How to Have Great Quiet Times with God

Things You’ll Need:

• Your Bible
• A Prayer Journal
• Pen or Pencil

Step 1

Focus on God. Everyone’s quiet time is different but one thing remains the same no matter who you are. Quiet times are all about God. There you have it the first key to quiet time is also the very purpose behind quiet time, which is to focus on God.

Whether you focus on God by taking a nature walk, singing praises, or sitting quietly in your living room in a moment of reflection doesn’t really matter. What does matter is allowing time and space in your hectically over-scheduled life to make room for focusing on God.

Step 2

Make Time for God. Taking time to make room for God is one of the best things you can do not only for yourself but for those around you. Think about it. If you are more secure in your relationship with God, your other earthly relationships will be dramatically improved as well. That leads us to the second key to a successful quiet time: Making time for God.

Step 3

Now that you’ve gotten the first two keys down, it’s time to figure out what you do with your time for God. Let’s talk about a plan to help you organize your time with our Lord. Remember, this is not a formula because you’re in a relationship with the Lord. Relationships are ever growing, expanding and deepening. However, these guidelines can certainly get you started in your quiet time.

First, start your time together with prayer. It’s a good way to clean the palette of your soul, so to speak. Try a prayer like the following:
Lord, thank you for hearing me and being with me this day. Help me to focus on You and lay aside anything that would distract me from knowing you in a new way this day. Speak to me and show me what you would like me to learn from our time together. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Step 4

Next, open your Bible and read. What you read is not what’s important. Simply open your Bible and whatever the pages fall open, start reading a few verses or a chapter. You may want to read that section one more time. Meanwhile, open your mind and ears to hear what the Lord may be trying to say to you through scripture. You might ask yourself some questions like the following:
• Is this pointing to any hidden sin I need to confess?
• Is this a godly example to follow?
• Is this a behavior I should avoid?
• How can this be applied in my life today?

Step 5

Now, move into listening mode. What do you hear the Lord saying to you? Just relax, take a deep breathe in and exhale. You may want to close your eyes, as long as you don’t fall asleep. Think about the scripture you just read. Think about the questions about the scripture. Do you hear the Lord instructing you? Listen.

Step 6

Lastly, you probably will want to have a pen and paper handy to write down the prompts you feel in your spirit. Remember, God gave us His Spirit in us to confirm with our own spirit when He’s talking to us. Don’t hesitate to implement what you hear the Lord leading you to do (or to stop doing).