Matthew 14:23 “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.” It is a New Year, it is a new dawn and this is the second month of the year. I want to encourage us that we should make use of every opportunity in this year to draw nearer to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ set this example for us in our text for the month; He cultivated the habit of withdrawing Himself from busyness and activities of people to commune with His Father. Are we too busy for the Lord? Are we allowing activities to distract us from personal communion with our Father? We all need to take time and be alone with God. But somehow we allow the world to steal that time. But you know the good thing about God is He is so patient with us. There are times in our life when we need to get alone with God and just sort things out. This whole idea of being alone with God is not new, by any means it all started when God first created us; He wanted and knew the importance of being alone with Him. There is nothing better than to spend time in solitude with God. When life gets really busy, and even when it doesn’t, our heart should cry out for a time to spend with God alone, nothing replenishes soul like the presence of the Lord. Your quiet time with God will help you resist Satan. Jesus resisted Satan by the use of scripture. Where did Jesus learn scripture and its application? From the study of the scriptures and quiet time with God; nothing can substitute in your spiritual growth for your quiet time with God. God wants to have a relationship with you and that relationship is enhanced by the time you spend with Him. It is never a bad idea to pray before making major decisions in your life, Jesus did. He sought time alone with the Father before He made the decision of choosing the twelve disciples. Popularity has its own pressure as well as the fast pace world we live in. There are times we need to seek time alone with God to help us recharge our batteries for the challenges that may lie right around the corner, daily pressures can take a toll on us. As the popularity of Jesus increased so did the demands placed upon Him. And so He made sure He went away to be with His Father and recharge for the next assignment. Our intimacy with God is reflected by our commitment to God. Our commitment to God is reflected by the amount of time we spend with Him. Jesus gives us the invitation to spend time with Him when He says:“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Setting aside time to be alone with God will deepen your relationship with Him. Brethren, are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Jesus. Get away with Him and you’ll recover your life. God be with you and enjoy His fullness in this year of enlargement. Shalom, Yemisi Onanuga.