Developing a Quiet Time
Our walk with God is a relationship, and like all relationships it takes time to develop. Our journey is a journey with God guiding us and leading us. As we journey we mature in God and our relationship with him becomes stronger. In all relationships, trust is a vital and important element. A quiet time is a way to develop your relationship. A quiet time is an intimate and personal time with God. Memorize Psalm 73:26.
- A quality quiet time begins with what type of attitude?
1 Peter 2:2
(See also Psalm 42:1; Psalm 63:1; Matthew 5:6)
- How are you to view the Bible in regards to your relationship with God?
Psalm 119:9-16, 105-112
- What does God command you regarding His Word?
Joshua 1:6-9
(See also 2 Timothy 2:15)
- What does God command you regarding prayer?
Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- The ingredients to a healthy quiet time.
- Find a place.
- A quiet area/A secluded area
- A comfortable area
- Prepare yourself.
- Ask God to help you spend this time in a way that is powerful and real.
- Allow God to speak to you.
- Declare your utter dependence on him and your willingness to obey.
- Bring resources.
- Bible
- Notebook
- Hymnal; worship praise book; ipod; mp3 player
- Handbooks, commentaries, devotional books, etc.
Three ways to enter God’s presence (which way do you best enter God’s presence?).
- Prayer
- Reading the Bible
- Personal Worship
Have a plan (See below).
Remember consistency is the key.
Four Devotional Plans
The S.T.O.P plan
Silence: Begin with quiet stillness before the Lord.
Thankfulness: Praise God for who he is and what he has done.
Openness: Read a section of God’s Word, reflecting on its truth.
Prayer: Using an outline such as the Lord’s prayer, petition God for what you need.
The A.C.T.S plan
Adoration: Begin your quiet time praising God by telling him why you adore him.
Confession: Open your heart to God and let him clean house.
Thankfulness: Give God all the glory for what he has done in your life.
Supplication: Ask God for your needs and the needs of others.
The McNeel plan (2 different ways to study Scripture)
Eight steps to gaining insight from Scripture:
- Pray, asking God to guide you.
- Read the selected passage of Scripture.
- Mark the significant verse that catch your attention as you read.
- Review the marked verses and select the one that stands out the most.
- Put that verse into your own words.
- Give the verse a one-word title.
- Memorize the verse.
- Make an application of the truth to your own life.
Four steps to meaningful Scripture meditation:
- Memorize a key passage of Scripture (become familiar with the passage).
- Personalize the message.
- Apply the passage to your own life. Base your decisions on what God says.
- Next week pick up in the passage where you left off and repeat the cycle until the whole passage is covered.
The Devotional Journal plan
- Guidelines: (1) Prayer and praise
(2) Read and reread
(3) Observe and write
(4) Obey by doing the Word
- Facts: What does the passage say (copy verses or phrases for meditation)?
- Meaning: What does the passage mean to me, personally?
- Response: What am I specifically going to do about this truth?
- Evaluation: What did I do and when did I do it? What was the result?
Develop your own
Maybe none of these works for you, so develop a plan that will help you read and pray on a daily and weekly basis. Your creativity is your limit on how you can devote time to God.
Meditate on the following passages to get you started:
Romans 8
Psalm 27
Psalm 145
Ephesians 1-3
Ephesians 4-6
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