And it came to pass, as He was alone praying.
—Luke 9:18
He departed again into a mountain Himself alone.
—John 6:15
Man needs to be alone with God. Man fell when, through the lust of the flesh, he was brought under the power of things visible and earthly. His restoration is meant to bring him back to the Father’s house, the Father’s presence and fellowship. Salvation means being brought to delight in the presence of God.
Man needs to be alone with God. Without this, God cannot have the opportunity to shine into his heart, to transform his nature, to take possession of him, and to fill him with His fullness.
Man needs to be alone with God, to yield to the presence and power of His holiness, of His life, and of His love. Christ on earth needed it; He could not live the life of a Son here in the flesh without at times separating Himself entirely from His surroundings and being alone with God. How much more must this be indispensable to us!
When Jesus gave us the command to enter our inner chamber and shut the door in order to pray to our Father in secret, He gave us the promise that the Father would hear such prayers and would mightily answer them in our lives before men. (See Matthew 6:4.)
Alone with God—that is the secret of true prayer, of true power in prayer, of real living, of face‑to‑face fellowship with God, and of power for service. There is no true, deep conversion; no true, deep holiness; no clothing with the Holy Spirit and with power; no abiding peace or joy, without being daily alone with God. As someone has said, “There is no path to holiness but in being much and long alone with God.”
The institution of daily, secret prayer is an inestimable privilege. Let it be the one thing our hearts are set on: seeking, finding, and meeting God. Take time to be alone with God. The time will come when you will be amazed at the thought that one could suggest that five minutes was enough.
“Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto Thee will I pray. My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up” (Psalm 5:2–3).