Welcome to Friendly Forum #4! Again, I will just remind you all that Friendly Forum is for you and by you, so comment as often as you like, interacting with other commentors or adding additional thoughts. I will be reading over each response; I so enjoy hearing your thoughts!
If you have an idea for the next Friendly Forum, leave me a comment on the Friendly Forum page or drop me an e-mail. I hope you are encouraged!
Here is our question/situation for this Forum:
We often hear/use the phrase "quiet time" in reference to our time set aside with God. What does your quiet time involve and can you give an spiritual advice for those just starting their quiet times and are wondering where to start?
I do whole-heartedly believe that a quiet time with the Lord is of a necessity each day. It is so easy to start the day off in the power of the flesh - seeking our own will and ways and following our own feelings. What a blessing it is to just quiet our hearts before Him, seek His face, listen to His voice, and pour our hearts out to Him as our Abba Father.
ReplyDeleteAlthough my quiet time often differs, I often read two devotionals that have really blessed my heart: Spurgeon's Day by Day and Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest. I of course read the Word - sometimes getting out the commentaries or concordance! I do so much enjoy studying and digging a little deeper! Sometimes I will memorize Scripture (currently I am memorizing Psalm 37) or review that which I've already accomplished. I spend time in prayer with my Beloved - pouring my heart out to Him, seeking His wisdom, bringing my petitions to the foot of the cross, praising His glorious Name!!!
If I have the time, sometimes, I will write an article; especially if the Lord has put something specific on my heart.
I just came across a wonderful book that a friend suggested: Spurgeon's Devotional Bible. It is set-up as a devotional so by reading it each day - you will read through most of the entire Bible. It lists Scriptures and then has Spurgeon's comments intertwined. Sometimes, I read that before I go to bed to get my mind focused on good and godly things.
A quiet time is different for everyone but I truly believe that whatever we do to seek His face and make Him a priority in our lives - our Heavenly Father is pleased and it is as a sweet incense to Him!!!
I gave out many of my thoughts on your "One Minute for God" post.
ReplyDeleteBut I will go a bit more here, since it happens to be the topic for this wonderful friendly forum.
Quiet Times. Ha. Well, to start out with, spending time with God (just you and Him), is vital to life. The point is made many times that a relationship with anyone requires nourishment and investment, and that it's not any less true when it comes to God. A hurdle I had to get over was the idea that it seems like a one-sided conversation, but its not true. We have to change how we think of God. Though we are created in His image, we are a different being than God is. He is omnicient. He knows all. He knows your heart when you go to Him. How is it you know someone's heart? You spend time with them, think about them, and you truly KNOW them. God truly knows us, but alot of the time we don't truly know Him, so although he already knows our hearts and our voice and thoughts, we need to discover His.
Thankfully God gives the Holy Spirit to those who have entrusted their lives in His care. The Holy Spirit guides and pulls away veils that have been covering our eyes. To truly know God we must invest. As I stated in my earlier comment on the subject, God is beckoning us many times, and not just once throughout the day. As a married couple is very much involved with each other and is in constant communication throughout the day, it should be even more so with God. My evenings or inbetween classes tend to be the time when I read the Word. A while back i started reading Joshua because I thought it would be a good book, but I found that there was alot of stuff I had missed by just starting in Joshua so I was encouraged by someone dear to just start at the beginning of the Bible, so that's what I did. I was able to get the background information. Though some parts can be tedious, it must be read and gotten through. God will use it later on if you dont understand it then. You will be surprised at how much you actually do remember even though you feel overwhelmed with names you can't even prounounce. Ha. Just focus when you read. The big picture will come the more you read.
Right now I am in 1 Chronicles, and I know it will be alot of repition but that is alright. I am reading to learn and so I must take my time. When you read don't worry about covering a certain amount of pages or getting through many chapters. Just take your time and digest what you read. Take notes of verses that stick out to you. Copy verses. Make outlines. Write down your questions. Journal on a verse that you liked or that stood out. The more you interact with the text, the more it will stick.
Phew! I read "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers as well. It offers more than surface level devotions. It is convicting and thought-provoking. yup.
Also, because the week can be busy and sometimes I find that I cant get as deep as I desire to go, I have set apart a night a week to completely focus on God. I call it Monday Date Nights with God. I'm in a relationship with a young man and we have decided that Monday nights are a no talk night. Its just me and God. God has rejuvinated me many times on my date night with Him. yup.
Well, This is quite the comment! I will post now! Ha.
Thanks Kaysie for the question :)
-Kristy
I just got back from a camp retreat where we talked about worship as well as quiet times! I will be posting on that sometime this week.
ReplyDeleteWorship is expressing praise and devotion. Quiet times are a time to worship God, get to know him better, and spend time with him. We can't worship him unless we know him, and we can't know him if we don't spend time with him.
Quiet time, just like worship, is not just that half hour every day. It is a lifestyle.
Studying scripture is usually the main part of my quiet time. I have been devouring my Bible. This weekend I realized that I need to digest it better-taking my time. I write in my Bible all the time- thoughts I had, what challenged me, what I'm wondering about. I've recently started a journal too, with verse I read, thoughts I had, and what I need help with. It's kind of like praying on paper.
