Spending quiet time means to set aside time alone with God. Whether it is 10 minutes or 30 minutes doesn’t matter, what matters is that you make the time and be consistent in doing it everyday. Making the time is important because it sets a foundation for your walk and relationship with God.
I put together some tips that I personally use and hope that you will be blessed. You can change it; adapt it to your own quiet time or whatever you wish to do. This is simply a guide to give you some direction if you are new to Christianity or just needing some added tips to your own quiet time.
Here they are as follows:
Prepare: Spending quiet time will take some preparation on your part. You will need to answer some important questions; What time is best for you to have your quiet time? What place is best for you to read and pray that is private? What resources will you need for your quiet time? Take some time to think and plan out making time with God and you will most likely be more consistent doing it.
Plan Ahead: A suggestion would be to plan ahead of time what you will need for your quiet time. To get either a basket or box that will fit your bible, pen or pencil, note pad or journal, daily devotional, bible dictionary, Webster’s dictionary or bible commentary. These are all suggestions but bible pen and paper are a definite must.
Pray: I encourage you to pray through out the day but for your quiet time it is good to pray specific. Pray for God to speak to you in your time with Him and your time in His Word and believe by faith He will answer you.
Passage & Scripture Reading: Whether it is a daily devotional, reading a chapter in the bible or a scripture reference book. Whatever the Lord is putting on your heart to read, is good as long as you have a scripture or passage in God’s word.
- Read the particular passage.
- Read the particular passage in context. Which means, to read the entire chapter to fully understand why the passage is there and what it means?
- See if there are any specific words that speak to you in that passage, like love, faith, or doubt, etc… make note of that as possibly your theme for the day and passage.
- Feel free to look up definitions of those words to add some depth.
- Look up cross-references and possible summary of passage if possible.
Journal: Write down the passage or scripture that speaks to you, what it means and what it is speaking to you personally and your own personal thoughts.
Ponder the Lesson: Take a moment to ponder the passage you are reading and what God is speaking to you about in that particular lesson and then ask God to help you receive it in your heart and mind and give you full understanding of it’s meaning.
Personal Application: Find out what this particular lesson is speaking to you personally and how you can apply it to your life today. Journal that also.
Personal Prayer: Pray and ask God to help you not only receive the personal message God has given you but also the power to apply it to your life today by faith.
Praise Him: Praise God for His faithfulness and thank God for all that He is and all He does and has done in your life and the life of others.
Prayer Time: If time permits or you are led to pray and intercede, take a moment and ask God to put people or situations on your heart to pray for and He is faithful to answer that prayer.
Don’t forget to close in prayer.
When the Lord gives me a message or lesson for the day, I ponder and meditate on that lesson, message or particular scripture throughout the day so that it will be written on my heart and mind and hopefully memorized by the end of the day and am able to apply it.
I hope these tips will help give you a jump start to do your own quiet time and deepen your relationship with Christ even more. Blessings!
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Inspirational Devotional
"Seek Him First"
Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you."
In life we are tempted to seek after many things, with so many distractions and interruptions that can take us away from the things that really matter. What does Jesus say here in Matthew 6:33? To seek first the kingdom of God. The word "seek" in the Hebrew means "to search for as in searching for silver or gold".
The bible says that where our treasure is our heart will be also. What is your treasure today? Are you spending time with God? If not I want to encourage you to remember Christ as your first love and return to Him and go back to doing the things you did at first. Anything that we put before God is considered an idol and apart from Him we can do nothing.
What does Jesus say will happen if we seek the Kingdom of God first? That all these things will be added or given to us. I encourage you to make a decision today to do as Mary did; she chose to sit at the Lord's feet rather than be "busy" for God, and Jesus said that Mary made the better choice and it will never be taken away from her. When we choose to seek Him first ,He gives us more than we can imagine or think in return which is Christ Himself and what more could we possibly want?
Personal Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is so easy for me to be busy. Please help me to slow down, sit at your feet and spend time with you that I can make you my number one priority and return to you as my first love. Please forgive me if I have strayed and refresh my heart and make me new again. Thank you Jesus for loving me and hearing my prayers. Amen
