Your quiet time refers to your time alone with the Lord. It’s one of the most powerful tools to build a deeper Christian experience. In the scriptures, all the men who worked intimately with God had time alone with Him.
Now, to have a quality quiet time, you will need to plan it and put some structure in place. Firstly, you will need to find a place where you can be alone and that time when you have no disturbances. This time also needs to be consistent.
Always go to your designated place with your Bible, a book, and a pen because God is going to speak to you and you don’t want to keep a record of what He says.
Sit quietly, pray, and go through the portion of scriptures that you have decided to read or your quiet manual, eg, Daily Power, etc. As you read and meditate on the word for the day, note down the commands or the new insights you are getting from the scriptures. As you read, a portion of the scriptures will inspire, convict, comfort, or stir you up; pay attention to them.
You must understand that it is these commands when acted upon that bring spiritual nourishment, which leads to growth. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of my Father…” John 4:34
Stay in the quietness of meditation every single day before the Lord until it’s clear what he commands you to do. Indeed you shall not survive on bread alone but by every word that is spoken by the mouth of your father.
The orientation of your heart, as you come before the Lord, should be a willingness to receive what God is saying to you and go out and do it. Understand that God is a person, and reading the Bible only provides an avenue for you to know what He commands, but it is in obeying his commands that you know him. Your quiet time is a means to an end, not the end in itself. If you know the Lord, we must go beyond just reading to obeying.
Jesus said, “John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
This is why you must write down what the Lord is saying to you. You want to obey and get the full benefit of the time you spent with him. You don’t want to be a forgetful hearer and deceive yourself; rather, you want to go out there and obey to the end that you may receive the promises.
Now, after you’ve written down what the Lord requires of you, make sure to present yourself before him in prayer. Remember, God gives you both the desire and ability to obey him. Take advantage and tap into it through prayer. Pray for strength to obey, and also present your request before him.
After prayer you can now step out and face your day with confidence. I have personally noticed that my quiet time with the Lord makes my day successful. I can clearly differentiate between days I spend time with him and says I didn’t.
Your quiet time is one of the powerful tools in your spiritual life. So make sure you make time for it. Find a place, and a time. Always go there with your Bible, book, and pen. Begin prayer. Read and meditate on the word of God and write down what the Lord tells you as you stay before him. Present his words back to him in prayer, asking for strength to obey.
Make it a point to spend this time with the Lord every single day. Make it your personal ritual and enjoy his bountiful grace in your everyday life.
