HOW TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL QUIET TIME WITH GOD!
How then can a Christian be victorious? How can one stand still and yet overcome? The fight of FAITH is the struggle to set aside that thoughtful time each day for PRAYER and STUDY of the Word, the Life of Christ, for communication with Him.
Satan knows that and so he makes it impossible for you not to have time to listen to the voice of God.
Relationship
comes by communication. Communication comes by spending time together.
In relationship, love is spelt TIME. There are three reasons why we
need quiet time with God. Rick Warrens in his book: “BIBLE STUDY
METHODS” (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI., 2006), gives some wonderful
suggestions as to how one can have a meaningful quality time with God.
WHY SPEND TIME WITH GOD? There are THREE important reasons:
First reason is because we need fellowship with God:
We cannot grow to be healthy Christians without spending time with God.
Regular quiet time with God was the source of Christ’s ministry.
No man or woman can be strong in Christ without it. That is the way to abide in Christ: sitting at His feet in Bible study and prayers.
Second, because it is our privilege as Christians:
We give God our devotion during quiet time with Him.
We get direction from Him in our Christian pilgrimage
We gain delight in God—we become His friends—John 15:1-2, 5, 14,15.
We grow more like Him—1 Peter 5:18
Third, because we gain tremendous benefits from it:
Joy—the most joyful Christians are those who spend time with God: Ps. 16:11
Strength—we charge our spiritual batteries during quiet time: Isa. 40:29-31
Peace—we gain the promised peace of Christ: Isa. 26:3, 48:18; Rom. 8:6
Stability—when we spend time daily in prayer, Bible study and worship, our lives become stable: Ps. 16:8-9; Ps. 55:22.
Success—daily meditation leads to success in life: Ps. 1:1-3.
Answered Prayers—in quiet times, miracles can happen in the life of the believer: John 15:7.
Others see and notice the difference in our lives: Acts 4:13.
THE PLAN:
Have a Bible, a notebook, a hymn book
Wait on God by being silent for a minute
Pray briefly, asking God to cleanse your heart and guide you. Read two good passages to begin: Psalm 139:23-24, 1 John 1:9; Ps. 119:18; John 16:13.
THE PROPER ATTITUDE FOR THE DIVINE MEETING:
Choose a quiet place.
Come to God with expectancy to meet Him.
Be reverent before Him.
Be alert. Wash your face and if possible brush your teeth to feel wide awake.
Be willing to obey what He tells you.
Begin with a consistent SEVEN minutes daily and let it grow.
Emphasize quality not quantity.
HOW TO SPEND TIME WITH THE WORD:
• Sing a song after a silent prayer.
• Select the passage of scripture you want to study.
• Pray and read through the text few times.
• Meditate on the text.
• Visualize the scene of the text in your mind. Ask: Who, where, why, and when? Contemplate on the suffering of Christ for few minutes!
• Personalize the text to your own life by these NINE questions: SPACEPET
Is there any sin the text tells me to confess? Is the text asking me to make any confession and forsaking of sin?
Is there any Promise to claim? Is there any promise in the text to claim? Have I met the condition of the promise the text wants me to claim?
Is there any Attitude the text tells me to change? Is the text asking me to make a change in my attitude?
Is the text asking me to obey a specific Command? Is the text asking me to obey a specific command I have not been aware of?
Is the text counseling me to follow an Example? Is the text asking me to do as I have read or not to follow the example in the text?
Is the text challenging me to Pray about something? What is the text challenging me to pray about? Am I commanded to pray for an enemy?
Have I discovered some Error in the text to avoid? Is there any negative thing in the text I should avoid?
Is the text introducing me to a new Truth to believe? Is the text exposing me to a new light or truth to follow as the Holy Spirit promised to do—to lead me into all truth?
Is there Something to praise God for? What is in the text that makes me praise God?
James 4:7-8 gives a candid counsel to all who want to be drawn nigh to God. One scholar, EGW, explains how: “Draw nigh to God by prayer, by contemplation, by reading His word. When God draws nigh to you, He lifts up for you a standard against the enemy! How do we draw nigh to God?
WE do so by secret, heartfelt, humble dependence upon God, making known all your weaknesses to Jesus, and by confessing your sins. By so doing, we draw nigh to God and he draws nigh to us,” (MS 92, 1901).
What is the outcome of spending time with God? The closer we are to God, the safer we are, for Satan hates and fears the presence of God.
When it becomes the habit of the soul to converse with God, the power of the evil one is broken; for Satan cannot abide near the soul that draws nigh to God.
