After the fall, the descendants of Cain tried to make their lives as pleasant as possible through possessions, music, and inventions of all kinds in order to be happy without God (see Gen. 4). This very attitude is what still characterizes the world today.

How many things people have invented in the last 6000 years that distract them from focusing on what is linked with eternity! Just think of the explosive development of technology and means of communication in the last decades. These things are not evil in themselves and can certainly be used for good, but now they take up much more space in the lives of most of us than we would like. Whereas 20 years ago people were perfectly fine without a cell phone, today many people look at their smartphone on average about a hundred times a day, and they carry it around with them almost everywhere. How much time is lost—time which is actually entrusted to us to wisely spend in the light of eternity!

The Lord Jesus often purposely visited deserted or lonely places in order to be alone (see Luke 4:42) and to seek the will of God in prayer (see Mark 1:35). In the desert and on the mountain He was alone with His Father and found rest—before and after His ministry (see Luke 5:16; Mt. 14:23). Although He served tirelessly and did only good deeds, He was never stressed. He did not live under the tyranny of time!

The Lord told His disciples to close the door behind them to talk to God alone in their chamber. While on the one hand, speaking in the sense of Daniel, we have to open the windows of our hearts to the things of God, at the same time we have to consciously close the door of our heart to everything that keeps us from prayer.

A deserted place is a solitary place where there is nothing interesting to distract you. No smartphone, no tablet, no laptop. Where are your ‘deserted places’ where you regularly retreat to calm down and talk to God without being disturbed? Have you ever thought about the influence your smartphone has on you? Are you willing to correct yourself regarding the use of social media if you find that frequent use of these things has a negative impact on your spiritual life and distracts you from what has eternal value?