I often overlook prayer, but prayer is vital! Be still and know that the Lord is God. Find time in your day to be quiet with God: a solitary walk, monotonous car rides, whatever! Talk to God like a friend who is beside you. Turn off the radio and listen to God.
That's enough for now. I'll write more on Beautiful Grace.
Maria Pauline
A personal quiet time with the Lord is vital to life. I couldn't live without mine. There's just something about spending the first hours of my day with my Lord. It sets the stage for the rest of the day. On days when I've neglected to have my quiet time, well...let's just say that those days didn't turn out too well!
ReplyDeleteFor those just beginning a quiet time, I would suggest to start small. You don't have to start out reading lots of chapters. You don't have to have your quiet time for an hour or longer. Start small and simply. A good place to start would be to read a Psalm each day. Maybe jot down in a journal what verse(s) stood out to you and why. Then spend a few minutes in prayer with the Lord. Again I say, start small and watch for big results! (One book that might be helpful to those who are just beginning to have quiet times is "A Young Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. She makes some great points in there about beginning a quiet time with God.)
Find a time during the day that works best for you to have your quiet time. You don't have to have your quiet time in the morning if it doesn't work for you. However, there is something special about spending time with God right when you get up, before the rest of the house is awake. It kind of sets the stage for the rest of your day. However, God isn't bound to time like we are. He's not so concerned about the time of day we have our quiet times with Him as long as we have them!
I like to have my quiet time in the morning before everyone else wakes up. (In house of 10 people, it's hard to find some quiet time once everyone's up and going!) I do different things for my quiet time. Right now I'm reading through the devotional "Completely Loved: Recognizing God's Passionate Pursuit of Us" by Shannon Ethridge. I'll read the Scripture passage(s) that she had listed, and then I'll read the devotional part she's written. Sometimes, I'll even write my own article on what stood out to me from the passage(s) I read if time permits. After that, I spend some time in prayer just pouring out my praise, thanks, requests, and heart to my Beloved. After that, I can rise up and meet my day!
Like some of the other girls have said on here, spending time with God isn't a one time a day thing. Oh sure, you can start out with that, but gradually build up to begin talking with Him throughout the day about whatever's going on or whatever you're feeling. I tend to talk to myself a lot, so what I've been trying to start doing is begin talking to God when I start talking to myself.
One thing I do want to add, is begin your quiet time with prayer. It doesn't have to be a long one. Just simply ask the Lord to show you Himself and whatever else He wants you to learn from what you're reading. Remember, we're to have an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Break down "intimacy" and you get "in-to-me-see." God can already see into us; He's knows what's in our hearts, but during these quiet times alone with Him, He invites us to see into His heart.
May God bless each one of you as you seek to fall more in love with Jesus by having a personal quiet time with Him!
I would say to girls, "You know, you are able to let yourself off the hook." Today, people seem to think you have to spend these huge chunks of time with the Lord....at the expense of all else. For me, I only do about a half hour in the morning (shocking, isn't it.) yet I find myself praying all throughout the day. I pray in the shower, pray when a need is sent to me via e-mail, when something or someone comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteThere is no right or wrong way to do "quiet time" provided we do that--be quiet. God can speak and teach us wherever we are---we just need to listen, to be still and know that He is God!
Just today I learned and was reminded that abiding in Christ(Quiet time) is simply communication with the Lord. Today, I was listening to "When We Ask Too Little" by William Carrol from Time Square Church founded by David Wilkerson. He stated two things that really struck out to me:
ReplyDelete1. We tend to talk to God as if were leaving a message on the answering machine(instead of believing He answers the phone.
2. We tend to have a list of prayer requests like a Grocery list. Sometimes we need to just watch and pray.
For me Quiet time involves not necessarily all prayer requests but many things; such as Singing, Thanking, Reading, Meditating, Memorizing, Psalms, and Proverbs. I use several books that include prayer requests for other countries such as "Operation China".
One thing that the Lord has really showed me this past week is that I'm not to come to the Lord simply to find direction in life but rather to know the heart of God and then as I grow closer to the Lord, He will show me where He desires me to go. I simply need to trust and obey!
Spending time with the Lord is so wonderful! And we know we have spent time with the Lord when it is followed with joy!
“ You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11
Wow. What great, great insights everyone! I have truly been blessed and encouraged by reading all of your responses, and those of you who haven't commented, please feel free share your heart! There is so much wisdom and experience shared here... our times with the Lord are so precious and private, and I thank each of you for opening up and letting us look into a sacred part of your life.
ReplyDeleteI have been blessed, and I know so many others have as well. Thanks!
I have some thoughts on "quiet times" as well, but I might organize them into a future post... but for now I will share a verse that means a lot to me in regard to our time with the Lord:
"The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple." Is. 50:4
I'm like Ella. I like to enjoy the Lord in many different ways. Sometimes, I'll write a poem with Him. Other times, I'll read His word, play piano or guitar, or just sing/pray. It's a lot more freeing to enjoy His presence in an appropriate way that you both enjoy, than feel pressured into doing someone else's way, or the "proper" way.
ReplyDelete