When I need to get up to the Mountain

It’s been a very busy season. Between family, home, work and church, there’s something going on all the time. You too? During these hectic days, I wish I could get some time alone. You too?

We aren’t alone!

Over and over in Scripture we read that when Jesus got busy, he also made sure he had time alone. It says ‘he went up to the mountain’ or ‘he found a quiet place to pray’. He knew he needed quiet and solitude in God’s presence to sustain His connection with His Father. Jesus was our Perfect example in every aspect of His Life to show us how to live, and I love that it’s no different in how Jesus shows us how to pray and to spend time alone.

We all know we need it, but it’s hard getting away to actually do it.

I don’t have a mountain, but I am trying to get creative in finding ways to get alone with God. Here are some of my strategies……

Get up early- Now that the kids are sleeping later, I get up early when the house is quiet. I love to sleep late in the summers so this is a big one for me. It’s totally worth it though. I love the sunshine brightening up the house and the birds chirping.

Sit under a tree at sunset– When the sun is going down, the neighborhood gets quiet, and the stillness is calming and relaxing. I’ll grab a folding chair and sit outside during the dusk hour. The hurried, hectic feeling from trying to get everything done on my to-do list releases, and the day washes away.

Hide in the bathroom– Yep. Keeping it real. Some of my best prayer times are in the bathroom. Be honest…..so is yours, right? Or maybe it’s the shower! I’ll also hide in the laundry room because it’s down in the basement. This spot isn’t my favorite because there’s nothing beautiful to look at like sunshine or pretty stars. Sometimes, though, the solitude is more important than the setting.

Lunch time study– During the school year when I am working, lunchtime is a great time to be by myself for study and prayer. I began this habit about 3 years ago, and it’s been wonderful. The regular, daily time during my lunch has helped me build an appetite for study and prayer, and I can tell how much I’ve miss it when it doesn’t happen.

Driving in the car– When going to pick up kids or run some errands, I try to make the conscious choice to not turn on the radio. Instead, having a Jesus talk gets me some alone time with Him.

Falling asleep at night– This one may seem a little odd, but it’s a habit I’ve learned to develop. At night when I’m trying to fall asleep, I think of all the good things that happened that day for which I’m thankful. I think about my favorite moments with each of my kids or the best moments of the day. I have my final talk with God for all the good stuff He’s given me. This little habit has become such a blessing.

So there are my ways of getting ‘up to the mountain’ to be with God. I’m not perfect at it, and some days are better than others. There are times when I’m more consistent than others, but the key is to keep at it.

Many of you are probably out of the ‘kids at home’ season, so maybe you have totally different strategies than I do to make prayer time happen. I’d love to hear about them.

What do you do to get up to the mountain to pray?

How about we get together for a Facebook Live event and chat more about it?

Join me on the Facebook Women of the Way Tn page on Monday, May 20th at 8:00pm, and we’ll talk more about what to do when life gets busy and we need to recover! Check out more details here.

~Amy