"a solitary place"
So, have I gotten you thinking about the concept of Quiet Time? What it means? Why it's important? Well maybe it’s time to have some Quiet Time and talk to God about your Quiet Time.
What would He say to you about your time with Him, if you asked Him? Now is the time to ask Him.
Do you meet with Him every day? Almost every day? Once in awhile?
If you meet with Him regularly, is your time with Him genuine, or are you in a rut? Is it about the routine, and feeling good that it’s done for the day? Or is it about hearing what He wants to say to you?
What does He say to you in your Quiet Time? Do you meditate on it during the day?
Have you told Him what He wants to hear from you? Do you praise Him, confess to Him, ask Him for guidance?
What do you think He would have you do differently?
In the Parable of the Sower, the seed grew when it fell on prepared soil. Prepare your heart at the beginning of your Quiet Time. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your ears, and your heart, to Him. Close your eyes and bring your thoughts into the presence of His throne.
Speaking to Him and Listening to Him go hand in hand. Both are necessary ingredients in your Quiet Time, but you may find that one or the other is easier for you…
While Praying, you run the risk of monopolizing the conversation, or thinking of Him as your problem-fixing genie.
While Listening, you run the risk of hearing your own thoughts or desires, not His words to you; or being distracted by your to-do list.
This is the part of Quiet Time
most likely to be skipped!
Praying and Listening might come before Reading and Writing. You might have questions for Him, or struggles you are bringing to Him, and then look to the Word for responses.
Or you might Read and Write first, then sit quietly, discussing with Him what He said in His Word, and how He wants you to apply it to your life.
You might “Pray the Scriptures” – taking passages that are particularly meaningful to you, and praying them back to Him.
Is there anything He would have you do differently?
Read a spiritual biography, or a devotional, but don’t let anything take the place of reading the Word.
Read Scripture every day. Such as:
~ Annually read the whole Bible,
or the New Testament
~ Read a Psalm or a Proverb everyday
~ Go through a book of the Bible every month, reading a chapter of that in the morning, and a Psalm every night before bed.
~ If you read a devotional, it probably is based on a specific Scripture. Go to that verse, and read the entire chapter in which it’s contained. God didn’t intend for His Word to be read one sentence at a time….
~ Read passages associated with issues He has brought to your mind ~ ways in which you need to be transformed to fully please Him.
What might He want you to do differently?
Writing is a valuable and productive ingredient in Quiet Time. Whether it’s a life journal, a prayer journal or your own commentary on Scripture, writing will help you remember, and apply what He has said to you during your Quiet Time.
If journaling is hard for you, resolve to write a whole page every day, even if you feel you’re not writing anything of substance. Allow yourself to be honest, especially with respect to sin.
If you’re not sure what to write, consider:
~ Writing your prayers to Him
~ Writing your insights from meditating on Scripture
~ Writing your confessions of sin
~ Writing your frustrations and fears
~ Writing your dreams and desires
~ Writing your lessons from successes or failures
~ Writing your praise and worship to Him
What might He have you do differently?
~ "Now in the morning,
having risen a long while before daylight,
He went out and departed
to a solitary place;
and there He prayed." ~