We're used to being constantly connected, and feel like we always need to be contactable and available. It can seem difficult to go 'off-grid' for a while to make space for God. But it’s vitally important for us to spend time alone with Him so we can hear Him clearly. Jesus, our role model, ‘often withdrew…and prayed’ (Luke 5:16 NIV). He ‘went up on a mountainside by himself to pray’ (Matthew 14:23 NIV). How did Jacob the deceiver become ‘Israel, a prince with God’? (see Genesis 32:28). The Bible says he ‘was left alone, and a man (the Angel of the Lord) wrestled with him till daybreak’ (Genesis 32:24 NIV). The greatest spiritual victories come from the battles God calls us to fight when we’re alone with Him. He outlines and clarifies His plans for us when there’s nobody else around. That’s because He wants us to be more influenced by Him than by others. When God is preparing us for a special assignment, we'll need to spend time away from others so we can focus on Him and be clear about what He’s telling us. In Exodus God said, ‘Moses alone is to approach…the people may not come up with him.’ After Elijah spent the night alone in a cave, God told him, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain…for the Lord is about to pass by’ (1 Kings 19:11 NIV). Daniel ‘was left alone, gazing at this great vision’ (Daniel 10:8 NIV). Jeremiah wrote, ‘I sat alone because your hand was on me’ (Jeremiah 15:17 NIV). There's a difference between loneliness and solitude. When God asks us to spend time alone with Him, we should get all we can from the experience, and move to the next level.

What Now?

Set a regular time (like 20 minutes a day, or an hour a week) to go completely ‘off-grid’ – turn off your phone, isolate yourself for a while, and use that time to completely focus on God, talking and listening to Him.