Key scripture – “And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed…” (Luke 22:39-41).

You know what’s great about quiet places of solitude? No one can hear you talk out loud.

When Luke writes that Jesus withdrew and prayed, he uses a unique word for prayer “echomai”. It means to pray out loud. When Jesus snuck away to these quiet places of solitude, He’d pray out loud – with His actual voice.

During these prayer times, Jesus found guidance, discernment, intimacy, and relationship. This is good news, my brothers and sisters in Christ for all of us, because we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and we will find these same things when we sneak away and have times of solitude with God.

We all need to listen and respond to the Father’s invitation to slip away and spend time with Him. But what does that invitation sound like? It’s simply a desire in our heart to spend time with God. Sometimes exhaustion, sadness, or just being “peopled out” will prompt it – but not always. Mark 6:30-31 tells us, “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”

Just like when Jesus invited the apostles to get away to a quiet place with Him, picture Him saying the same thing to you and me today, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ The Holy Spirit will invite our spirits to get away with Him. As we surrender more and more to the indwelling Spirit of God, we’ll learn to recognize and be more sensitive to those promptings that have been there all along. We’ll hear Jesus inviting us to get away and rest, and when we do, we can pray out loud with our actual voice, just like Jesus did.

You must always be ready to allow yourself to be interrupted by God no matter how you feel or what is going on. So what are you waiting for? Go spend some quality time with your Heavenly Father.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, my time with You is so precious and it is truly an honor for me to be able to come boldly before the Throne of God. That is so awesome! I need to stop and reflect on the fact that The Lord God Almighty, The Maker of Heaven and Earth wants to meet with me, and hear my prayers, because He loves me and He cares about my needs and my desires. I can draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, and I will receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16). Father, increase my sensitivity to Your invitations. Show me how I can purposefully slow my pace and quiet the noise of a busy schedule so I can hear You. Invite me again and again and again to come and rest with You. I pray that I’ll always respond like a reflex to the prompting of the Spirit. “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!” (Psalm 141:2). In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

 Laura Ingle