Prayer & Solitude

In the secret place

Intro to the series-

What is the foundation of music? - Rhythm, Melody, Harmony - everything else is based on that. some will give you 5, some will give you 10 items, but these are the foundation of what makes noise into music. and the most fundamental of those is Rhythm. if you’re off beat, the song is terrible- I’ve written a few songs and the first time i played it for someone with rhythm, they cringed hard, and it was awful. even when you dont have rhythm instruments like drums, the musicians playing melodies depend on the unspoken rhythm in their mind.

Our lives are a symphony, a song- there is a rhythm, a melody, and a harmony. sometimes the

When we decide to follow Jesus, to be a Christian, we are embarking in a new way of life.

Did you know that the name “Christian” was originally meant to be an insult? and we just said, hey, yes, lets take it and wear it like a badge of honor- pretty cool, right?

Does anyone know what we were called before the term Christian was common? - Disciples - and what was “Christianity”? - the Way

A disciple is one who learns from and imitates the life of the one he is following. the “Way” indicates that it wasnt trying to be a different, new religion, as much as it was this new way of living.

Solitude is the intentional, temporary withdrawal from people and things to do one on one time with God.

DO- One-on-one time with God is not passive.

NOT emptying yourself like TM/ Yoga

NOT mindfulness or focus on inner peace

IS actively approaching the King of the Universe

IS Prayer -

Talking to God - Praise/ scripted prayer

Talking with God- Conversing with God- requests and concerns

Listening to God - Hearing what He says- In quiet, from scripture, prophecy...

Being with God - “Looking at God looking at you, in love”

Intentional - it has to be on purpose, it is not just time alone to recharge batteries, it is thought through.

No lonlies

Make time for it-

have a plan for it, but be willing to go off plan

Being alone does not equal solitude

Temporary - time dedicated and time bound

Dedicate time on purpose.

Start small- let it grow

not escaping, regrouping

we’re called to making disciples and loving people, cant do that alone.