“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, ESV).
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV)
The heart of our spiritual formation is found at the intersection of prayer and God’s Word. If you desire to grow in Christ, it is essential to spend time with God in prayer and in his Word, commonly called “Quiet Time.” About three weeks ago, when we were still on campus, I talked with Jill Branyon and asked her how I could best encourage the spiritual growth of faculty members. Jill is a disciple-maker cleverly disguised as a math professor in the College of Education. She said boldly, “If they do not have a quiet time, it doesn’t matter what else they do. They are not growing in Christ.” Some may feel that is an overstatement, but I agree with Jill’s assessment. It is amazing how few church members and even pastors have a regular quiet time with God. It is easy to fall into the trap of preparing to teach classes integrating faith and learning or preparing sermons and ignore our need to spend time alone in God’s presence. Our enemy, the devil, is pleased with this omission. In making this error, we rely on our education, abilities, and personalities to do teaching and ministry rather than relying on the power of God. Without regular, consistent prayer and saturation in God’s Word, there is no spiritual power in what we do.
In my quiet time, I am not reading the Bible to prepare to teach or preach to others. Rather, I read the Bible to hear how God is speaking to me. My focus is not on the response of others, but on my response to God’s Word. I come to his Word as a disciple, not as a teacher/preacher. I long to hear from God. I need his divine intervention in my life daily.
Quiet Time Priorities
- Schedule a time to meet with God daily. Put it on your calendar. Guard this time carefully. The enemy will try to fill your day with much activity in an effort to keep you from spending quality time with God in prayer and in Bible intake.
- Read the Bible. It is not a word about God, it is the Word of God. It is completely true without any mixture of error. Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the Word of God is living and active. . . discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (ESV). Devotional guides can befit our spiritual development, but they must never replace the Word of God.
- Pray about everything always remembering to thank God for his answers. This is the way to experiencing God’s peace that passes all comprehension (Phil 4:6-7).
A Simple Quiet Time Plan in Just 15 Minutes a Day
- Begin your time with prayer (2 minutes). Praise God for what he has done. The Scriptures reveal the many ways that God has acted on behalf of his people. He alone is worthy of our praise. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to what God wants to communicate with you today.
- Read the Scriptures (5 minutes). I have found it helpful to work through a book of the Bible in my quiet time. You can read a subsection (most modern translations include topic headings) of the Scriptures or read a chapter at a time. Currently, I am reading through the book of Psalms.
- Apply the truth revealed to your life today (5 minutes). Some sample questions to assist your application include:
- What does this passage teach you about God?
- What does it teach about humanity?
- Is there an example to follow or to avoid?
- Is there a sin you need to repent of and forsake?
- What does this text tell you to do? Will you be obedient?
- How will you apply the truths revealed to your life today?
- Close your quiet time with prayer (3 minutes). Ask the Lord for the grace to apply his truth to your life.
I know that this concept is not new to most of you. Still, I am amazed at how many believers fail to spend time with God on a regular basis. Some of you may spend much more time with the Lord than the 15-minute plan outlined above. Celebrate that and continue to make spending daily time with the Lord a priority. While 5 minutes in God’s Word and 5 minutes in prayer is a short amount of time, it is much better than spending no time in prayer or in the Word regularly. If you do not practice this discipline or if you have drifted away from it, today is a great day to start (or re-start). There is an enormous difference between knowing the right thing to do and actually doing it. To know what the right thing to do is and then fail to do it is sinful (James 4:17). A quiet time will help you through these emotionally, physically, and spiritually trying days. The Lord is an anchor for us, bringing balance, conviction, direction, and confidence to our lives. Take courage. We serve a mighty God.