Lesson 5

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.

1. 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)

2. How are you to view the Bible in regards to your relationship with God?

Psalm 119:9-16, 105-112                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

3. What does God command you regarding His Word?

Joshua 1:6-9                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

(See also 2 Timothy 2:15)

4. What does God command you regarding prayer?

Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

5. The ingredients to a healthy quiet time.

1. Find a place.
   1. A quiet area/A secluded area
   2. A comfortable area
2. Prepare yourself.
   1. Ask God to help you spend this time in a way that is powerful and real.
   2. Allow God to speak to you.
   3. Declare your utter dependence on him and your willingness to obey.
3. Bring resources.
   1. Bible
   2. Notebook
   3. Hymnal; worship praise book; ipod; mp3 player
   4. Handbooks, commentaries, devotional books, etc.

Three ways to enter God’s presence (which way do you best enter God’s presence?).

1. Prayer
2. Reading the Bible
3. 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:

1. Pray, asking God to guide you.
2. Read the selected passage of Scripture.
3. Mark the significant verse that catch your attention as you read.
4. Review the marked verses and select the one that stands out the most.
5. Put that verse into your own words.
6. Give the verse a one-word title.
7. Memorize the verse.
8. Make an application of the truth to your own life.

Four steps to meaningful Scripture meditation:

1. Memorize a key passage of Scripture (become familiar with the passage).
2. Personalize the message.
3. Apply the passage to your own life. Base your decisions on what God says.
4. 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

1. Guidelines: (1) Prayer and praise

(2) Read and reread

(3) Observe and write

(4) Obey by doing the Word

2. Facts: What does the passage say (copy verses or phrases for meditation)?
3. Meaning: What does the passage mean to me, personally?
4. Response: What am I specifically going to do about this truth?
5. 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