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Many years ago, I had an experience that sealed in my mind the importance of spending time alone with God. It was the night before I took a licensing exam. I had studied but a part of me was nervous about the unknown. Did I study the right things? Did I do enough practice questions?

Alone in my room, I prayed for a few moments and then sat quietly. I can’t recall how much time had passed. However, after a while I sensed an inner voice telling me to review a particular practice question. This is crazy, I thought. All of the test prep instructors had forecasted that the exam would not include a question like that one. That was exactly why I never studied it. And besides, it was late and I was tired. As I continued to sit quietly, a sense of peace overwhelmed me.

With a renewed sense of energy that could only come from God, I opened my study book and worked through the practice question. Guess what? A question almost identical to the one the inner voice told me to review was on the exam.

Proverbs 2:6 says: For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

The night before the exam when I prayed, I was really only looking for peace of mind. What I got went well beyond that. I believe with all my heart that being alone with God – where I received of His knowledge and understanding as in Proverbs 2:6 — sealed my success on that licensing exam.

So why do believers need to come away – to unplug – and spend time alone with God? Here goes a huge reason. Jesus did it! Here are a few scriptures:

Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Mark 6:46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

Luke 5:16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 6:12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

There are many more scriptures where we see Jesus going away to have moments alone with God. We need to follow the example Jesus set for us.

I accept that it is not always easy to find time to be alone with God. What worked for me in the beginning was to start by using whatever free moments I had. For example, instead of listening to the radio when driving, you could use that time to be alone with God. Or, simply turn off the tv or disconnect from technology and use that time to be alone with God.

If you do not yet have a practice of spending time alone with God, I encourage you to start today. I assure you, time spent alone with God will never be a waste of time.