The Alone Time of Jesus - My 13th Blog

These are the blogs of my last month in youth ministry and some lessons and things God has taught me:

THE ALONE TIME OF JESUS

This is from a lesson God gave me many years ago that I still think about a lot to this day. This lesson was as much for me as it was for anyone I was teaching that night. As I was reading my Bible I was constantly struck at how Jesus often cast everything and everyone aside so He could be by Himself and own His own. He did this so He could spend time with His Father. Jesus made spending time with God a CONSTANT event in His life. If Jesus felt this was important and that He needed to do this…well how much more do I need to do this in my life?? I hope you get as much out of this as I did.


When crowds pressed to be near Jesus, He still found time to be alone and Pray

Scripture - While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:12-16

What I got out of this: Jesus was a very popular person. As His fame spread, more and more people wanted to be around Him so that they could see and hear him teach and so they could be healed by Him. Everyone reading this has friends that like to be around you and spend time with you. Sometimes we like the attention and sometimes it probably aggravates us a little. People were constantly seeking the attention of Jesus, and if Jesus had allowed Himself He could have constantly been in the presence of those who wanted to be near Him. But Jesus did not allow that. He knew that if He were going to be effective in His ministry that He needed alone time for Himself and to spend with God. If you allow yourself, you too can be constantly inundated with things that seek your attention. But like Jesus, you need to learn to withdraw yourself from your daily distractions and spend time with just you and God. If not I guarantee you will not only become physically exhausted, but spiritually exhausted as well.


When Jesus had important decisions to make, He still found time to be alone and pray

Scripture - One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). Luke 6:12-16

What I got out of this: Jesus was about to make one of the most important decisions He would ever make regarding who He would be closest to in His life on Earth. He knew that the 12 men that he was going to choose would be around Him more than anyone else and He would have to rely on them to be His helpers. What did Jesus do before making this decision? He got off by Himself and prayed about it. Whenever you have ANY major life decisions to make you need to make sure that you spend ample alone time in prayer about them. Jesus took time to pray before making major decisions in His life, what does that tell us about how much more we need to find the time to seek God’s council in decisions that we make?


When Jesus had a lot to do, He still found time to be alone and pray

Scripture - Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons. Mark 1:35-38

What I got out of this: We’ve already established that Jesus was a very popular man and this made Him very busy. And although Jesus had much to do, He still found time to be alone with God. In this instance Jesus apparently had a busy day of traveling and preaching ahead and He woke up early in the morning to find His time to be alone with God. Don’t let the business of your life cause you to lose focus on God. Even when you feel overwhelmed you still need to find a place and a time for just you and God. If you feel overwhelmed and don’t make time for God, do you ever think maybe that might be part of the reason why you feel the way you do? We all need a break from our busy schedules, and we need to spend part of that time with God.


When Jesus had a busy day, He still found time to be alone and pray

Scripture - Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Mark 6:45-46

What I got out of this: This happened immediately after Jesus had fed the 5000 with the five loaves and two fish. It was late in the day and we already know that Jesus was tired even before feeding all these people because verse 31 of this chapter tells us that Jesus wanted to get away with His apostles so He could rest. So after everyone had their fill of food what did Jesus do? First He INSISTED that the disciples leave, second He SENT all the people there home, and then He went off to be by Himself so he could spend time in prayer. I like this set of verses in particular because I like how Jesus actually sent everyone away so he could be alone with God. Now Jesus did not do it in an ugly manner but He knew that the most important time He could spend with someone was with God, and He needed it in particular after a busy day. Don’t ever let yourself get worn down to the point where you don’t make time for God. You may have to say no to your friends sometimes and you may even have to kick them out (nicely) on occasion. Always remember: Who do you want to please more with your life, God or others? I submit to you that you’ll never please others in your life if you don’t please God first.


When Jesus was saddened, He still found time to be alone and pray

Scripture - So John was beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened. As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. Matthew 14:10-13

What I got out of this: John the Baptist was not only a relative of Jesus and the one who baptized Him, he was also a friend. Upon hearing the news of John’s death, He sought comfort from the only one who could provide it. It seems like everyday we are inundated with bad news. We all need to realize that no matter how bad things get or how sad things can be, we can find solace in God. He is always there for us, especially when we are grieving and need Him the most. Find the time to be comforted by God when you are hurting, just like Jesus did.


When Jesus’ immediate future looked grim, He still found time to be alone and pray

Scripture -They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. And they didn’t know what to say. When he returned to them the third time, he said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!” Mark 14:32-42

What I got out of this: We all fear the future from time to time and Jesus knows exactly what that is like. Jesus did not look forward to the suffering that He was about to go through. In fact Jesus was “crushed with grief” in thinking about what He was about to endure. What did He do? He sought to be alone and spend time in prayer with His Heavenly Father. When the tomorrow we face doesn’t look very bright to us and the days ahead are filled with dread and grief, take those feelings to God. Let yourself be alone with Him just like Jesus did. After all, if you fear the future isn’t He the one that holds it in the palm of His hands and can help you do something about it!!


When Jesus was by himself, even in a crowd, He still found time to be alone and pray

Scripture - As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” Luke 23:26-38

What I got out of this: In no way was Jesus alone in the physical sense that the word implies because verse 27 tells us that there was a large crowd gathered at His crucifixion. Yet I suggest to you that perhaps Jesus never felt so alone in His entire life. Here He is a beaten and naked man hanging on a cross. Here He is bearing the weight of all the sins of the world and God Himself has turned His back on and forsaken Jesus. And the majority of the crowd is loving ever minute of seeing Jesus suffer. Jesus was in an emotional sense, all alone. And what did Jesus do? Even though He was all alone He actually prayed for the people. He prayed for those that put Him up on the cross and asked for their forgiveness. What love and compassion Jesus had.

There will be times in your life when you find yourself in a crowd yet you feel like you are all alone. You may be the only one who wants to do the right thing. Just know that God is always with you and will never leave your side. Be proud to be alone when no one else wants to do right. And just like Jesus you may have to suffer some emotional abuse, even physical abuse, but don’t lose sight of the big picture and remember to pray in your solitude. Remember if God is for you, who could ever be against you?



If you are still reading this God bless you! I sounded a little like Joel Osteen in my head while I was typing that :) But that was a lot to take in!! But I hope you will see that if Jesus Christ Himself found it so important to be alone with God…well how much more important to us should it be?? And I hope you see that no matter what the circumstances were that He made the time in His life to be alone and pray. I ask of you not to overcommit yourself and neglect God in your life! I’m as guilty as anyone and it is something I have to work on daily!

If you aren’t finding time for yourself to be alone with God without distractions, you aren’t really giving Him or yourself what you need to make it from each day to the next.

Think about it.