QUIET TIME WITH GOD

Please read (LK 5:15, 16) QUIET TIME… is giving God your undivided attention for a predetermined amount of time for the purpose of talking to and hearing from Him.

A QUIET TIME, OR DEVOTION as some folks prefer to call it, is personal time alone with God. It is a time set aside to talk to and listen to our Heavenly Father. It is a time we carve out from our busy schedules TO GIVE GOD OUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION. I like to think of it as my personal appointment with my Heavenly Father.

Most believers would agree THAT SPENDING TIME ALONE WITH GOD is a wonderful habit to develop. You may have even tried it at one time. But if you are like many Christians and Preachers I know, you do not have a consistent devotional life.

COMMENT: Several years ago I started a Preachers Kids Retreat. We passed out a questioner with 17 questions on it. One of the questions we asked of preacher kids was HOW MANY OF YOUR PARENTS HAVE A CONSISTENT DEVOTIONAL LIFE WITH YOUR FAMILY? On a scale of 1-10 only 2 out of 10 preachers had a consistent devotional life with their kids. I FOUND THAT ALARMING.

Several reasons may explain the struggle in this area. (1) It could be that you never thought about it. (2) Maybe you were raised in a Church where such a thing was never discussed or encouraged. (3) Maybe you are a Christian where your Pastor or peers did not emphasize THE NEED FOR QUIET TIME; for you the Sunday Sermon seemed sufficient. THERE WAS NOT A FAMILY DEVOTIONAL TIME IN YOUR HOME. (4) The idea of spending time alone with God IS NEW FOR YOU. (5) Maybe you’ve been encouraged TO DEVELOP THIS HABIT, but nobody taught you how. You struggled through a couple of devotional times BUT FELT IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME. SO YOU QUIT.

More than likely, however, you are familiar with this concept. You have a general idea of what to do. Your problem, like so many believers, IS THAT YOU DON’T THINK IT IS NECESSARY.  YOU DON’T BELIEVE IT IS ESSENTIAL. Sometimes Pastors and Preachers get so busy with the ministry that they don’t make special alone time with God. As busy as Jesus was, as consumed as He was by His Mission, as overwhelmed He must have felt at times, HE WITHDREW OFTEN TO PRAY. Even when it meant leaving the physical and spiritual needs of the Crowds not met, HE WITHDREW TO LONELY PLACES. In those quiet and intimate times, JESUS DREW STRENGTH FOR WHAT HE KNEW LAID AHEAD.

We need to find a place of QUIET for an effective and consistent encounter with God. Our internal space is notably affected BY EXTERNAL SPACE. AS BUSY AS JESUS WAS He realized that time alone with the Heavenly Father was essential. HE COULD NOT, WOULD NOT, GO WITHOUT IT.  By escaping the noise of His day, Jesus established a discipline all believers should follow. After all, if it was necessary for Jesus, it is vital for those of us WHO PROFESS TO FOLLOW HIM.

COMMENT: Many years ago I began to rise at 5:00am before others in the house were up, before the phone started ringing, before the neighborhood dogs started barking. Before all the noise and interruptions, in that Quiet Time, you could actually hear God speak in that Still Small Voice. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

A QUIET TIME is a special ingredient in a maturing relationship with God. TIME ALONE WITH GOD moves our experience as believers OUT OF THE REALM OF RELIGION AND INTO THE REALM OF RELATIONSHIP. It moves us from A RELIGIOUS APPROACH TO GOD TO A RELATIONAL APPROACH.

We all know Christians who go to Church every week BUT SHOW NO EVIDENCE OF FAITHin their everyday lives. Their approach to God is full of formality. THEY DON’T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT. They say such things as, “I believe a person’s religious beliefs ARE A PRIVATE MATTER.” For them, God is out there somewhere, insofar as daily activities are concerned. HE IS IRRELEVANT. What’s missing for those folks IS THE RELATIONAL SIDE OF CHRISTIANITY. It’s not personal.

The tragedy is that they are losers. God will speak to us through His Word IN A REAL AND PERSONAL WAY when we give Him AN OPPORTUNITY to do so. And as is the case in any relationship, communication with God IS THE KEY to knowing Him better. WHERE THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION, THERE IS NO TRUST. The less you trust someone, the harder it is to follow that person. Faithful relationships are based on SOLID, HONEST TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION.

A person with no devotional life generally struggles with Faith and Obedience. After all, it is difficult to trust someone you don’t know, and it is difficult to obey someone you don’t trust.

