How to Have a Great Quiet Time

Remember Gideon?

His story begins in Judges 6. God saw him not as he was, afraid and cowardly, but as he was going to be, a mighty man of valor.

God sees each of us the same way; He sees us as the man or woman He is making us to be. He does not classify us according to our failures, He sees us according to our future. Isn’t that a glorious reality?!

The best thing that we can do to grow to be who God wants us to be is to spend time with Him regularly. Here’s a plan for you to do that.

1. Pick a time.

This is where we so often drop the ball. We give God the left overs. We wait until we are almost ready to drop dead from exhaustion before we pray or try to read our bible. Give God your firstfruits of time. Why not wake up a bit early? Become a morning person. Fifteen minutes with God in the morning will keep you from mourning throughout the day!

2. Pray.

Ask God to speak to you as you read His word.

3. Read the Bible.

You don’t have to read the entire Bible in a year. If you want to, go for it! As a pastor, I encourage our church to consider reading the book from which I am preaching. If you choose a smaller book, like Ephesians or Philippians, you could read it over and over again during the month. Then, when a new month dawns, pick another book and read it over and over again. If you do that, you will know twelve books of the Bible better than you ever would reading it once a year.

4. Mark your Bible.

As simple as it sounds, this is an important step. Whenever you read a verse that you like or that applies to you in a significant way, underline it, circle the verse number, or somehow mark key words, especially if you sense that God is saying something to you.

5. Write. Just write.

When you are approaching the end of your quiet time, go back and look at all the verses you marked and pick the one that is most significant. Write that verse down in your journal or notebook. This is your verse of the day. Carry it with you. Go back and read it once or twice throughout the day.

Then, write down a couple thoughts about that verse. It could be a truth about God that made a significant impression upon you; it could be a sin that you need to confess.

6. Share.

I recently read a quote about quiet times: “Your quiet time is not over until you give it away.” As you go through your day, expect God to give you opportunities to encourage others with the verse that you read. If you are married or a parent, make sure that you share it with your spouse or children.

Do you have any other thoughts? Share them in the Facebook comments below. Your comment just might help someone to connect with God!