Quiet Time

I want to let you in on the most valuable habit in my life. When I get away from it, I struggle emotionally and spiritually. When I’m consistent with it, I’m more efficient, fruitful, and fulfilled.A daily quiet time with God.Maybe you’ve tried it…a few times. And each time you got out of the habit, got discouraged, and quit. But let me encourage you, read this…and give it another shot. Here are the things that help me stay with it.

• Have a time. If I don’t have my quiet time with God scheduled, it gets crowded out and lesser things get in the way. I have to have it scheduled. So much so that I set an alarm. I study the Bible just about every day for ministry reasons, but still, every day I need to hear from God for my own walk. You do too. Your existence is for that purpose. So, make the time. Schedule it. Set an alarm. And don’t let anything get in the way.
• Have a place. Jesus encouraged his followers to have a special place they can enter into for prayer. For me, it makes a powerful difference to have sacred space, a place where I read God’s Word every day, and spend time in prayer. Being there puts me in the mindset of prayer as soon as I arrive. Where can you set aside in your home as your sacred space for prayer?
• Have a plan. Just grabbing your Bible and reading anywhere without a plan, or attempting to talk to God without knowing what you are going to say or ask him, will lead to discouragement. You want a plan for both, just like we do with any important meeting. Plan your meeting with God. If you aren’t sure where to start, pick up one of our Bible reading plans in the lobby. Just ask the host at the welcome desk and they will show you where they are kept. Otherwise, click here and that same plan is available online, complete with a plan for praying.

We’re creatures of habit. Turning this into a habit will be life-changing for you. But we also mess up. You’ll tend to get out of the habits that are most valuable to you. Proverbs 24:16 says, “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again” (NLT). If you get out of the habit, just get back at it.Why not start now?