Dear GFC Community,
This past Sunday, I invited our church to…
Devote 10 minutes per day for the next 40 days to be alone and quiet and present to God.
This is what Jesus did when he repeatedly withdrew to the Eremos (Greek for wilderness or desolated and uninhabited places) [Luke 5:16]. The invitation (or challenge for those of you who are more competitive 😊) is for us to follow Jesus’ example by engaging this practice for 40 days (essentially until Easter), without evaluation.
The without evaluation part is important, because with any new practice, we instinctively want to assess whether it’s “working,” and in my opinion, with a practice like this, you won’t know until at least 40 days in… The things that are valued most in the spiritual life are things that happen slowly. (Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts with spiritual formation.)
In a church our size, we are bound to have men and women who’ve practiced solitude and silence like this for years, some who are novices, as well as people who have never done it and for whom this feels daunting or just plain miserable. My big ask is – just try it!
I am doing this as part of my prayer time at 6:15 am. For some of you, that time works great; for others, it needs to be earlier or later or on a lunch break or at night. Whatever time you plan to flee to the Eremos, my encouragement is to plan for it. Pre-decide to give your time to it by putting it on your calendar or setting a reminder on your phone.
See what God might do in you as you carve out time to be with Him. Jesus was convinced this practice was not a luxury but a necessity of the spiritual life. Let’s trust Him and, through this tangible way, follow His lead.
Excited for the journey,
P.S. Another way we are seeking the face of God (Psalm 27:8) through prayer is by gathering for our next Prayer Night on March 5 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Mark your calendar!
