How to Have a Quiet Time

In last week’s post, we talked about having a Quiet Time. Maybe you’ve tried to establish one before. But after a couple of days it fell by the wayside. How can you get a daily quiet time established and then stick to it?

• Start by making a reservation for God, a time, an appointment in your day, and be absolutely religious about keeping it. For me, first thing in the morning works best. I find it to be the best way to start my day. You might have to get up a little earlier, but it will be worth it!
• Secondly, have a plan. Keep your plan simple, but have some kind of a plan. A plan guides you through Scripture in an organized way. You’ll get a lot more out of it. I use the plan that’s on our app (we also have booklet copies of that plan available in the lobby each month). This plan is easy to follow and its nice to know you are reading the same passages as hundreds of others. I, and most of our staff, use the same plan.

• Third, keep some kind of a reading/prayer journal. That’s also where our church reading plan is helpful. The booklets we provide have space for that. By keeping notes, it adds value to your reading and also pushes you to stay on schedule.
• It also helps to include someone in your life to share what you are reading as an accountability partner. Not only will they help keep you on track, but also talking about it with another person accentuates what you learned and encourages you to read on those days when it is easy to forgo.
• Finally, don’t give up. If you miss a day, get back at it the next. If you miss a couple of days, don’t get discouraged, and quit. Get back to it. You are never a failure because you fail. You become a failure only when you quit. Don’t quit!

Make the reservation. Adopt a plan. Keep a simple journal. Talk to someone about what you read. And don’t quit!