5 Reasons Quiet Time is Valuable (Why We Need Solitude)

In recent years, I have become increasingly fond of the sound of quiet.

The pace of life in Western culture seems to outrun our ability to keep up.

At times, we just need to unplug and shut it all down.

Furthermore, as a parent, the noise my kids produce has made me even more fond of quiet time.

…

At times, Jesus sought quiet solitude. He often used these opportunities to pray.

³⁵ 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 NIV)

The night before choosing the 12 apostles, Jesus prayed all night:

¹² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. ¹³ When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles…
(Luke 6:12-13 NIV)

Likewise, after Jesus fed the 5,000+ people, the Scripture says:

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone…
(Matt. 14:22-23 NIV)

In all things, we are to imitate Jesus.

No one had more demands placed upon them than Jesus. He literally carried the weight of the world on His shoulders.

With this backdrop, here are 5 quick observations about quiet solitude:

1. Life is full of activities. Some are important; most aren’t. Quiet reflection provides the clarity needed to separate the urgent from the important and the fun from the fulfilling. 
2. Scheduled time for meditation and prayer is valuable. (I need to improve in this area. And with this post, I’m committing to do so.)
3. Being alone for a while helps us refocus on the relationships we have, why they matter, and what changes we need to make to improve them.
4. GOD often speaks to us—reveals Himself to us—in special ways when we get off by ourselves in a quiet spot. We need to give Him those opportunities, ask Him to bless our efforts and see how He works.
5. Quiet reflection and meditation helps us to see ourselves more clearly. We realize mistakes we’ve made, opportunities we need to pursue, changes we need to make, people we need to love and thank, etc.

Let’s increasingly shut off the noise of life and get alone with GOD. 

Have you practiced solitude, periods of meditation, quiet reflection and prayer? If so, what advice would you give?