If you really want to know God, you need to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus. The best way is having a daily quiet time: a habitual period of time set aside to spend with Jesus through prayer, meditating portions of God’s Word, understanding what God means, determining how it applies to you and deciding what you’re going to do about it.
A quiet time is simply quieting your heart to have a one-on-one conversation with God (both ways). It’s a simple daily spiritual habit that will—more than anything else—help you grow closer to Him. It’s a daily time alone with God is when you can be still before Him, and let Him speak His truth into your heart through His Word. A time when you can breathe deep of God’s promises for you and to share your burdens, concerns, and anxieties with Him.
But what can a quiet time with God look like? What do we study? And how in the world can we make daily quiet time happen when we already have overcrowded schedules? How can we find the true path to spiritual growth?
First, I would encourage you to set your alarm for early in the morning (before others are up and about) such that you will be able to spend 30 to 60 minutes with Jesus uninterrupted.
Second, find a location in your home where you will not be interrupted by other family members and close the door, sit down and place a chair in front of you but facing you so Jesus can have a seat in front of you.
[Before you settle down in your chair, get your cup of coffee!]
Third, begin talking with Jesus, praising and thinking Him for what He did in your life yesterday, thanking Him for being with you this morning and asking Him to guide your time with Him and reveal the things He wants you learn about Him now.
Next, I would suggest you ask Jesus to reveal to you what He wants you to glean from a Proverb and then read slowly and meditate on the Proverb for the day, e.g. if it’s the June 29th read/meditate on Proverb 29.
As you read/meditate you may sense a portion of the scriptures jump off the page and God is speaking to you. Seek to understand this portion of the scriptures, ask yourself how this applies to you and then decide what you’re going to do about it (obey it or reject it).
Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Then, read a small portion of a Psalm, and if it’s a long one read/mediate on a piece of it or verse-by-verse for a few days until you finish it. As you read/meditate you may sense a portion of the scriptures jump off the page and God is speaking to you. Seek to understand this portion of the scriptures, ask yourself how this applies to you and then determine to obey it.
Next, I would suggest you begin reading the book of James in bite-size chunks and ask Jesus to reveal to you what He wants you to glean from James. Then read slowly and meditate on the Word in James. As you read/meditate you may sense a portion of the scriptures jump off the page and God is speaking to you. Seek to understand this portion of the scriptures, ask yourself how this applies to you and then decide what you’re going to do about it (obey it or reject it).
Please memorize James 1:25 for it is an especially important scripture from God that will help you greatly discover more about God and will result in blessings from God in all you do! God shares with us five ways we can get to know Him through James 1:25.
James 1:25, “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—will be blessed in what he does.”
Wrap Up, I would encourage you to close your time with Jesus praying through the Lord’s Prayer…
Matthew 6:9-13, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, on earth as it is in heaven, may your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For Thine are the kingdom, and the power and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Father, thank you for your grace and promised future grace. I seek to persevere through the trials and obstacles that may come my way today for I know this is how you strengthen my faith and trust in you and your Son, Jesus. I look forward with tremendous joy in my heart surrounding the plan you have for me. May You sense the love and devotion I have for you! In Jesus Name. Amen.
In Christ,
Bill