Why should I spend time alone with God?

TL;DR:

We should spend time alone with God because He desires a personal relationship with us. Spending time alone with God strengthens and equips us for what we face in life.

Many verses in the Old and New Testament recount how believers, when alone, sought guidance, help, or expressed gratitude to God. Sometimes, God initiated the time alone, using those moments to answer prayers and reveal His plans. In the Old Testament, God occasionally appeared to people in various forms when they were alone, providing answers to prayers, giving instructions, revealing plans, and offering ministering support. Other instances include people praying to God even if we aren’t always shown a direct response from God in those passages. Jesus made it a priority to spend time alone, praying and connecting with the Father. He often stepped away from regular daily activities to connect with God and cry out to Him in prayer in times of distress. Retreating for prayer in isolation with God was a critical aspect of Jesus’s ministry. Prayer was highly valued by the Jews of both the Old Testament and in Jesus’s time; however, Jesus warned against performing righteous acts, like praying, to gain approval from others. Instead, He emphasized the importance of spending time alone in prayer with God.

from the old testament

The Lord appeared to Abraham, and while they were walking alone, Abraham pleaded with God on behalf of Sodom. God, because of His great mercy, granted the request (Genesis 18:22–33).
Jacob was alone the night before he was to reconcile with Esau, and God wrestled with him, resulting in God bestowing a blessing on Jacob (Genesis 32:24–32).
The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses when he was alone to tell Moses that He would deliver the people from Egypt (Exodus 3:1–22).
Instead of praying out loud, Hannah prayed silently and privately to the Lord. Her fervent, silent prayer, where she was “pouring out [her] soul before the LORD,” resulted in God granting her request (1 Samuel 1:9–20).
David developed a deeply personal relationship with God, often reflected in his Psalms, where he bared his soul in prayer and praise. David cries out to the Lord in Psalm 51, asking for forgiveness, compassion, and kindness. He wrote Psalm 63 in the wilderness of Judah, highlighting David’s reliance on God as he fled Saul.
God chose to have a two-way conversation with Solomon in a dream in which Solomon praised God and asked for wisdom, which God granted (1 Kings 3:5–12).
When Elijah was alone and feeling in distress, the Lord provided food and drink, sent him on a journey, and then spoke to him in a whisper, providing Elijah with the next steps to destroy Baal worship in Israel (1 Kings 19:1–18).
When the King of Assyria seized Judah, Hezekiah went alone to the house of the Lord to pray for deliverance, and God answered (2 Kings 19: 14–19).
Jonah cried out to the Lord with prayer and distress when he was alone in the water after being thrown overboard, and the Lord answered (Jonah 2:1–10).
Daniel prayed alone with God three times a day, despite the decree in place that anyone who did so would be thrown into the lions' den (Daniel 6:10). In Daniel 9:1–22, Daniel prayed alone in repentance for the people.

from the new testament

Jesus often withdrew to isolated places to pray (Luke 5:16).
Jesus intentionally communicated with God through prayer by himself (Luke 6:12).
Jesus prayed in a solitary place at various times of the day (Mark 1:35).
Jesus retreated after teaching the crowds to pray alone (Matthew 14:23).
When in danger from opposition, Jesus went to the mountain by himself (John 6:15).
After hearing about John the Baptist’s death, Jesus withdrew by himself to a desolate place (Matthew 14:13).
Before His crucifixion, Jesus separated Himself from the disciples in Gethsemane to pray to the Father (Mathew 26:36–44; Mark14:32–39; Luke 22:39–46).
Jesus instructed that regular prayer to the Father should be done in secret, behind closed doors, and not for our glory in public (Matthew 6:5–6).
Zechariah was alone with God when he learned he would be the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5–17).
The Samaritan woman was by herself when Jesus spoke with her at the well, and she believed in Him as the Messiah (John 4:4–42).
Jesus took the time to meet with Nicodemus privately to explain that people needed to be born again and that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life (John 3:1–21).
Jesus appeared and spoke to Paul (then Saul) on the road to Damascus, leading to Paul believing that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 9:3–6).
Peter went up on the housetop to pray alone, and God gave him a revelation (Acts 10:9–16).

implications for today

Believers have the unique privilege to spend time alone with God. It is important to spend time alone with God because God is the source of our strength, and we need His strength to fight the spiritual battles of our lives (Ephesians 6:10–20; 1 Peter 5:8–9). A Christian has three enemies—the world, the flesh, and the devil (Galatians 4:3; 5:17; James 4:7). The Christian life is one of continuous spiritual warfare. The Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, and prayer are among the spiritual weapons at our disposal (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17–18). When we spend time alone with God, in prayer and in meditation on His Word, we are engaged in spiritual battle. The Word of God is as food to the Christian soldier (Matthew 4:4); he dare not go a day without feasting on it. Prayer is like fresh air to the weary warrior; he dare not go a moment without it (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Studying God's Word and prayer are corporate as well as solitary activities. However, spending time alone with God cannot be neglected if we are to be imitators of Christ (Luke 5:16; 6:12; Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:23).

As we realize how much God loves us, we will desire to spend time alone with Him (Psalm 42:1). Though spending time in corporate worship, group Bible study, and prayer with other Christians is also important, time alone with God is absolutely critical to our relationship with Him. We spend time with God because it is a great pleasure (Psalm 1:2; 16:11). It is part of the abundant life Jesus came to bring (John 10:10).

understand

God often gets our attention when we spend time alone with Him.
We spend time alone with God to pray to Him, to listen to Him, and to be strengthened.
Jesus spent time alone with God.

reflect

How do you currently spend time alone with God, and what impact does it have on your life?
When you feel distant from God, how might spending focused, quiet time with Him change that?
What challenges keep you from spending time alone with God, and how can you overcome them?

engage

How can we encourage each other to prioritize time alone with God amidst our busy schedules?
What lessons can we learn from Jesus’s example of regularly withdrawing to spend time in prayer?
How does spending time alone with God equip us for the spiritual battles we face and the difficulties of this world, and why is this time essential?
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