Spending 'Quiet Time' with the Lord
From the beginning of my Christian life as a new mom, I knew that I needed quiet time. Today's new mom might think that term means time for the kids to be quiet and take a nap. Yippee! But it's really a time for you to be quiet with God. It's a time to spend alone with Him, to read His Word and share your heart with Him. It's a time of spiritual refreshment so that you can be filled with grace and strength to do what you need to do in your daily life. It keeps you healthy? spiritually, emotionally and physically.
God Rewards Those Who Earnestly Seek Him
God honors those who seek Him first. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you". You can be assured that if you put Him first, He will give you the wisdom, the strength, and the grace you need to face everything else that will come your way during the rest of the day.
It has been suggested that the best time for quiet time is early in the morning because you need to give your "first fruits" of your day to the Lord. You might find it hard at first to get up early and spend time in prayer. I remember when I was a young mom, I slept when the kids slept or else I didn't sleep! But if you go to bed early (when they do) or enlist the help of your husband, you might be surprised how just a few minutes with the Lord everyday can change your outlook on the day ahead. However, if you just can't do it then (some people aren't morning people) do it before you go to bed or during the children's naptime. Anytime is really all right with the Lord.
Once you begin to consistently spend quiet time with the Lord, His promise to you is that you will be blessed and that you will "lack no good thing". (Psalm 34:10 NIV) You will see your prayers answered because everyone who asks, receives; everyone who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:8 NIV). These are just a couple of scriptures that encourage you to seek Him because you will receive the reward of that search.
What Kinds of Rewards?
They come in all forms-spiritual, physical and emotional-but my favorites are the reward of His presence, His wisdom to make tough decisions, His grace to deal with difficult circumstances and His love that will fill your heart and overflow onto your family. I hope these rewards don't sound "super-spiritual" but if you seek Him, they satisfy like nothing else.
Steps to Follow
Here are some helpful steps to follow as you enter into your quiet time. First, remember that quiet time is for your benefit, not God's. Although He longs to be with you, you are the one who will ultimately benefit by the time you spend with Him.
In the beginning, it might feel awkward. How do you enter His presence, especially when there are so many distractions? Here's the second step: find a quiet place. When I first began having a quiet time with God, I literally sat in my closet. Since I am a "morning person", I didn't want to wake anyone up?especially the babies! The closet was the quietest place I could find. Quietly sing praise songs (whether by yourself or accompanied by a portable CD player) to quiet your mind and focus on God.
Third, have a Bible and a notebook with you. Read the Word and write down your thoughts about what you're reading in the Bible. What should you read? Here are some suggestions but you should find out what's right for you.
Go With the Flow
Altogether, your quiet time may take 5 minutes or 15 minutes or an hour or more. It's all up to you. God understands if you have crying babies and need to go make breakfast. The point is that you are communicating with Him on a daily basis. Some days you may have more time, some days less. No matter what, enjoy the time you have with Him! Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and go with the flow! Your promise from Him is that He will be your "very great reward"!
Eunice Coughlin is a christian mother of 2 daughters and the founder of Healthy Living for Moms, an information resource for moms of all ages and stages who want to enjoy better spiritual and physical health. http://www.healthy-living-for-moms.com
cleaning service near Bannockburn ..There I was living in a tiny bedroom in my... Read More
Over the past number of years, while going through my... Read More
"Everything in the universe is a pitcher brimming with wisdom... Read More
The Planetary Spread is an excellent layout to use when... Read More
The "Left Behind" series is inspiring, in that it makes... Read More
I cringed lower into the seat of my grey metal... Read More
An act of selflessness is the highest expression of selfishness... Read More
"Let me take you down to a town called Paradise."Van... Read More
Faith is the remarkable force that gives us the empowerment... Read More
In the spring of 2003, I spent three weeks in... Read More
New Age Spirituality is all about getting back your power.... Read More
Woodstock, the watershed event for a generation, had a far... Read More
... Read More
One night, whilst watching TV, I understood a very useful... Read More
In my life, I have tried... Read More
The human body is surely a miracle of God's creation.... Read More
Believe it or not most astral Attacks are not caused... Read More
People have always sought the sacred. It is the Divine... Read More
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in... Read More
We see it all the time in people's lives some... Read More
Over the past few years I have watched the popularity... Read More
"This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as... Read More
I am disturbed by the tendency of some people to... Read More
Do you go to God seeking His will for your... Read More
(Channelled)The greatest gift you can give me, is to acknowledge... Read More
pet-friendly home cleaners Mundelein ..The "Left Behind" series is inspiring, in that it makes... Read More
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the... Read More
The famous prayer of Jabez, where Jabez prayed for prosperity,... Read More
Those five words are from a song that I remember... Read More
The spiritually dead church. Now, I am not talking about... Read More
In Corrogue I feel wonderful.As friends know I love singing.... Read More
Forget what you have read or seen about vampires. The... Read More
The ultimate purpose of dreaming is to provide you with... Read More
I have studied many of the great Religions, Quantum Physics,... Read More
In your quest for enlightenment, always ask what's in it... Read More
The greatest frustration in a Christian's life is not being... Read More
After first seeing my photography, people... Read More
Let Your Family and Friends Know That You Are A... Read More
I cringed lower into the seat of my grey metal... Read More
Adam had it right when he covered himself with fig... Read More
Have you ever heard something that really "resonated" with you?... Read More
"I learned I was not, as most Africans believed, the... Read More
An interesting question arose within a poetry workshop I attended... Read More
Over the past years, I have undergone a life-altering transition... Read More
In the golfing world, yesterday may have been one of... Read More
Imagine for a moment. It's Tuesday night about 7pm. You... Read More
Who is God? This question would sound awkward to 80%... Read More
There are many contradictions in life and none more easily... Read More
I have been reading a lot lately about the concepts... Read More
IS FAITH - NOT VITAMIN C WHAT'S MISSING FROM YOUR... Read More
Spirituality |