Mark 1:35 tells us,
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
I recently started flying more for work and I began to realize that airplanes can be noisy places. Most people become so used to it they don’t even realize how noisy it is. Before my last flight I decided to purchase some noise cancelling headphones and what a difference it made. I was able to shut out the noise, hear clearly and really focus on what I was listening to. It really made for an enjoyable flight. Every now and then I would take the headphones off and I was made abundantly aware of how much noise was around me.
This is also true of life. We are surrounded everywhere. Things like Youtube, cable television, smart phones, smart watches, music, social media and then add to that kids, family let alone all of the noise in our heads and hearts because of the things we are thinking about. When you put it all together you discover life is a very noisy place. Most of us don’t even realize how much noise is around us because we have gotten so used to it. Jesus understood this and he had a solution for this, he practiced the art of noise cancelling.
Jesus intentionally got up at a set time (very early in the morning), left the place where the noise was (the house) to find a place, free from noise and distraction (a solitary place) so he could spend time in prayer. If Jesus practiced this then it is safe to say you should practice it too. When you shut out the noise you focus better, your thoughts are clearer and most importantly you position yourself to hear what God wants to tell you. After all isn’t that one of the purposes of prayer.
So I encourage you to practice noise cancelling. Honestly it may feel a little uncomfortable at first, however the more you do it the more natural it will become and you find yourself looking forward to those precious moments spent with you and your Heavenly Father.
Father help me to find that solitary place and take moments to shut out the noise so I can clearly hear what you want to say to me.