When we draw nigh to God we draw nigh to each other and we become one as Christ prayed. Husband and wife become one. Families become one. Believers become one.
Conclude your devotional time with a short song and prayer of commitment.
There is power in music! Use it in your devotion!
By Dr. Andrews L. Ewoo
WHY SPEND TIME WITH GOD? There are THREE important reasons:
First reason is because we need fellowship with God:
We cannot grow to be healthy Christians without spending time with God.
Regular quiet time with God was the source of Christ’s ministry.
No man or woman can be strong in Christ without it. That is the way to abide in Christ: sitting at His feet in Bible study and prayers.
Second, because it is our privilege as Christians:
We give God our devotion during quiet time with Him.
We get direction from Him in our Christian pilgrimage
We gain delight in God—we become His friends—John 15:1-2, 5, 14,15.
We grow more like Him—1 Peter 5:18
Third, because we gain tremendous benefits from it:
Joy—the most joyful Christians are those who spend time with God: Ps. 16:11
Strength—we charge our spiritual batteries during quiet time: Isa. 40:29-31
Peace—we gain the promised peace of Christ: Isa. 26:3, 48:18; Rom. 8:6
Stability—when we spend time daily in prayer, Bible study and worship, our lives become stable: Ps. 16:8-9; Ps. 55:22.
Success—daily meditation leads to success in life: Ps. 1:1-3.
Answered Prayers—in quiet times, miracles can happen in the life of the believer: John 15:7.
Others see and notice the difference in our lives: Acts 4:13.
THE PLAN:
Have a Bible, a notebook, a hymn book
Wait on God by being silent for a minute
Pray briefly, asking God to cleanse your heart and guide you. Read two good passages to begin: Psalm 139:23-24, 1 John 1:9; Ps. 119:18; John 16:13.
THE PROPER ATTITUDE FOR THE DIVINE MEETING:
Choose a quiet place.
Come to God with expectancy to meet Him.
Be reverent before Him.
Be alert. Wash your face and if possible brush your teeth to feel wide awake.
Be willing to obey what He tells you.
Begin with a consistent SEVEN minutes daily and let it grow.
Emphasize quality not quantity.
HOW TO SPEND TIME WITH THE WORD:
• Sing a song after a silent prayer.
• Select the passage of scripture you want to study.
• Pray and read through the text few times.
• Meditate on the text.
• Visualize the scene of the text in your mind. Ask: Who, where, why, and when? Contemplate on the suffering of Christ for few minutes!
• Personalize the text to your own life by these NINE questions: SPACEPET
Is there any sin the text tells me to confess? Is the text asking me to make any confession and forsaking of sin?
Is there any Promise to claim? Is there any promise in the text to claim? Have I met the condition of the promise the text wants me to claim?
Is there any Attitude the text tells me to change? Is the text asking me to make a change in my attitude?
Is the text asking me to obey a specific Command? Is the text asking me to obey a specific command I have not been aware of?
Is the text counseling me to follow an Example? Is the text asking me to do as I have read or not to follow the example in the text?
Is the text challenging me to Pray about something? What is the text challenging me to pray about? Am I commanded to pray for an enemy?
Have I discovered some Error in the text to avoid? Is there any negative thing in the text I should avoid?
Is the text introducing me to a new Truth to believe? Is the text exposing me to a new light or truth to follow as the Holy Spirit promised to do—to lead me into all truth?
Is there Something to praise God for? What is in the text that makes me praise God?
James 4:7-8 gives a candid counsel to all who want to be drawn nigh to God. One scholar, EGW, explains how: “Draw nigh to God by prayer, by contemplation, by reading His word. When God draws nigh to you, He lifts up for you a standard against the enemy! How do we draw nigh to God?
WE do so by secret, heartfelt, humble dependence upon God, making known all your weaknesses to Jesus, and by confessing your sins. By so doing, we draw nigh to God and he draws nigh to us,” (MS 92, 1901).
What is the outcome of spending time with God? The closer we are to God, the safer we are, for Satan hates and fears the presence of God.
When it becomes the habit of the soul to converse with God, the power of the evil one is broken; for Satan cannot abide near the soul that draws nigh to God.
When we draw nigh to God we draw nigh to each other and we become one as Christ prayed. Husband and wife become one. Families become one. Believers become one.
Conclude your devotional time with a short song and prayer of commitment.
There is power in music! Use it in your devotion!
By Dr. Andrews L. Ewoo
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