Thriving Through Alone Time with God
Summary
In our journey to thrive in 2025, we must embrace the concept of alone time with God. This is not just a suggestion but a necessity for spiritual growth and success. The foundation of thriving lies in our commitment to God, having a vision for our lives, maximizing our potential, and producing fruit for His kingdom. Today, we delve into the importance of private prayer and communion with God, as highlighted in Matthew 6:6, where Jesus instructs us to pray in secret, promising that our Father who sees in secret will reward us openly.
The essence of thriving is rooted in what we do in private. Just as successful individuals in the world achieve greatness through private dedication, so too must we cultivate our spiritual lives in solitude. The story of David and Goliath exemplifies this principle. David's private victories over the lion and the bear prepared him for his public triumph over Goliath. Similarly, Enoch's consistent alone time with God led to his extraordinary rapture, a public reward for his private devotion.
To thrive, we must schedule and protect our alone time with God, as Jesus did. He consistently withdrew to solitary places to pray, which empowered Him to perform miracles and receive divine guidance. This practice is not just about speaking to God but also listening for His voice, writing down what He reveals to us, and acting on it. Journaling our spiritual insights helps us stay connected to God's plans and promises.
Moreover, we must declutter our hearts from sin and distractions that hinder our ability to hear from God. Repentance and a clear conscience are vital for maintaining a close relationship with Him. As we draw near to God, He promises to draw near to us, providing the direction, clarity, and power we need to thrive.
Key Takeaways:
- Private Devotion Leads to Public Reward: Our spiritual success is often determined by what we do in private. Just as David's private victories prepared him for public triumph, our alone time with God equips us for the challenges and opportunities we face. [08:55]
- Schedule and Protect Alone Time: Like Jesus, we must intentionally set aside time to be alone with God, free from distractions. This consistent practice empowers us to perform miracles and receive divine guidance. [12:46]
- Journaling Spiritual Insights: Writing down what God reveals to us during our alone time helps us stay connected to His plans and promises. It allows us to reflect on His guidance and act on it with confidence. [39:11]
- Declutter Your Heart: Sin and distractions can block our ability to hear from God. Repentance and a clear conscience are essential for maintaining a close relationship with Him. [48:48]
- Draw Near to God for Clarity and Power: As we draw near to God, He promises to draw near to us, providing the direction, clarity, and power we need to thrive in 2025. [50:36]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:50] - Four Keys to Thriving
[01:40] - The Importance of Private Prayer
[02:44] - Jesus' Teaching on Secret Prayer
[04:04] - The Reward of Private Devotion
[05:16] - Success Begins in Private
[06:58] - David's Private Victories
[08:08] - Enoch's Walk with God
[10:45] - The Power of Alone Time
[11:47] - Scheduling and Protecting Alone Time
[12:46] - Jesus' Consistent Prayer Life
[15:32] - The Connection Between Prayer and Power
[18:35] - The Importance of Consistency
[20:58] - Winning the War Within
[23:17] - Designating a Prayer Space
[26:07] - Starting with 20 Minutes a Day
[31:27] - The Power of Doing
[39:11] - Writing Down God's Words
[45:16] - Recognizing God's Voice
[48:48] - Decluttering Your Heart
[50:36] - Drawing Near to God
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 6:6 - "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
