“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s Photo-A-Day word is alone. Solitude is the state of being alone. Did you know that bears prefer to live in solitude? Other than mating and raising cubs, they are known to be the loneliest carnivores. Although Jesus didn’t prefer to live alone, He did like to pray in solitude. In our key verse, He instructs us where we should go and pray. I have included two instances where the Bible illustrates Jesus retreating in solitude to pray.

Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV: “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,”
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Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬: “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’”

I encourage you to read two more instances on your own, Mark 1:35 and Luke 22: 39-41. It isn’t always easy to be alone on this earth. The truth is, with Jesus, we are never alone. Next time you find yourself in solitude, I encourage you to take the opportunity to just sit in His presence. Let’s pray.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)