I have what I call my “quiet time” almost every day. I haven’t always considered it a priority in my own life, but I was raised to know that I should read my bible and pray. I remember the day I committed to having a daily quiet time as an adult. I was struggling physically, mentally and emotionally during that period. I needed strength, wisdom and peace that I didn’t have within myself. I turned to God for the grace and mercy I knew only He could provide. And I’ve never stopped being grateful to God for honoring my desire to know Him better.
Right now I’m in a season of life that provides time to sit in God’s presence, pray, read and meditate on His Word. You may be in a very busy season either with work or your family. Perhaps both.
If you don’t feel you have time to spend with God, I would like to challenge you to try something. Most of us spend a certain amount of time each day on social media or watching tv. I challenge you to spend 10 minutes less on one of those activities and use that time to pray, read your bible, and meditate. If you don’t have a bible, there are several bible apps you can download.
Don’t know what to read? I like to read the Psalms. They were written as songs by David and other people. Most of them are pretty short and easy to read. If you want to learn about Jesus, the gospel of John is a good book to start with.
Don’t know what to pray? Here’s an acronym that helps me. ACTS.
A – Adoration – Tell God what you think about Him. Do you love or respect Him? Is it amazing that He created the world and takes care of you?
C – Confession – Think about something you’ve done recently that you knew was wrong and you’re sorry for doing it. If you can’t think of anything, ask your family. They’ll think of something right away! Be sincere in your confession and ask God to help you do better.
T – Thanksgiving – Thank God for the blessings in your life. And thank Him for forgiving you for that thing you just confessed.
S – Supplication – Here’s where you get to ask God for help with something/someone in your life or ask Him to help someone else. You can ask God for anything. If it’s God’s will, it will happen.
The third part of my quiet time is to listen. Some people call it meditation. But it differs from the eastern practice where you try to clear your mind of any thoughts. Instead, just sit in the silence and listen. You won’t hear God audibly, but something deep in your spirit may stir. Maybe a new idea will come into your head that follows along with what you prayed or read that day. God may clarify the meaning of something you read in the bible. A desire may arise to allow God to change your heart about something specific.
Meditation always looks different for me. Sometimes I get ideas for this blog. Or I feel that God wants me to do this or that to help someone else. He may bring to mind an attitude or behavior that He wants to change in me. There are times that my spirit doesn’t pick up on anything. But my body and mind are refreshed for having been still and quiet.
If you will devote yourself to spending just 10 minutes a day in a “quiet time”, I promise that your life will begin to change for the better. Your faith will grow along with your love for Him as you consistently spend time in God’s presence.
