2020 is the year of Focus. As the new year turned over, most of us reflected on last year and the things we enjoyed, our successes, our failures and in general the things we would like to do better. With this reflection comes a time that we evaluate our relationships and how we are doing. Most of us also think about rekindling or strengthening our relationship with Christ. The best way to do that is TIME. When our children were young we attended a church where every year on Father’s Day, the pastor’s message would be, “How do your children spell Love? – TIME”. Although at the time, my children all thought that sermon to be quite corny, they all remember it!
Our relationship with Christ is much that same way, we need to spend time with Him. Below are 6 ways to JumpStart your Quiet Time.
~ PLAN – make a plan on when, where, how and Why
- When are you going to do your Quiet Time?
- Where are you physically going to be?
- How are you going to structure your Quiet time? A physical Bible, Bible app, a devotional book?
- Why? Know why you are setting aside time each day for your Quiet Time.
~ RESEARCH – what are you going to use in your quiet time? A bible study, a devotional, a plan to read through the Bible in a year? As you are choosing your resources, make sure it is something that excites you. In 2019, the church we were attending was reading through the bible together chronologically. I have never been able to read through the Bible in a year. I have always gotten bogged down in the Old Testament and have not had the fortitude to finish. Knowing myself, I knew I would need to do something different to motivate me, so I used the YouVersion with the through the Bible in a year plan AND used the audio, so the Bible was being read to me while I followed the text along. We live in a time where there are so many resources available to us, that we should use the tools and study the Alive and Active word of God in a way that we can relate to. (disclaimer – we still need to hear/study the things that don’t excite us, like discipline and the OT, but for your Quiet time, make it exciting!)
~ GATHER – gather the tools that you will use and put them where you will be having your quiet time.
~ PREPARE – put the time on your calendar that you have decided to do your Quiet time. We are so scheduled that if we are not intentional and have it on our calendar, this time will often get overlooked.
~ EXECUTE – Just Do it!
~ EVALUATE – After 30 days, look at what you have been doing and evaluate your time. Are you keeping your appointments with God? Are you excited about what you are learning? If not, do some more research and find another tool.
12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart. The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Heb 4:12). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
