Its only the Saturday before Christmas - the New Year is still over a week away - but already I am thinking about the next year and what the Lord will bring/allow into my life. As I was thinking on Him earlier today, it occurred to me that many of us will make "resolutions" - things like losing weight, stopping smoking, starting an exercise routine...perhaps, some of us will even make some "spiritual" resolutions...I'll be a better (more bold) witness, I'll go out on visitation, read thru the Bible in a year, have my devotions every day...
Do any of those sound familiar? Have I triggered some ideas? As a born again, saved by grace believer, what are your goals for the new year? I think one of the most common desires for many Christians is be faithful in their daily devotions, or "quiet time." And yet, this is consistently one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life to maintain!
Daily time with our Lord and Savior is, indeed, a worthy goal; in fact, doing so will bring us success! Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according
to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Not success as the world defines it, but success in the Christian life - which means to become more and more like Christ.
Worthiness aside, the daily nuts & bolts of accomplishing that goal are still a struggle for many of us. When I came across the information below, I thought it would be worth sharing with you - but I want to be careful to point out that this is not original with me, and is taken from the book, Homework Manual for Biblical Living, by Wayne Mack. If you're struggling with your quiet time - whether you need to start, need to ramp it up, or just need some variety, this may be of help to you. Merry Christmas! :)
DEVOTIONS[i]
How to Have a Quiet Time
What is a “Quiet Time”?
A
“Quiet Time” is a time of direct contact between your mind and God’s, using the
Bible and prayer. It is a time of
dedication, cleansing, instruction, strengthening, and delight.
Bible
study and prayer are not simply for our sake.
God deeply desires our fellowship and worship – it gives Him joy and
pleasure! If you’re not moved by this
fact, you have not understood it.
Communication
with God must be daily (Joshua 1:8-9).
To know God (not just to know about
God) is the goal. How we pray, delight,
and think on God is the only true measure of whether our relationship with Him
is alive (John 15:4). God bought (in
blood) personal access to His presence with us.
Even Abraham and Moses did not have this. (2 Corinthians 3:12-18; Matthew 27:51). Moses was denied (Ex.33:18, 20; 2 Cor. 4:6)
that which we may have each morning (John 4:21-23).
The
maintaining of a daily quiet time is perhaps the most consistently difficult
duty of the Christian life. Its
difficulty is a humbling reminder of our lack of commitment to Him. It is an unalterable principle, however, that
a quiet time is necessary for Christian growth and obedience.
What are the Goals
of a Quite Time?
1. First, worship - to get to know Him, to be humbled by His holiness, comforted by His love, strengthened by his presence.
1. First, worship - to get to know Him, to be humbled by His holiness, comforted by His love, strengthened by his presence.
2. Second, change - to root out sins and establish biblical attitudes and actions in your life.
How do I have a Quiet Time?
1. First, meet God. Still your heart, ask for His presence, concentrate. You may wish to praise Him a bit with a psalm to "warm up" your heart. Take a psalm and look for things to praise Him for.
2. Secondly, listen to God by reading a passage from His Word. Don't chose more than a chapter! Read it carefully, reverently, intelligently; read it more than once. Pick out what you think is the central thought of the passage. Record that thought and/or some truth that has struck you, in your own words. Then determine what God's message is for you. Is there:
- a promise to claim?
- a sin to confess?
- a command to obey?
- an example to follow?
- an error to avoid?
- a new thought about God?
Once this is
determined, record it, and think of some way to practice or act upon the
message if possible.
3. Thirdly,
talk to God through prayer. The elements of prayer are:
- Praise & thanksgiving. Be specific. Search your life and mind for things to thank Him for and then praise Him for. ("Thank you for letting me lose that contest! I see how wise you are - it would have been bad for me! Thank you for forgiving me after the way I acted yesterday; how merciful you are!")
- Confession. Search your life for sins committed since yesterday. Search for good deeds you avoided doing as well. Ask for cleansing, and then thank Him for his full forgiveness through Christ's blood.
- Requests for self & others. Be specific. Unload your burdens and pour out your feelings. Also make a list of things to pray about for family and friends. Use the list daily to pray.
How can I get started?
Make a contract
right now to begin a daily quiet time.
Be consistent in time and place.
Start with about 20 minutes. It
should be unhurried. The place for it
should be quiet. Morning is ideal.
Use a notebook
and/or a “Quiet Time Sheet”. Expect dry
periods! That’s no excuse for
stopping. Change your format, or the
book of the bible you are reading, every so often to avoid stagnation.
Share what you
are learning in your quiet time with other Christians.
[i] Developed by Pastor Timothy Keller
From the book, Homework Manual for
Biblical Living, pp.63-65
By Wayne Mack
Note from Tammy: Just a point - under "Confession" above, it says to "search your life for sins committed since yesterday" because the author is assuming you had quiet time yesterday! If it's been longer than that - or if there is some sin that you have never confessed and forsaken - by all means, bring it to the Lord!
Also, if you would like a sample of the the "Quiet Time Sheet", send me a Facebook message! :)
Quiet Time Sheet
(See “How to Have a Quiet Time”)
Date________________________
1. Meet God.
2. Listen to God. Passage read _____________________________________________
a. Best
things I noticed today:
Reference:________________________
The thought in
my own words:
b. How
it applies to me:
Reference:________________________
The truth to
apply:
My plan:
3.
Talk to God.
Praise
& Thanksgiving Confession Requests for self & others
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
__________________________ _________________________ ________________________
