What is the difference between being alone and being lonely? Many of us are surrounded by noise and people all day long. Finding a moment to yourself to think a single thought or breathe a single breath is so hard to find. This is why we need to intentionally make time for solitude. You don’t need to journey off into the woods or a mountain top to find alone time. You can go to your room, take a long shower, walk the dog, or walk yourself. You can communicate and set boundaries with the people around you.
It's easy to feel lonely, even in a crowded room, but when we practice solitude, we learn that we are never alone because God is with us always. God wants to spend time with us, but we have a hard time hearing what God is telling us if we never make time to listen.
In his preamble to the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus gives us this instruction in Matthew 6:5-8, “5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
When we feel lonely or abandoned, we can look back on our intentional times of solitude to remind us that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. God is with you, even to the end of the age. We can have great and blessed days spending time with our friends and loved ones, but we can grow in new and unexpected ways if we spend time alone listening to God.