One by product of a strong devotional life is a HEIGHTENED SENSE OF ACCOUNTABILITYto God the Father. You will find it is much more difficult to live with unresolved sin issues WHEN YOU MEET WITH THE FATHER on a regular basis. A regular devotional time is strong motivation to keep sins confessed and sinful habits in check. It is also a powerful incentive to resolve broken or damaged relationships with others. Holding a grudge against someone else MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE to have genuine intimacy with the Father.

Christ came to create the potential for intimacy BETWEEN HIM AND HIS PEOPLE. For that potential to become a reality, we must pursue the relationship through REGULAR TIME ALONE WITH THE FATHER. That is why a devotional life is so important. Without it, the Relational Side of the Christian Faith begins to fade.

No one knew better than King David. Through the Book of Psalms, we are given a behind-the scenes look at David’s devotional life. There he recorded his prayers, his battles with despair, his victories, and his fears. The Book of Psalms, in many ways, FUNCTIONS AS DAVID’S QUIET TIME JOURNAL.

COMMENT: Sitting quietly with God is a discipline we need to cultivate. IT DOES NOT TAKE THE PLACE of Bible Study, Scripture Memory, or Prayer. Rather, Quiet Time deepens our walk with the One who seeks our Friendship the most…

A person cannot help BEING MOVED IN A PERSONAL WAY by the way David communed with God. As a King, David RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE of treating a person’s superiority with dignity. Furthermore, David lived during the height of tradition and formality because of the centrality of the law with all of its strict regulations. Yet, without compromising his respect for the Holiness of his King, David moved beyond the formal and addressed His Heavenly Monarch as a friend. Intimacy and warmth are evident as he pours out his heart TO THE HEAVENLY FATHER. It was not a duty David performed; IT WAS A TRUE RELATIONSHIP he was committed to maintaining.

Central to his time alone with God was the Word of God. His ancient Bible ministered to David in a personal way. God’s Word functioned as a Counselor to him. Please read (PSA 119:24-32). He felt as if God spoke directly TO THE ISSUES OF HIS LIFE THROUGH HIS WORD. And when did that take place? In Quiet Moments when David broke away from his overwhelming and demanding obligations as King TO BE ALONE WITH HIS KING. In those tranquil moments of solitude, David could commune IN THE MOST PERSONAL WAY with the Father.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME THINGS I HAVE DISCOVERED

 THAT HAVE MADE MY DEVOTIONAL LIFE RICHER…

First, SCHEDULE TIME WITH GOD. The main reason people do not have devotions is that they don’t plan to. Your devotion time is like anything else you intend to do; it must be scheduled, or it doesn’t happen.

How many times have you told someone, “Hey let’s get together sometime”? How often do those plans materialize? If I’m serious about getting together with someone, I’ll make an appointment; I write it in my planner. I will clear my schedule for that period of time.

If you are serious about developing a consistent devotional life, YOU MUST SCHEDULE YOUR TIME WITH GOD, Life demands it. Before you go to bed at night, you need to have already decided where and when you plan to get alone with God.

Personally, I find mornings to be the best time to meet with God. I enjoy getting up early and beginning my day with listening and talking with Him. There’s just something special about focusing on the Father first thing.

Second, CHOOSE A PLACE. If possible, conduct your quiet time in the same place. In time this place will take on special importance. It will become your special place. Being there will affect your mood and your ability to concentrate. It will create an air of expectancy in your spirit.

Choose a place off the beaten path. Your special place must not be in your study or office or work space. It will only have a special affect if all you do is pray in your special place. YOU NEED A PLACE WHERE THERE ARE NO DISTRACTIONS. You need a place where all you do there is meet with God.

Third, USE A VARIETY OF METHODS. One of the most common complaints I hear about regarding PERSONAL DEVOTIONS is that after a while they become dry, routine, even boring. God is certainly not boring. Chances are, you are not boring either…So if time with God moves in that direction, the culprit is probably your method. No one method will stay fresh forever. When your devotional life begins to get a little dry, it’s time to change your method; modify your routine.

For Example:

  1. If you have been reading a devotional book, put it down for a while,and Journal your thoughts and prayers.
  2. If you have been following a reading plan through the Bible, depart from it for a while, and read straight through one book of the Bible.
  3. If you have been praying, supplement your prayers by memorizing scripture.
  4. If your devotions have turned into in-depth Bible Study then find a devotional book to lighten things up for a while

REMEMBER THIS IS A RELATIONSHIP…Look for ways to keep it Fresh

May God enrich your Quiet Time and strengthen your relationship as you spend time alone with your Heavenly Father.

Bro. Randy Davis