04 Habitual-Solitude

Habitual

Pt. 4: Solitude

By Louie Marsh, 2- 9-2025

 

Intro. Last slide T-Shirt.

 

1) The difference between solitude & loneliness is CHOICE.

 

“¹⁸Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”” (Genesis 2:18, ESV)

 

· All spiritual disciplines are personal DECISIONS.

 

“¹⁵But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. ¹⁶But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” (Luke 5:15–16, ESV)

 

2) Solitude helps me restore my…

 

·  PEACE

 

“³You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)

 

·  OBJECTIVITY

 

“¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17, ESV)

 

· sense of SCALE.

 

“⁶I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; ⁷I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.” (Psalm 102:6–7, ESV)

 

·  ENERGY

 

“²⁹He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” (Isaiah 40:29, ESV)

 

·  PRIORITIES

 

“¹²So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV)

 

3) Solitude is an indicator of my spiritual HEALTH. 

 

“³⁹And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. ⁴⁰And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” ⁴¹And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ⁴²saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” ⁴³And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. ⁴⁴And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. ⁴⁵And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,” (Luke 22:39–45, ESV)

 

Slides of garden

 

The area it encompasses is flat and measures less than 57 square yards (47 1/2 square meters).

The garden is located on the western foot of the Mount of Olives, beyond the brook Kidron, and is only a short distance from Jerusalem. The villages of Bethany and Bethphage are also located very near it.

 

“³⁵And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35, ESV)