Left alone!” What different emotions these words bring to mind for each of us! To some they mean loneliness and grief, but to others they may mean rest and quiet. To be left alone without God would be too horrible for words, while being left alone with Him is a taste of heaven! And if His followers spent more time alone with Him, we would have spiritual giants again.

Our Master set an example for us. Remember how often He went to be alone with God? And there was a powerful purpose behind His command, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray” (Matthew 6:6).

The greatest miracles of Elijah and Elisha took place when they were alone with God. Jacob was alone with God when he became a prince (Genesis 32:28). In the same way, we too may become royalty and people who are “wondered at” (Zechariah 3:8 KJV). Joshua was alone when the Lord came to him (Joshua 1:1). Gideon and Jephthah were by themselves when commissioned to save Israel (Judges 6:11; 11:29). Moses was by himself at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1–5). Cornelius was praying by himself when the Angel of God came to him (Acts 10:1–4). No one was with Peter on the housetop when he was instructed to go to the Gentiles (Acts 10:9–28). John the Baptist was alone in the wilderness (Luke 1:80), and John the Beloved was alone on the island of Patmos when he was the closest to God (Revelation 1:9).

Earnestly desire to get alone with God. If we neglect to do so, we not only rob ourselves of a blessing but rob others as well, since we will have no blessing to pass on to them. It may mean that we do less outward, visible work, but the work we do will have more depth and power. Another wonderful result will be that people will see “no one except Jesus” (Matthew 17:8) in our lives.

The impact of being alone with God in prayer cannot be overemphasized.

If chosen men had never been alone, In deepest silence open-doored to God, No greatness would ever have been dreamed or done.

More courage is required when coming to grips with the commonplace problems of the ordinary day than is required to face batteries of destruction on a field of military conflict.

It is much easier to follow on the track of the heroic than to remain true to Jesus in drab mean streets. Human nature unaided by God cannot do it.

The follower of Jesus is a laborer—but a laborer together with God. He is a man with a hoe—but one who has his part in the harvest whose reapers are the angels.

This is the place where Thou didst bid me stand; And work and wait; I thought it was a plot of fertile land, To tend and cultivate: Flowers and fruit, I said, are surely there, In rich earth stored, And I will make of it a garden fair, For Thee, my Lord!

Lo! it is set where only bleak skies frown, With rank weeds sown, And over it the vagrant thistle-down Like dust is blown;

Long have I labored, but the barren soil No crop will yield: This have I won for all my ceaseless toil— A bare plowed field!

Nay, even here, where thou didst strive and weep, Some sunny morn Others shall come with joyous hearts and reap The full-eared corn; Yet is their harvest to thy labor due; On Me ’twas spent— Are not the furrows driven straight and true? Be thou content!