Rugged Pursuit
Withdraw to the Wilderness
Withdraw to a Quiet Place
“But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”
Luke 5:16 (NLT)
The reason for this site is to help others get into the Word on a more regular basis. My hope is that, whether you’re opening a Bible for the first time, or you’ve been following Christ for years, you can grow closer to God as you read His words.
I encourage you to make Bible reading, journaling, and prayer a regular practice. Luke 5:16 tells us that even Jesus took time alone to pray and seek the Father, and He did it often. In the New International Version, the verse reads “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” I think there is a reason that He went off alone, away from the crowd, to pray. Sometimes we just need to remove all distractions, drown out the noise, and connect with God. And what better place to do that than in the wilderness? Being outside surrounded by nature is where I feel closest to God. Maybe that is because I am surrounded by His creation so it makes it easier for me to connect with the Creator. You might not be the outdoorsy type, and that’s okay! Maybe the place you withdraw to is the local coffee shop, or your bedroom, the garage, or even a closet! It doesn’t matter as long as you can be alone with the Father and learn to be in closer relationship with Him.
Our alone time in the Word is important. We need to take time to seek God and pray, just as Jesus did. It is crucial that we spend time getting to know our Creator and that we do so on a regular basis. Our God desires to have relationship with us and, as Christians, we should want to draw closer to God and learn to become more like Him. We do that in more than one way:
- Spend time reading scripture.
- Try to understand what you are reading and how it affects you, those around you, and the original audience at the time the scripture was written.
- Apply what you’ve learned to your life and put your knowledge into action.
- Pray, so that you will have open communication with God.
So, use this site as a launching pad. Look up the scripture verses that are shared here and read it for yourself. Read the verses before and after the scripture so you can get a good idea of the context and the meaning behind each verse. Write down your thoughts and take notes on what God may have to say to you during the process. I hope you enjoy it and that it helps you take another step on your journey with Christ. Want to be more like Jesus? Withdraw to a quiet place and pray.
5.6.17
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