The other day I heard someone remark that most people when they speak of time alone with God, show a picture of an open Bible, a cup of coffee and a serene setting. This seems to be the classic look of time spent with God.
I’m not saying it can’t happen. It is possible. But for one of God’s intercessors, it often looks quite different. For me the scene is often a walnut grove with walnuts haphazardly all over the ground and squirrels high in the trees with a wind blowing across the nearby field. It’s me striding purposefully back and forth through the grove pouring out in prayer, sometimes pleading with God on behalf of another. It’s me wandering in the same grove quietly waiting for the Lord to speak. Sometimes, it’s me singing out praises to the Lord that are carried away on the wind.
There are days that time alone with God in prayer is writing; writing prayers, writing Scripture verses, writing what I am hearing from God and writing emails filled with prayers to those around the world. Sometimes time alone with God is on my knees. When I am called to kneel before him, I seldom feel the pressure on my knees until I arise because of the depth of passion within the prayer on behalf of another.
Even as I intercede for others, there are times I must cry out to God on my own behalf and times I must wait for his answer as I sit in the safe space of my personal prayer closet. My time with God is in so many places and more often than not, it is on the go. I’m praying as I walk from one place to another and as I drive. I pray as I stop and fold a load of clothes. Yes, it’s true. Time with God could be a picture of a neatly folded stack of underwear and socks with a shower of the words of prayer filling the air!
I am so very thankful that time alone with God does not have to be only at a desk with a beautiful open Bible (my Bibles are all filled with underlined and circled passages and dates on well-worn pages) and a cup of coffee (true confession – I don’t drink coffee). Time alone with God can be anywhere that you are not in the midst of people. (I’m not saying you can’t pray in the midst of people, but that’s for another day.) I am saying that whenever and wherever you think that you are alone, God is there. He is with you and he is waiting for you to talk with him. He is waiting for your prayer.
For all you intercessors out there, who are called by God, to pray and intercede for others on a continual basis, today, I challenge you to remember the funniest place you were ‘alone with God in prayer’ and to smile. For me it was probably the grocery store and the realization that the lady staring at me thought I must have earbuds and be on my phone. I mean really…praying out loud in the grocery aisle! (I was praying quietly.)
I think today, I will try the ‘classic alone with God picture’ I will try sitting quietly at my desk with one of my least used Bibles (so it will look nice) and get a cup of hot tea (not coffee) and see how that feels being alone with God. Anywhere alone with God is good.
Where will you be alone with him today?
By Jacqui - One of God's Intercessors
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