“In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.”
– Mother Teresa
For me, I feel the closest to God in silence, yes, silence. In our busy world, we are fed with constant advertisements, distractions, problems, solutions –
just
constant, instant
communication.
we, rarely, are still
we rarely, sit at the feet of Jesus and
seek or listen
For me, I have had some of my best quiet time with God while driving alone. It might sound funny, but staring out the window looking at all that God created blows my mind.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10.
…my other favorite times are in bed with
my bible
a notebook
a diet coke
and a pen
just seeking God and studying his word
But, no matter where we are, He is there
He is Listening
& it is so important that we desperately seek Him with our whole heart
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..” – James 4:8
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” – 1 Chronicles 16:11
So, What does a Quiet Time look like? Well, like I kind of mentioned above, they are different. Some for me involve strictly prayer and praise. While others consist of studying, prayer, praise, and seeking the Lord. But here is a practical way to start if your not sure:
1. Pick a time: but remember that we should be giving the Lord our VERY best time
2. Pick a place: where you can focus and are comfortable
3. Prepare your heart: You are about to fellowship with a HOLY GOD, clear your mind – pray
4. Read the Word: I suggest starting at the beginning of a book a chapter at a time.
5. Meditate on the Word: Ask questions. What is the passage saying? Who is speaking? Who is being spoken to? What can you apply to your life? Its okay if you don’t have all of the answers – seek answers from Spiritual Leaders in your life, commentary and, most importantly, God.
6. Pray: About what you read..for help, for understanding, for anything – just be honest
7. Obey: This is important. If you believe that God is God and that the Word of God is truth, we must obey it. We must live out our faith. Will we fail at times, yes, because we are sinful, but with God’s help, we will overcome.
9. Share: Share your faith and what you are learning. Jesus calls us to “make disciples of all nations”. We should be telling anyone who will listen 🙂