"Quiet Time...God is Waiting"

Quiet Time...God is Waiting

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” ~Mark 1:35

Have you ever heard someone make the statement, "it's too quiet"?  I have said it many times and especially this year. I don't mind the quiet unless I am worried about something then the quiet seems to close in on me. When that happens those eerily quiet moments are scary, depressing and lonely.  However, it's during those quiet times that God wants us to trust in Him. You see He desires for us to spend time in His presence, not just on Sundays but everyday. It's during our alone time with Him that He will speak to us, give us direction and calm our worries and fears.

There is so much "noise" in the world we live in today. Honestly, most of us long for a few minutes of peace and quiet. But, how often do we turn off the tv's, the computers, our cell phones, social media and spend some quality time in prayer with our Heavenly Father? Honestly, not often enough...

There are many scriptures that tell us that Jesus spent time alone with God. One of those times was when Jesus learned that John had been killed and He needed comfort from His Father. "When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place...He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there".~Matthew 14:13, 23. 
Another time Jesus needed to know His Father's will so again, He went to be alone with Him, "...Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He prayed to God all night long." ~Luke 6:12.  And most importantly, when Jesus knew His time was near, He chose to spend time with His Heavenly Father, "Then Jesus went to a place called Gethsemane...to pray" ~Matthew 26:36. Friends, if Jesus, the sinless Lamb, found it necessary to be alone, to pray and seek the will of God; how much more important is it for us to make time for prayer, to seek God's  will and listen for His voice?

God is a jealous God, "For you must not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." ~Exodus 34:14. I believe He wants and even requires us to spend time in His presence. It doesn't have to be hours, it can be a few short minutes. Jesus even tells us how to pray in Matthew 6:6, "But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place."  But, that Scripture doesn't end there..."Your Father who sees what you do in secret WILL REWARD YOU!" 

Maybe God allows those quiet times to come so we will spend time with Him. I need to do better and spend more quiet time in His presence every day! You know what else, that "quiet" doesn't seem so eerie anymore because I know God is right there waiting for me to open the door! "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with Him, and He with Me." ~Revelation 3:20