2. Genesis 5:22-24 - "Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."
3. James 4:8 - "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Matthew 6:6, what specific instructions does Jesus give about how we should pray? How does this relate to the concept of private devotion leading to public reward? [02:44]
2. In the sermon, how is David's private victories over the lion and the bear used to illustrate the importance of private preparation for public success? [08:08]
3. What does the story of Enoch in Genesis 5:22-24 reveal about the significance of consistent alone time with God? How was Enoch rewarded for his private devotion? [10:45]
4. How does the pastor describe the connection between prayer and power, using examples from Jesus' life? [15:32]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How might the practice of praying in secret, as instructed in Matthew 6:6, transform a believer's relationship with God and their spiritual life? [02:44]
2. What can be learned from David's private victories that prepared him for his public triumph over Goliath? How does this apply to personal spiritual growth? [08:08]
3. In what ways does Enoch's story challenge modern believers to prioritize their alone time with God? What might be the "public rewards" for such private devotion today? [10:45]
4. How does the pastor's emphasis on scheduling and protecting alone time with God reflect the practices of Jesus, and what implications does this have for believers today? [12:46]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current prayer habits. How can you incorporate more intentional alone time with God into your daily routine, similar to the examples given in the sermon? [12:46]
2. Consider the distractions or sins that might be cluttering your heart. What steps can you take to declutter your heart and maintain a clear conscience before God? [48:48]
3. The sermon highlights the importance of journaling spiritual insights. How can you start or improve your practice of writing down what God reveals to you during your prayer time? [39:11]
4. Think about a recent challenge or opportunity you faced. How did your private time with God prepare you for it, or how could it have better prepared you? [08:55]
5. Identify a specific time and place in your home where you can consistently meet with God. How will you protect this time from interruptions? [23:17]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. What role did private prayer play in that season, and how might increasing your alone time with God change your current spiritual state? [50:36]
7. How can you apply the principle of "drawing near to God" in your daily life to gain clarity and power for the year ahead? [50:36]
Devotional
Day 1: Private Devotion as the Foundation of Spiritual Success
Our spiritual success is often determined by what we do in private. Just as David's private victories over the lion and the bear prepared him for his public triumph over Goliath, our alone time with God equips us for the challenges and opportunities we face. This principle emphasizes the importance of cultivating a deep, personal relationship with God in solitude. It is in these private moments that we build the foundation for public victories, as God rewards our secret devotion openly. [08:55]
"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6, ESV)
Reflection: What private victories do you need to pursue with God today to prepare for future challenges?
Day 2: Intentional Scheduling of Alone Time with God
Like Jesus, we must intentionally set aside time to be alone with God, free from distractions. This consistent practice empowers us to perform miracles and receive divine guidance. Jesus often withdrew to solitary places to pray, demonstrating the necessity of prioritizing time with God. By scheduling and protecting this time, we create space for God to speak into our lives, guiding us with His wisdom and power. [12:46]
"But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray." (Luke 5:16, ESV)
Reflection: What specific time and place can you set aside this week to be alone with God, free from distractions?
Day 3: Journaling as a Tool for Spiritual Connection
Writing down what God reveals to us during our alone time helps us stay connected to His plans and promises. Journaling allows us to reflect on His guidance and act on it with confidence. By documenting our spiritual insights, we create a record of God's faithfulness and direction in our lives, which can be revisited for encouragement and clarity. This practice helps us remain aligned with God's will and attentive to His voice. [39:11]
"Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it." (Habakkuk 2:2, ESV)
Reflection: What has God revealed to you recently that you can write down and reflect upon to stay connected to His guidance?
Day 4: Decluttering the Heart for Clearer Communication with God
Sin and distractions can block our ability to hear from God. Repentance and a clear conscience are essential for maintaining a close relationship with Him. By decluttering our hearts, we remove the barriers that hinder our spiritual growth and communication with God. This process involves examining our lives, confessing our sins, and seeking God's forgiveness, allowing us to draw nearer to Him with a pure heart. [48:48]
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10, ESV)
Reflection: What distractions or sins do you need to confess and remove from your life to hear God more clearly?
Day 5: Drawing Near to God for Direction and Empowerment
As we draw near to God, He promises to draw near to us, providing the direction, clarity, and power we need to thrive. This reciprocal relationship is foundational for spiritual growth and success. By intentionally seeking God's presence, we open ourselves to His transformative power, which equips us to navigate life's challenges with confidence and purpose. [50:36]
"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8, ESV)
Reflection: How can you intentionally draw near to God today to receive His direction and empowerment for your life?
