The Power of Being Alone

I want to start with a quote from Henry Nouwen:

I have the sense that the secret of Jesus' ministry is hidden in that lonely place where he went to pray early in the morning before dawn.

In the lonely place, Jesus finds the courage to follow God's will and not his own; to speak God's will and not his own; to speak God's words and not his own. He reminds us constantly 'By myself I can do nothing... I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.' And again, 'What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works.'

It is in the lonely place, where Jesus enters into intimacy with the Father, that his ministry is born. 

When Jesus requested the people of the day, and through echoes, us, follow me, he said. I believe in following him, I am called to emulate him, say as he said, do my best to do as he did. I am called into the quiet to listen for Guidance. I am called to forgive, to repent, to love. And one of the ways to be able to move in this direction is to go into the quiet, silence and be with God.

Go into the silence daily. Be still and know that I am God, the scriptures tell us.

Fill me with the resolve to turn my life energies to You in the quiet of the morning and evening, in the midst of crowds and the din of the world. Wherever I am, lead me into Your garden of quiet and help me focus and listen to You and Your Guidance. Strengthen me to discipline myself to daily actually enter the silence and commune with You.