Recently I listened to Dr. Charles Stanley’s message on Spending Time Alone with God: God’s Great Stress Reliever. I hope that you will take time to listen to the video, but I have highlighted it briefly below.
First, Dr. Stanley declares that “stress is a killer.” He talked about how many years ago, he continued to go to his doctor because he wasn’t feeling well, but all the test came back negative. Finally he said to the doctor, I’m not sick, “I’m just tired.” Can you relate?
After this incident, he and his son took off and spent 3 months in a cabin in the wilderness where he rested and spent time in God’s presence. That was a life changing event for him.
Dr. Stanley shares several scriptures illustrating how the Lord took out time to just be with God. When he finished ministering to others, he’d seek refuge in God’s presence and find solitary places to pray.
Dr. Stanley describes the difference between solitude and loneliness. Loneliness, which is painful, creates separation anxiety, disconnection, and loss of intimacy with family and friends. However, solitude is a choice that we can make to separate, withdrawal, and experience the presence of God.
Dr. Stanley constantly emphasizes that spending alone time with God is used for a Bible Study, to pray, or to even read the scripture. It is simply dwelling in God’s s presence without any visual or verbal distractions. He encourages believers to just sit in a dark and quiet room with the Lord. From his own experience, Dr. Stanley shares that during his time alone with God, stress, worry, and tension begin to drain away.
According to Dr. Stanley, what are the other benefits of spending time alone with God and dwelling in his presence? These include building a deeper relationship with God, being prepared for daily life, and experiencing the presence of all mighty God.
“Most folks are frightened about being alone,” declares Stanley. As I have stated in my own teachings, many people have a hard time just sitting with their thoughts. It can often feel like the walls are pressing in on them. Yet, once you can get past the fear, being in God’s presence Is a place of renewal, peace, joy, health, and healing. It is a time to allow God to minister to you in a supernatural way. “It’s not something we do, it’s something that God does in us,” said the pastor. “My solitude with God is a priority in my life.”
Dr. Stanley encouraged all believers to spend alone time with God every morning. He said that nothing is more important to our Christian walk. There are many ways that we can learn to dwell in the presence of God. This can simply be sitting in silence, listening to soft music playing in g the background, listening to a guided Christian meditation to relax us and usher in God’s presence, or even doing scripture or passage meditation. All of these will provide you with the benefits of fellowshipping with the Lord. If just sitting in silence is too difficult, then the tools above can help. Also check out my Date with God Program and video!
You can listen to the video below. Here is link to Charles Stanley Spending Time Alone with God.
