Tips For Your Daily Quiet Time

“The Daily Quiet Time is not a program designed by men, nor is it a legalistic ritual based on tradition.  Instead, it is the outward response of our innate desire to truly know God.”  Billie Hanks, Jr. — A Call to Joy

A Quiet Time is that part of your day that you set aside to deepen the quality of your relationship with God.  It normally includes simple Bible study, prayer, and a decision to apply a Scriptural insight.  You can NOT be a disciple — a growing Christian — without a daily time alone with God!  True disciples are ABIDING in, CONTINUING in, and HOLDING to Jesus’ teachings:

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” John 8:31 (NIV) [Scripture Memory Verse #1 for Sunday 6. January]

Here are some tips for a 15 minute daily quiet time taken from “The Spiritual Journal” (p. 6)

1.  Begin w/ Prayer (30 seconds) — Enter into God’s presence making yourself available to God and asking God for understanding.

2. Pause for Meditation (30 seconds) — Be still and quiet before God focusing your thoughts on him.  Meditate on what God has been saying to you through your memory verse.

3.  Read the Scriptures (5 minute simple study) — Read one paragraph of Scripture — I recommend choosing the Gospel of John or Romans & Ephesians for our 40 Days — with the goal of writing down one Scriptural insight that “jumps out at you” or “intersects” with your life.

4.  Record your Scriptural Insight, Prayer, and Personal Application (3 minutes)— Write a simple prayer that expresses the insights impact on your life.  Then write out a personal application that demonstrates your obedience to that Scriptural insight.

For example, here’s this morning’s Quiet Time entry for me:

a. Scriptural Insight — Sin is a willful choice to yield to temptation in direct contrast to the willful choice of faith and dependence upon God. (1 Cor. 10:13)

b. Prayer — Lord, strengthen my faith as I surrender myself to you and your word so that — through Christ — I can resist and renounce sin today.

c. Personal Application — I will meditate on 1 Cor. 10:13 at lunch and at dinner to strengthen my faith and to remind me to choose “the escape” God provides in the face of temptation.

5.  Spend Time in Prayer (3 minutes) — Start with praising God through adoration then move through confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (petition and intercession).  Be sure to pray the prayer your wrote during your Scripture reading and ask God to strengthen you with faith to carry out your personal application in the power of his Holy Spirit.

6. Review Memory Verses (3 minutes) — Work on your memory verse of the week and review your previous verses.  Review is the key to Scripture memory.

There’s nothing sacred about these tips.  They are suggestions that have been tested over time by many disciples.  Try them out.  Dedicate yourself to 15 minutes of time alone with God and let God have his way with you!

 

 

 

1 thought on “Tips For Your Daily Quiet Time

  1. karen

    Thank you Pastor Scott for encouraging us to take a more pro-active interest in pursuing intimacy w/ God!
    Very helpful for “unstructured” types like me…

    Reply

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