Susan Muto, co-founder of Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality, wrote these words that describe so well the healing comfort that we find, just as Elijah did, when we chose to spend time alone in the presence of our heavenly Father, in the presence of his Son, Jesus Christ…

“Alone and in silence, I present the whole of my being to God. To say; “Here I am,” is to place at his disposal the unique creation he has made. It is to give him this body, with its weaknesses and strengths; this mind, with its confusion and clarity; this heart, with its hardness and pliability. To say, “Here I am,” is to offer him the talents he has entrusted to me, using them to their fullest potential. It is to follow him wherever he leads, to stand ready in all situations to be his servant. To ready myself for such a commitment I have to become accustomed to frequent occasions when I stand peacefully and quietly before the Lord – alone and at the same time at one with him. In this aloneness I try gently to quiet the many voices that besiege me in the pressures of daily life in order to listen to his voice in the depths of my being. Outer silence may be sought to foster inner stillness, but it is not necessary. The closer I grow to God, the more I am able to be with him in all circumstances. Whenever he calls I am able to say: “Here I am.”

Then hear these words from St Augustine...