Most people in our culture never take the time to practice a quiet time. Even Christians, who have been taught the value of meditation, rarely practice it. We live in such a fast-paced world that we act as if noise is imperative. When we are riding in our cars, the radio has to be blaring. When we get home, our television is flipped to our favorite channel even if we know we are not going to watch it. Even when we are in church, we get uncomfortable when the music stops if the preacher does not get going immediately. We like noise and sometimes it seems like the more noise we have, the better we like it!

Quiet time needs to be productive time. We do not need “accomplish nothing time”, but a time for daily devotional time can be the difference in growing Christians and stunted ones. Please allow me to help give you some principles that will help as we establish a quiet time each day.

Schedule it! The best time to have quiet time is different for every individual. For some it will be in the evening; some will find more quality time in the middle of the day; but for most it will be in the morning. In the mornings, we are more likely to be rested, our minds are less cluttered, and our surroundings are the quietest of the entire day. People of old rose early to meet with God. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, and Ezekiel each took time early each morning to meet with God in a time of quietness. Even Jesus chose to begin each day with a time of prayer and meditation with His Father. Beginning every day with a time of prayer demonstrates that meeting with God is the first priority of our day’s activities. Whenever you choose to establish your time, give the best part of your day to God. Choose a time when you are alert, and schedule the same time each day. Be consistent!

Some good meaning person may have told you that you must spend at least one hour every day in devotions. The Bible does not specify the length of a quiet time. I remember, when our church was preparing for a community outreach, Pastor Bakker asked for commitments from us who would spend at least one hour in prayer. I was just 14 at the time and wanted to be a part of this effort, so I volunteered. I remember that I went to our pond and sat on its bank to fulfill my commitment. I prayed for everything I could remember and everyone I knew. I even began asking the Lord to bless people I did not know – “Lord, if there is a Dewayne that needs your help, please help him!” After this arduous task, I looked at my watch and realized I had spent a whole five minutes praying! I started over my list again and this time the minute hand only moved three places. Then I knew I was going to be a failure and allowed guilt to come in because I could not pray my hour! It was several years later that I realized that prayer is “conversations with God”. My praying had been “lecturing” God, telling Him what He needed to accomplish to make my life or the lives of my friends better! I learned that God had many more things of importance to say than I did, so I learned the best devotional time is spent with me expressing my ambitions and giving the bulk of the time to listen for His voice.

I have never read in Scripture that there is a heavenly reward allocated for the length of devotions. As we begin, the quantity of time will grow as quality time begins to be developed.

Choose a place! Jesus went to the Mount of Olives for His prayer time. It was a habit He developed. We also need a place where we can be alone without interruptions. For some, their place may be in the backyard or on the deck. For others, it may be a room at the church, or even a closet in their bedroom. Make the space comfortable and personal.

Gather resources! What will we need for our quiet time? Here’s a list of what I find comforting: my Bible, not just any Bible, but the one that I use most often – one I have underlined in and written notes in the margins. I also need a notebook because the Lord may speak to me something that is too much for my Bible margins. I even like to bring an old hymnal with me because I often find that the words of some old songs express what I feel toward God in that moment. Praise always helps me find entrance into God’s presence!

Adjust attitude! I need three attitudes that will make my quiet time effective: Reverence – I cannot rush into God’s presence because He is God! Expectancy – I know that the Lord wants to meet with me more than I possibly can desire to meet with Him! Willingness to obey – I must be ready to follow the directives He provides in my quiet time!

Follow a plan! There are no formulas that must be followed for quiet time experiences. However, we will often find our time will be more productive if we have a plan and follow it. Here is a sample 15-minute plan that can serve as an example, however it can be adjusted for each person:

Relax (1 minute) – Be still and quiet. Slow down. Prepare your heart. Wait on God. Get comfortable and forget the pressures of the day so you can focus on God.

Read (4 minutes) – Begin reading where you left off the day before. Read until you feel God emphasize something personal. Then stop and think about it. Resolve to learn something each day from God’s Word.

Reflect (4 minutes) – Seek to understand how to apply what the Scriptures have said to you. Take the thought God gives you and think on it again and again. Look at the passage you feel God is trying to teach you and do these five things: -Picture it. Visualize the scene in your mind. Imagine yourself in the historical context. What would you have done in the situation? How would you have responded? What emotions would you have experienced if you had been there? -Pronounce it. Say the verse out loud. Emphasize a different word. Each emphasis gives you a slightly different impression. -Paraphrase it. Rewrite the verse in your own words. -Personalize it. Replace the pronouns or people in the verse with your own name. -Pray it. Turn the verse into a prayer and pray it back to God.

Record (2 minutes) – Write a personal application statement that is practical, possible, and measurable. This will become a personal record of your spiritual journey.

Request (4 minutes) – Conclude your quiet time by talking to God about what He has shown you and making requests from your prayer list.

The key for quiet time is to take the time to be quiet in God’s presence. The benefits will amaze you in a very short time. You will feel closer to the Lord and more confident in your relationship with Him!