Presenter:  Mariana van der Walt

I find it exciting that I am able to present the course "Getting Real with God".  Christian solitude is very close to my heart, and this course not only provides the Biblical background information about solitude, it also guides those interested into the practice.  Regular waiting on God and resting in God has had a profound impact on my own spiritual growth, and I am glad to be able to share that with anybody interested to grow their own walk with God.

If there is one thing I would recommend to all Christians, it would be to consider building the practice of solitude, waiting on God, resting in God and silence into your relationship with God.  It has enriched my walk with God beyond my wildest expectations.  It is not limited to only some Christian traditions, it is an exciting journey to intimacy with God available to all Christians.  We all share the desire to move ever closer to God and live in a peaceful relationship with HIm.  That is what the practice of solitude provides.

Who am I and why am I presenting this course?

1. Testimony:  I compiled a short testimony on how I got into Christian solitude, which you can download.  Apart from introducing myself this testimony explains my first steps into the practice of solitude.  Since then I have practised it for more than 25 years, and it is without any doubt a cornerstone in the practical reality of my walk with God.
2. Content of the course:  You may also want to watch the introductory video about this course to get an idea of typical content used in the course. If you are unable to watch online videos, you can read a summary of the video.

Go back to the course "Getting Real with God".

Why do we need to pursue solitude? 

The following is an extract from the course material:

"Ex 33:18-22 says very clearly that no-one can see God and live.  Our old nature does not survive the ordeal of meeting with God, and this is how sin is shaken and burned to destruction (i.e. "sanctified").  It happens as we linger in God's presence.  Like for Elijah in 1 Kings 19 it is sometimes not a pleasant experience at first to meet with God like this, but once the silence of God's presence fills our hearts it is worth every bit of shaking and destroying of inner sin that preceded the experience of His presence.

At the same time 1 Joh 3:2 says that when we see God we become like Him.  Our new nature is refreshed, invigorated and shaped in His image as we see Him.  It is this exchange that characterises the reality of "wasting time with God in silence".  It is the work of solitude. 

We need to be quiet in God's presence , because like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden we often use words to cover ourselves and hide away from God (see Gen 3).  It is when we stop explaining ourselves to God that we are exposed and powerless to avoid His presence.  When we do not speak we become unable to avoid His presence.

But we do not want to only visit God from time to time.  We want to live with Him and settle with Him in His house - that is what He invites us to do.  Yes our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  It is the house of God.  What does this house look like?  Isa 66:1-2 tells us.  God owns everything - we cannot add to what He already owns.  But He is at home with the one who is humble in heart (see Phil 2 for an explanation of humility), contrite (quick to acknowledge wrongdoing) and who takes His Word seriously and values and follows it above all else.  This is why we need to expel pride, the drive for success and ambition and start to value humility and contentment as described in Ps 131 - when we do this we are shaping the interior design of our inner life into a place where God is at home.  That is our goal, the main reason why we engage in solitude."