PRAY ALONE / MATTHEW 14:23-24

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Matthew 14:23-24

After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Finding Strength in Solitude: The Power of Praying Alone

In our fast-paced, always-connected world, true quietness is a rare commodity. We are constantly bombarded by notifications, demands, and the noise of everyday life. Yet, if we look at the life of Jesus, we find a starkly different rhythm—one that fiercely protected intentional pockets of isolation.

In Matthew 14:23-24, we witness a powerful example of this holy habit:

“After he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.”

Think about the context of this moment. Jesus had just performed a massive miracle, feeding over five thousand people. He was at the height of popularity and ministry demand. Yet, instead of riding the wave of public applause, His immediate priority was to dismiss the crowds, send His disciples ahead, and climb a mountain by Himself to pray.

He chose to be alone with His Father.

The Example We Must Follow

Throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus regularly pulled away from the crowds and public activity to spend focused time alone with God (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16). If Jesus Himself—the sinless Son of God—deeply needed these moments of private prayer to recharge and align with the Father, how much more do we need it?

Time alone with God is not an optional spiritual luxury; it is entirely essential to our spiritual survival.

A fading desire to pray is an unmistakable warning sign that our spiritual life is beginning to decline. When the noise of the world starts to drown out our spiritual hunger, we must take a hard, honest look at our lives. We have to identify and ruthlessly remove the distractions, busyness, or habits that offend God or block our relationship with Him.

What Happens in the Secret Place?

Prayer isn’t a rigid ritual or a one-sided grocery list of requests. It is simply talking and interacting with God. It is an intimate, two-way communication.

We speak honestly: Bringing our fears, gratitude, and vulnerabilities boldly but humbly before His throne (Luke 18:1).
We learn to listen: Silencing our own thoughts long enough to hear the quiet responses, wisdom, and direction of the Holy Spirit.

When the winds of life blow against us and the waves get choppy—just as they did for the disciples out on the boat in Matthew 14:24—the strength we need to stand firm is forged in that secret, quiet place of prayer.

Don’t let the urgency of life rob you of the importance of intimacy with your Creator. Find your mountain. Pull away from the crowd. Pray… alone.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the beautiful example of Your Son, Jesus, who showed us the absolute necessity of pulling away from the world to sit at Your feet. Forgive us for the times we have let the noise and busyness of life crowd out our intimate time with You.

Search our hearts today, Lord. Reveal anything in our lives that acts as a barrier to our relationship or offends Your holiness. Give us the grace and discipline to remove those distractions. We want to renew our commitment to the secret place of prayer. Teach us not only to speak our hearts but to quietly listen for Your voice and follow Your direction.

When the storms of life hit, may our souls find anchored stability because we have spent time alone in Your presence.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Bible Study Tools I Use

NIV Bible
King James Bible
www. biblegateway.com
www.biblestudytools.com
Map Pencils
Strong’s Concordance
College Ruled Spiral Notebook
Ballpoint Pens
Some links may be affiliated. By purchasing an item from an affiliate link, I receive a small commission – but you are not charged more or less by clicking or purchasing through the link. Thank you for supporting me!

Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! I love having you here. If this post resonated with you, please drop a comment below and share your thoughts. See you in the next post!

Blessings, Margarita & Stace