The Gospel tells us that Jesus made a habit of going out to a quiet place, in the wilderness to pray. His solitude is a major theme in the Bible as it was a source of His wisdom and compassion.

It can be easy for worldly relationships at times to distract us from our time alone with the Lord. This Valentine’s Day, I pray that you would remember The One that loves you more than anyone else ever could or ever will. I pray that those of you who are single can fall in love with your solitude. Do for yourself what you long for someone else to do for you. For those of you in relationships or marriages, I pray you would not forsake your solitude. I pray you would regularly set time aside to be alone with the Lord, being intentional about your relationship with Him.

There’s a time for coming together and having fellowship with others, and there is a time for solitude. Jesus understood this and He lived His life in perfect balance of the two. It’s important we do the same. Man was not created to be alone, and it’s important, if you are an introverted person, not to not make yourself an island. Instead, “recharge” in solitude, then take that energy and share with others. This is God’s will. If you’re an extrovert, make sure you are taking time to spend alone with God. Don’t just read or listen to sermons when you’re alone, either. While these things are good things, they are not a substitute and cannot compare to going to a quiet place—a place without the presence or thoughts and opinions of any other human—and talking to God.

My “quiet places” are sacred. These places restore my spirit and nourish me, enabling me to tune out the world and tune into God. Actually, these places are not always physical, either. Sometimes I have to go to a quiet place in my mind, in my soul. I work with children; I love children, but they are rarely quiet. I have to cultivate a place of peace inside myself that goes beyond the physical plane. This place of peace is not so much a place, but more of a knowing—a knowing that God is with me and within me.

The irony is this: It’s the quiet places where God seems to be the loudest.