Scripture: "And it came to pass, as He was alone praying."—LUKE ix 18, "He departed again into a mountain, Himself alone."—, JOHN vi. 15.
Man needs God. God made him for Himself, to find his life and happiness in Himself alone.
Man needs to be alone with God. His fall consisted in his being brought, through the lust of the flesh and the world, under the power of things visible and temporal. His restoration is meant to bring him back to the Father's house, the Father's presence, the Father's love and fellowship. Salvation means being brought to love and to delight in the presence of God.
Man needs to be alone with God. Without this, God cannot have the opportunity to shine into his heart, to transform his nature by His Divine working, to take possession and to fill him with the fulness of God.
Man needs to be alone with God, to yield to the presence and the power of His holiness, of His life and of His love. Christ on earth needed it; He could not live the life of a Son here in the flesh, without at times separating Himself entirely from His surroundings, and being alone with God. How much more must this be indispensable to us!
When our Lord Jesus gave us the blessed command to enter our inner chamber, to shut the door, to pray to our Father in secret, all alone, He gave us the promise that the Father would hear such prayers, and mightily answer them in our life before men.
Alone with God— that is the secret of true prayer; of true power in prayer; of real living, face-to-face fellowship with God; and of power for service. There is no true, deep conversion, no true, deep holiness, no clothing with the Holy Spirit and with power, no abiding peace or joy, without being daily alone with God. "There is no path to holiness, but in being much and long alone with God."
What an inestimable privilege is the institution of daily secret prayer to begin every morning. Let it be the one thing our hearts are set on, seeking, and finding, and meeting God.
Take time, O my soul, take time, to be alone with God. The time will come when you will be amazed at the thought that one could suggest that five minutes was enough.
"Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God; for unto Thee will I pray" (Ps. v. 2).
"My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up" (Ps. v. 3).
