As countless people of good faith run to the internet to post their quarantine youtube videos, Facebook live events, Instagram stories, and Pinterest boards, I think maybe we need to all take a deep breath and remember that the primary work of any Christian is prayer.

No, not a live stream Divine Mercy Chaplet.

That's great. But, that is not the prayer I am talking about. No, I am talking about Matthew 6:6 kind of prayer. The "go to the inner room and lock the door" kind of prayer.

Listen, I get the impulse to flood the net. We are social creatures, and we are going to need each other. This whole thing is scary, and we need to lift each other up as much as we can. I, too, am doing my part to be a light in this darkness. I am posting blogs and IG stories way more than I usually do. And, yes, I am trying to serve in this way, too.

But, if that is it, then it is for nothing. If all my work is for others to consume, or God forbid, to build a social media following, it is a waste.

I need to be praying.

About a week ago Everyday Catholic published my article, Planning to Thrive. I realize that there was something important that I did not mention in that article. What did I leave out?

Alone time.

We all need alone time, and I fear that in our rush to reach out, we may be forgetting it.

In Matthew 6:6 Jesus tells us to pray in private.

But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

It is in private is where we pray the intimate, vulnerable prayer of a lover.

Just like it would be wrong for spouses to post their intimate moments, as a people of God, we need to be having moments with the Lord that are not for everyone else. We need private time.

I have six kids. There are eight people at varying stages of development in my home. We are on top of each other. If I am going to have alone time with the Lord, it is going to have to be intentional. It isn't going to happen on accident. I am going to have to schedule it and defend it. It has to be a priority.

Yes, as believers, we need to lift each other. We need to reach out. But we also need, now more than ever, to draw close to the Lord. We need to be alone with him.

When will you have intimate time with the Lord today? When will you give him your full attention? When will you say and hear the things that need to be said and heard, that are not for your social media following?

These are strange days.

Stay close to the Lord.