notifications, and constant background stimulation. When we retreat into silence, we dismiss the ethos of the world and enter unimpeded space with God. In the silence, many of us find the intimacy and closeness with God that we, at our core, desperately long for.

When you feel lost, unsure, or stuck on the trail, solitude is the way back. Get alone with God, open your heart to Him, and allow Him to remind you of the trailblazer He’s called you to be.

Name your intention.
Walk the path.
Give thanks.
Reflect.

And do it all over again.

Watch as you are transformed—in the crucible of communion with God—from the inside out.

Learn more about pastor and author Micah E. Davis and his book Trailblazers by visiting https://www.micahedavis.com.