Quiet Time with God

Here is another one of my lessons for those interested. I pray you always find your quiet time with God. I struggle every day and fail most days. I'm thankful God is a forgiving God for the times we don't live up to His expectations.

Again, my lessons are based on the book "Going Through the Motions".

Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships
Winter Quarter ’06 -‘07
Teen Girls Class – Wednesday nights

How would you answer these questions?

Would you like to take all of your school books and dump them into the Atlantic Ocean?
Do you dream of sunny beaches in Florida?
Are you easily irritated?
Having trouble sleeping?
Are you forgetful?
Are your classes at school and church a real BORE?

If you answered “yes” to more than two of these, then you probably have the “hurry sickness”. Someone who is suffering from “hurry sickness”, tell me what it is from your perspective.

We all suffer from this sickness at one time or another. Some of us more often than others. We all need and long for “quiet time”. The dictionary calls it “solitude”. Just a time to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Think of all the things that weigh you down during the day. Now imagine taking a broom and sweeping all of those things out the door. But what do you put in its place? How do you keep all those things from creeping back in? The best way is to fill that place with things that matter, like time with God.

However, that takes self-discipline. It has to be planned and practiced regularly. You have to find a very special place where you won’t be disturbed…far away from the clatter of daily living. There is strength in solitude.

The Bible gives us many examples of people who practiced solitude. There was Joshua. He was afraid he was going to lose the battle so he stood alone and prayed. He won a victory over 5 kings! There’s also Jonah. God had to take more drastic measures to get him to spend some time alone with God. All those hours alone in the belly of a whale gave Jonah enough strength to preach to the people in Nineveh.

So where can you go to get away from everything and spend some time with God? Would God have to do something so drastic as to place you in the belly of a fish? Think of several places you might be able to use for an occasional quiet time with God. Let’s talk about some requirements for the places you choose.

1. It must be out of the path of traffic.
2. It must be a place you can use in both good and bad weather.
3. It must be well-lit.
4. It must be quiet!

Can you think of some other requirements? Now, based on these requirements, take a minute or two and write down on your handout some places you could go to for your quiet time.

Jesus gave us a wonderful example. Over and over we are told in the Bible of times when Jesus left the crowd and went to be alone with God. He began His day in prayer.

Mark 1:35 – “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

What does it tell you about our Lord’s quiet time?

Luke 6:12 – “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

When did Jesus spend time alone with His Father?

But, you’re probably like me and screaming, “There’s no time for quiet time! I’ve got so much to do and not enough time to do it!” What are some activities or circumstances that keep you from having quiet time?

It does take effort to find a place for God in the middle of these activities. I mentioned earlier that it takes self-discipline. It must be planned and practiced regularly. So let’s have a plan of attack on how to accomplish this.

1. Have a special place to spend time with God. We talked earlier about this and the requirements that go along with it. I’ve found the car to be a good place for me but you have to turn off the radio to truly get the benefit. It also cuts down on the road rage. Matt. 6:6 – “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

2. Take “minute” breaks of quiet time. Spaced throughout the day are tiny bits of time with no one else around. During those precious moments, just think about God. Praise Him for the day. Think about all the things you are thankful for. This doesn’t have to be a long drawn out prayer. Sometimes I’ll realize that God did something great for me and take a second to say thanks. It may have been a small thing but special nonetheless.

3. Enjoy nature. All of God’s gifts of nature are given to us to enjoy. When’s the last time you took some time to look around you at this beautiful earth that you live in? Open your eyes! Wake up your senses! Celebrate life! One of my favorite places to go and truly appreciate the beauty of nature is the mountains. I grew up going to the beach so it’s not as special to me as it is to most. I love to just sit on a rock, listen to the leaves blow, the birds chirp, the water flowing in the stream or over a waterfall. It’s a calming place for me. But I don’t get to experience that very often. I’ve had to learn to find that joy in my everyday life. When I was growing up, I went to a Christian youth camp every year. I loved that place. It was a lot like Camp Inagehi. Outside, no air conditioning, etc. One of the things I remember us doing was lying out in the field on blankets or towels and singing. It was always at night. The only lights were the ones from the cabins and the pavilion. We just laid there staring into the night sky with the most beautiful array of stars. The camp was out in the middle of nowhere so there were no city lights to ruin seeing the stars. I have found that memory coming back to me when I’m outside at night in my back yard playing with the dog. I make do with the limited amount of stars that I can see. That beauty makes me feel so close to God, even in my own back yard. Sometimes, I’ll even start singing. It doesn’t happen every time I’m out there. But I find it happens when I need it the most. So you have to try and find those few little moments.

4. Enjoy special “one of a kind” moments. Like when it snows and you get to stay home from school, the new growth of spring and the flowers beginning to bloom, a baby being born, a baptism, etc. Can you think of others? These are all reasons to celebrate, take a deep breath, and thank God.

5. Set aside a special time. Last week we talked about your daily schedule. Did you find some time in that schedule for God? Set aside the same time everyday that’s best for you to be quiet with God. Try to let nothing come between you and this special time.

6. Have all the necessary equipment – your Bible, a pencil, and maybe a song book, plus a notebook for recording your special thoughts and feelings. Read from your Bible, trying to relate what you read to your everyday life. Read a devotional book. Spend some time just listening to your own thoughts and communing with God in prayer. See the quietness of His presence. As you rest quietly in God, make your prayer requests known to Him. Ask Him to use your life for His purposes. Give Him your body, mind, and spirit. Tell Him of your imperfections. Let go of the demands of living that clutter your days. I’ve found that a prayer journal helps me do a lot of that. It keeps my mind on task. I think of things and write them down. A lot of times I can’t write fast enough.

So now you have a plan of attack. This week your challenge is to find that special time and place to just be quiet. Find the strength in solitude.