Your Daily Devotional for February 15, 2006

February 15, 2006

 

Solitary Confinement

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”

 

Luke 5:16

 

I am reminded of that great preacher of yesteryear, Charles Spurgeon, who preached in the famous Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. Throughout this man’s ministry, many thousands came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. Stories are told of how he would ask his members to stay home the last Sunday of the month so more than 5,000 visitors could fill the auditorium.

 

You know, if we’re not careful, we can think that Spurgeon had such a vibrant and lengthy ministry because of his great oratory skills. But unbeknownst to most however, was that beneath the platform where Spurgeon preached, in the basement, were literally hundreds of faithful folks praying for their preacher! 

 

The Bible commands us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. Prayer is something everyone can do. While you may not be able to turn a wrench on a bus, sing in the choir, or teach a Sunday school class, anyone can be involved in prayer.

 

When a man or woman is praying without ceasing, there will be a consciousness of God’s presence that will come into the life of that individual.

 

It’s been my observation that one of the reasons folks don’t pray without ceasing as the Bible commands is that people don’t take the time to develop their prayer life personally. Like a basketball player who spends time cultivating the disciplines required to be successful on the court, we must discipline ourselves in the school of prayer.

 

Our text verse says the Lord Jesus, “withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” Please take note of the words withdrew himself. There needs to come a time in our lives when we recognize the importance of just taking some time, whether it’s a day off or simply shutting off the television and spending some time in prayer. If the Lord Jesus saw the importance of taking some time to pray, shouldn’t we?

 

In prison, the violent inmates are sometimes sent to what’s called solitary confinement. While not a pleasant experience to be sure, these individuals are left alone with their thoughts with no distractions to contend with.

 

Do you want to practice the presence of God in your life? Then perhaps you need to “confine” yourself to a solitary place and spend some time alone with God. 

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