I try to have a quiet time every day with God. Over the years I have experimented with all kinds of methods and ways to help me be faithful to my goal of spending time alone with Him each day.
I have met people who pray for hours and love every minute of it. I sometimes find it hard to concentrate. Yet when I get alone with God, I love it. Some people have a set time every day that they spend with God. I don’t have a set time. I often get up in the middle of the night to have my quiet time. I don’t set the alarm. I just want to wake up, and then I get up.
Because I am a talker, I try to be quiet as much as possible when I spend time with God. Even though I may not talk out loud, I talk in my head, so I must quiet my thinking too so I can hear what He has to say.
I really like the way Francis Chan explains quiet times in his book, Crazy Love:
Over time I realized that when we love God, we naturally run to Him—frequently and zealously. Jesus didn’t command that we have a regular time with Him each day. Rather, He tells us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” He called this the “first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38)…Our motivation [for a quiet time] changes from guilt to love.
We are all His children and we are all uniquely His. Praying for several hours a day may seem daunting for some and wonderfully enjoyable to others. The key is that spending time with the Lord has more to do with wanting to spend time with Him and wanting to hear what He has to say than with being able to check it off our to-do list. When I do not have a quiet time, I miss it and I know that something is missing from my day. I don’t feel obligated to it, I need it. I want it.
Help us Lord to come to You out of our love for You. Help us to desire time with You as we would with a lover or dear friend. Help us to rejoice that we can freely come to You to talk with You, listen, and learn from You. Thank You that You desire this time with us, too! Amen.
Anne
I have met people who pray for hours and love every minute of it. I sometimes find it hard to concentrate. Yet when I get alone with God, I love it. Some people have a set time every day that they spend with God. I don’t have a set time. I often get up in the middle of the night to have my quiet time. I don’t set the alarm. I just want to wake up, and then I get up.
Because I am a talker, I try to be quiet as much as possible when I spend time with God. Even though I may not talk out loud, I talk in my head, so I must quiet my thinking too so I can hear what He has to say.
I really like the way Francis Chan explains quiet times in his book, Crazy Love:
Over time I realized that when we love God, we naturally run to Him—frequently and zealously. Jesus didn’t command that we have a regular time with Him each day. Rather, He tells us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” He called this the “first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38)…Our motivation [for a quiet time] changes from guilt to love.
We are all His children and we are all uniquely His. Praying for several hours a day may seem daunting for some and wonderfully enjoyable to others. The key is that spending time with the Lord has more to do with wanting to spend time with Him and wanting to hear what He has to say than with being able to check it off our to-do list. When I do not have a quiet time, I miss it and I know that something is missing from my day. I don’t feel obligated to it, I need it. I want it.
Help us Lord to come to You out of our love for You. Help us to desire time with You as we would with a lover or dear friend. Help us to rejoice that we can freely come to You to talk with You, listen, and learn from You. Thank You that You desire this time with us, too! Amen.
Anne
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