Quotes
"But, you know, he's talking here about someone that, you know, makes a point of praying in public so everybody can see that I pray and everybody can see how spiritual I am. And so he says, no, when you pray, now notice what's implied is that you do pray. And he's not saying one time, you know, when you, as you live this lifestyle, the lifestyle of prayer that you should be living, this is how I want you to do it. Go into your room or go into your closet. And when you have shut your door, pray to your father who is in a secret place. So he's saying, actually, hey, I need you to pray in private." [00:03:43] (43 seconds)
"So God's showing you a pattern here. And that is that often what you do in private for God or with God leads to God doing something public for you. I like what what Terry Savelle Foy said. She says successful people do very specific things in private with nobody watching in order to succeed in public with everybody watching. That's just successful people in general. I mean, before you even start talking about people that are followers of God, if you just look at people in the world today, what you'll find is that most people who have even the world's definition of success, it started with what they were doing in private." [00:05:00] (46 seconds)
"Well, let me give you the first thing, and also a very important key to doing that, and that is that you need to schedule your alone time and then protect it. Let me show you an example. Matthew chapter 14, verse 23. This is talking about Jesus. It says, when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. And when evening came, he was, notice that word, alone there. What's going on here? This is right after Jesus fed the 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes. So a fish and chips dinner. And the Bible actually says that the first thing Jesus did was he told his disciples, get in a ship and go." [00:12:27] (52 seconds)
"That time alone with God, that's what was done in private, is what produces what's going on in public. I can tell you in my own life that there's so many things that have happened that are good, including accomplishments, not because of what I did in public, but because of what I was doing behind the scenes. And the same thing is going to be true for you. I'm sure some of you can already say that about your lives. And man, it's because of my alone time that I married the right person. Because of my alone time, I knew what to do in this situation. Because of my alone time, God could use me. He could use me to share him with somebody and they became a part of God's family. Or even God used me to heal somebody or do a miracle because of that time." [00:17:55] (40 seconds)
"I'm going to be with you. It's in this alone time that you receive direction and clarity and answers and confidence and power. You know, when Jesus left the Garden of Gethsemane, the Bible says soldiers came to get him. You know, they had their weapons and torches. And he said, who are you looking for? And they said, we were looking for Jesus of Nazareth. And he said, I am. And there was so much power in his words, everybody fell down. So he went into this time with God, weak and struggling, and he walked out with so much power that he just had to speak two words and soldiers fell on their backs because of his alone time with God. You need some alone time. You need to schedule consistent alone times. With the Lord. Now, what might help you with this is, is designating a room in your house or a place in your house. It could be a closet. That's your spot." [00:22:07] (70 seconds)
"number three write what god says to you write what god says to you i want to read jeremiah 33 verse 3 first of all notice what god says there call to me and i will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know god says call to me and i'll answer you i'll show you things what's god saying when you spend time with god that time is not just going to be made up of you talking to god god will talk back to you more than you might think oh pastor i don't know about that whole god talking to people thing oh that sound kind of crazy okay hey" [00:36:02] (58 seconds)
"When you spend alone time with him. But what should I do when I believe God has spoken something to me? Well, Jeremiah 30 verse 2 says this, thus speaks the Lord God of Israel saying, write in a book for yourself, all the words, all the words that I have spoken to you. What did he say to Jeremiah? He said, everything I say to you, write it down. That's how we have the book of Jeremiah. Why? Everything God says to you is important. Especially what God says to you about you. This is God talking to you about your life. And when he does, you should write it down. Why? It can have a huge impact on your future." [00:38:40] (57 seconds)
"Some of us need to declutter our hearts. What do you mean? Unforgiveness, strife, anger, bitterness, shame, guilt. You still living in sin. These things block your ability to hear from God. And that might be why there's a wall between you and God right now. You might be saying, how come I just, I don't hear God. God's not talking to me. God, it might be this. There's this great book called Every Man's Battle. I encourage every man in the church to read it. It's about overcoming sexual sin. And one of the authors talks about overcoming sexual sin. And one of the authors talks about overcoming sexual sin. And he would go to church every Sunday and he would notice other people praising God and worshiping God, other men doing it. And for him, he just couldn't do it. He just couldn't connect with God. He felt like there was this wall between him and God. And he talked to his wife about it. She said, well, maybe it's because your relationship with your father wasn't that great. So he went to counseling and it made him feel a little bit better about his father. But he eventually realized the real problem was every Sunday morning before he went to church, he would open up his newspapers. And this goes back a little while. And he would find the ad inserts of women and underwear." [00:48:55] (60 seconds)
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