How to Have a Meaningful Quiet Time
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up,
left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” ((Mark
1:35)
If you’ve spent much time in many Christian churches, you’ve
probably heard the terms quiet time or devotions. But what do these terms mean and are these
activities important? Does a quiet time
require a particular method or routine? Quiet
time, or devotion time, refers to our daily appointment with God, when we
shut out as much outside interference as possible. During our quiet time, we
may sing praise songs, pray, read Scripture or daily devotions, meditate on
God’s Word, or simply be still and listen.
We don’t pray because God demands it as a prerequisite for
salvation. We pray because we want to be united with God. People don’t speak to
their spouse because of a contractual obligation, they do it because good
communication is how they maintain a healthy relationship. The same is true for
our relationship with God.
Quiet time is a goal that sounds simple, but which meets with
greater challenges than many physical endurance contests. If we stop to think about it for a moment, we will
recognize that we live in enemy-occupied territory. Satan, our chief opponent, does not want us
to spend quiet time with God. He knows that the more time we spend with God,
the more we will accomplish God’s goals on this earth. Satan does not want us
to succeed.
But praise God, because His plan is greater! Satan is no match for God, but he
can trouble God’s children, and he does. The next time you are finding it
difficult to get away from the noise and get alone with God, remember who is
standing in your way. Then remember who is greater!
Let’s look at some of the benefits of a regular quiet time. It is way to deepen our relationship with
Christ. And through that connection, we will personally grow and become enabled
to help build His kingdom. But there are other important benefits to
establishing a consistent time with God.
1) It builds self-discipline
In his letter to Titus, Paul laid out his expectations for the
kinds of people he wanted to see leading churches. He told Titus that they
should be, “…hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled,
upright, holy and disciplined.” (Titus 1:8)
Like pushing ourselves to get up in the morning and go to the gym
when we don’t feel like it, following through with quiet times builds
self-discipline. We all have other things competing for our attention, but
every time we say “No” to those other things, we build a disciplined
character.
And as Paul tells Timothy, “For physical training is of some
value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the
present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8)
2) It establishes a rhythm in our life
When God created the universe, He created certain patterns. Every
time the earth travels around the
sun, we experience a year. That year is made
up of seasons of birth, growth, harvest, and inactivity. This rhythm is
incredibly important to all life. He
also established a religious cycle in the lives of the Israelites.
They were to
work six days, and on the seventh day they were to stop from working and
worship Him. On top of that, their year was full of consistent feasts and holy
days. A quiet time helps us to maintain our connection to Jesus by
establishing a regular rhythm in our own life. We not only have a weekly rhythm
of corporate worship, but a daily one where we sustain our own personal
relationship with Jesus.
3) It keeps us more mindful of God’s presence
One of the biggest challenges of the Christian life is a tendency
to go through our day and forget about God. While it’s not intentional, it’s
easy to get so preoccupied with our daily lives that we lose sight of the fact
that God is right there, present in every moment.
Christian author Patrick Morley says it this way, “Whenever a man
tells me that he doesn’t feel very close to God, the first question I ask is,
‘Tell me about your devotional life.’ Often the problem is right there.”
When we have a stable connection to Jesus built upon our daily
practice of spending time with Him, God’s presence becomes more central to our
everyday behavior. Jesus understood the
importance of truly knowing the Father. The elements of how to spend quiet time
with God are threefold: The place is free of distractions, use of prayer and
thanksgiving, and use of God’s Word.
Here are some of the disciplines that could be part of your
devotions and some ways you can incorporate them:
1) Bible reading
Obviously, you want Scripture to play a big part in your quiet
time, but as you start this discipline, the focus should probably be more on
reading than on study. Bible study is an important discipline, but it’s easy
for study to lead you down rabbit trails and away from your ultimate focus—your
relationship with Jesus.
As you’re reading, think about:
a. For what can
I offer praise or thanksgiving in today’s reading?
b. Is there an example in
this text that I should follow or a command I should obey?
c. Is this text convicting me
of sins that I need to repent from and seek God’s forgiveness?
d. Are there promises in this
reading that I need to claim?
2) Bible Journaling
Having a journal handy or a
wide-margin Bible like the NIV Journal the Word Bible can be a useful
way to write down important thoughts you have during your Bible reading.
3) Meditation
“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in
your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” (Psalm 119:15, 16)
Sometimes when you’re reading Scripture, you discover a truth
that’s insightful and you just need to stop and process it. This is basically
the Christian practice of meditation.
It’s not about emptying your mind, like some forms of eastern meditation
encourage. It’s really about focusing on
God’s Word, and as you do, asking the Spirit to encourage, convict, and
instruct you.
4) Prayer
Even though a lot of people struggle to feel like they’re getting
it right, prayer should be an essential part of every quiet time. And it becomes a lot easier when you quit
fretting about how well you’re doing it.
It’s the key to maintaining that connection to the vine.
5) Praise
This opens your prayer with time to praise God for who he is and
what he’s doing in your life. It’s also a great time to worship him for the
praiseworthy things you identified during your Bible reading.
6) Confession
In John’s first letter, we’re reminded that “…if we confess our
sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us
from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This is where you want to ask for
forgiveness for actions, behaviors, or attitudes that you’d like to see changed
with God’s help.
7) Thanksgiving
A spirit of gratitude is essential for Christian maturity. It helps us recognize the benefits and
blessings in our life and limits us from constantly demanding more. Knowing that you’re going to spend some time
thanking God for His blessings during your quiet time makes you more mindful of
them throughout your day.
8) Prayer Requests
It’s probably not a word you hear often, but supplication simply
means “making a request.” This is the time you want to talk to God about all
those things you told someone yesterday that you’d pray about. It’s where you
make your appeals to God for His intervention in your life and in the lives of
your loved ones.
No matter what tools and methods we use, this isn’t about making
sure we get our daily devotions checked off. It’s about creating a life full of
devotion, and the way we do that is by setting aside a regular time for prayer
and Bible reading. When we set time
aside to truly connect with our creator, we’re working with Him to see that
spiritual growth and transformation is happening in our lives.
God longs to spend time with us. Is it asking too much that we
devote daily time to Him?
“But when you pray, go into your room,
close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who
sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you
to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own life.
Discover how you can find peace
with God.
