32. The Hows of a Successful Quiet Time
Episode 32
Most Christians agree that quiet times are a good thing. But how do we move from knowing we should do it and actually, consistently spending daily time in the Bible? This episode addresses the problems and readjusts the mindset. Want to have a successful quiet time? Take a listen!
Show Notes
The last two episodes are about having a quiet time.
Episode 31- Finding Time for a Quiet Time.
Here I talked about HABIT which is the most important element for a quiet time.
The Hows to Establish the Habit
Throw away legalism.
Legalism doesn’t have any part in this conversation. It adds baggage to the conversation.
I don’t have a quiet time out of obligation or guilt. Jesus isn’t mad at me if I run out the door and and don’t read my Bible first.
Legalism muddies the waters.
I also don’t brush my teeth out of guilt. I have grace to NOT brush mu teeth. But everyone I come in contact with during the day is blessed by my brushing my teeth
I don’t drink morning coffee out of legalism orobligation, but beginning my day with Jesus is more important for me than beginning my day with coffee. I need you to pause and take that in. That is no small statement. Without coffee I cannot think, talk, or smile. So when I say Jesus is MORE important.....well then. Now you understand.
So I begin every day with Jesus.
I brush teeth out of habit. I drink coffee daily out of addiction. I eat out of hunger.
Same with time in the Word. Once I established the habit of reading and journaling, it became a pattern. I found my appetite for the truth increased and I craved it to the point that when I’m not in it I feel the effects. Just like when I don’t have coffee. I shake. I get a heartache.
Realize how important it is.
In the morning if I don’t put my glasses on, I can’t make coffee. I can’t read. I walk in a blurry haze. My glasses are the first thing I reach for.
Corrected Vision
The Bible focuses my heart. It corrects my nearsightedness so I see more than myself. And it corrects my farsightedness so that I’m not controlled by fear and anxiety. It removes my cataracts so that lies, worry, materialism, illness, people-problems, or any other temporal anxiety doesn’t prevent clear sight.
I like calling my daily Bible time my “QUIET TIME.” I love the concept of quieting EVERY VOICE but Jesus, especially my voice. But whatever I call it, the daily discipline of spending time with God and His Word always corrects my vision.
At this age every health decision matters. Knowing WHY helps me make those about what I do and do not eat.
Same with QT. Knowing WHY helps me with the habit.
Pre-decide
I decide the night before that I will get up the next morning and have time in the Word.I set my Bible and journal out. I set an appointment with myself for the best time to get quiet with Jesus. This is the best way to make it habitual.
Be honest with your schedule in determining the most likely time slot for success.
In Episode 31, I talk about ideas of when. I know when I go to bed I’m having my QT first thing. If you’re a nighttime person, decide what time you stop watching TV so have time.
When is your best time? Predecide to do it then not matter what.
Start with a manageable plan.
There’s an App: Couch to 5K. Some day I’m going to use it. But the idea is to incrementally eat the elephant one bite at a time.
Same with this. You don’t need to begin with 45 minutes.
Don’t wait for the perfect time slot to appear. Choose the best option for now and try to do it EVERY DAY for a week. Then do 2 weeks. If that time slots has issues, choose another one and do it for a week.
Just ten minutes: If spending time every day overwhelms you, realize that you can start short. Spend just ten minutes every day in the Word and see what that does. After a month, you might find you crave more time.
Just keep going if have a bad week.
Don’t get into a blame game if you have a bad week where you totally never crack the Bible. Commit to today. Get started again.
It is the small faithfulness and coming back again and again that build a body of Bible wisdom in your soul.
Ask Jesus to help you.
We don’t need all the self discipline, all the Bible understanding, all the engrained-habit establishing through our flesh. What we need is Jesus helping us to keep coming to Him until we realize there’s no where else we’d rather be.
Ask Him. He’ll draw your heart.
If the time of day you originally tried doesn’t work, ask the Lord for wisdom on the best time and then do that. If you keep getting interrupted ask Him for a solution. If you keep falling asleep, ask HIm to wake you up.
He is the God who wants to be found. Our seeking, even messy, inconsistent, fumbling seeking answers His call.
Keep seeking. You will find Him. He promises that.
Get Started!
So ready to start? Just start! Let me know down below what you think and what time of day you think will work best for you.
Want to start but don’t know where to start reading? I suggest the book of John. You could read a chapter a day. If that feels like too much, take it half a chapter at a time. But put on the glasses of the Word and ask Jesus to show you Himself. He will!
Come back next week for Episode 33 and I’ll share some ideas for reading plans.
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. -Jeremiah 15:16 (NASB, emphasis mine)