Spending 'Quiet Time' with the Lord
From the beginning of my Christian life as a new mom, I knew that I needed quiet time. Today's new mom might think that term means time for the kids to be quiet and take a nap. Yippee! But it's really a time for you to be quiet with God. It's a time to spend alone with Him, to read His Word and share your heart with Him. It's a time of spiritual refreshment so that you can be filled with grace and strength to do what you need to do in your daily life. It keeps you healthy? spiritually, emotionally and physically.
God Rewards Those Who Earnestly Seek Him
God honors those who seek Him first. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you". You can be assured that if you put Him first, He will give you the wisdom, the strength, and the grace you need to face everything else that will come your way during the rest of the day.
It has been suggested that the best time for quiet time is early in the morning because you need to give your "first fruits" of your day to the Lord. You might find it hard at first to get up early and spend time in prayer. I remember when I was a young mom, I slept when the kids slept or else I didn't sleep! But if you go to bed early (when they do) or enlist the help of your husband, you might be surprised how just a few minutes with the Lord everyday can change your outlook on the day ahead. However, if you just can't do it then (some people aren't morning people) do it before you go to bed or during the children's naptime. Anytime is really all right with the Lord.
Once you begin to consistently spend quiet time with the Lord, His promise to you is that you will be blessed and that you will "lack no good thing". (Psalm 34:10 NIV) You will see your prayers answered because everyone who asks, receives; everyone who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:8 NIV). These are just a couple of scriptures that encourage you to seek Him because you will receive the reward of that search.
What Kinds of Rewards?
They come in all forms-spiritual, physical and emotional-but my favorites are the reward of His presence, His wisdom to make tough decisions, His grace to deal with difficult circumstances and His love that will fill your heart and overflow onto your family. I hope these rewards don't sound "super-spiritual" but if you seek Him, they satisfy like nothing else.
Steps to Follow
Here are some helpful steps to follow as you enter into your quiet time. First, remember that quiet time is for your benefit, not God's. Although He longs to be with you, you are the one who will ultimately benefit by the time you spend with Him.
In the beginning, it might feel awkward. How do you enter His presence, especially when there are so many distractions? Here's the second step: find a quiet place. When I first began having a quiet time with God, I literally sat in my closet. Since I am a "morning person", I didn't want to wake anyone up?especially the babies! The closet was the quietest place I could find. Quietly sing praise songs (whether by yourself or accompanied by a portable CD player) to quiet your mind and focus on God.
Third, have a Bible and a notebook with you. Read the Word and write down your thoughts about what you're reading in the Bible. What should you read? Here are some suggestions but you should find out what's right for you.
Go With the Flow
Altogether, your quiet time may take 5 minutes or 15 minutes or an hour or more. It's all up to you. God understands if you have crying babies and need to go make breakfast. The point is that you are communicating with Him on a daily basis. Some days you may have more time, some days less. No matter what, enjoy the time you have with Him! Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and go with the flow! Your promise from Him is that He will be your "very great reward"!
Eunice Coughlin is a christian mother of 2 daughters and the founder of Healthy Living for Moms, an information resource for moms of all ages and stages who want to enjoy better spiritual and physical health. http://www.healthy-living-for-moms.com
express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..forgiveness stories quotes definition and loveForgiveness is that quality in... Read More
Before we tread into the domain of Past Life... we... Read More
Rose Ann Schwab is an internationally and world renowned professional... Read More
Those living on the highest levels of life have learned... Read More
One of the saddest times in any child's life is... Read More
With those words recorded in Exodus 15:26, God proclaims to... Read More
Burn out, it can happen to anyone. Some of the... Read More
There is a concept in Jewish mystical thought known as... Read More
In the golfing world, yesterday may have been one of... Read More
Michael Shermer speaks with the energy and passion of an... Read More
Many consider anger a normal human emotion and continue to... Read More
People engaged in kissing experience information and energy transfer, although... Read More
This article is a reply that deals with certain criticisms... Read More
In Corrogue I feel wonderful.As friends know I love singing.... Read More
What purpose does keeping a journal serve?Do you write down... Read More
For me, the best poetry stirs my soul; it awakens... Read More
So I met a friend recently and we went to... Read More
Hello, My name is Mellody Davis and here is my... Read More
Matthew 3:4-6 John Baptizes the People4 Now John wore a... Read More
"Mama, save me!"My six year old son jumped into my... Read More
Presently, many of us live in uncertainty. Due to the... Read More
Recently it has come to my attention people are noticing... Read More
Let us face reality squarely in the face by acknowledging... Read More
Mother Nature has this uncanny tendency to turn upon herself... Read More
Did you ever know somebody who easily accumulates wealth? If... Read More
tidy up service Arlington Heights ..When we find spirituality, or it finds us, the experience... Read More
How many of you out there have ever wondered if... Read More
How do we feel the fullness of life itself?We have... Read More
"Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because... Read More
We know that David did much to stabilize the Kingdom... Read More
In our fast paced society we often want everything done... Read More
Coming face to face with yourself in the space between... Read More
As we proceed further into the 21st century there is... Read More
God poetry is one of my favorite genres, although I... Read More
Matthew 2:16-18Herod Kills the Children16 Then Herod, when he saw... Read More
THE KABBALAH OF PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION: TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT"In the... Read More
As communion was being passed this morning, I listened to... Read More
I would like to share my experience, working with the... Read More
You're looking at one star in the middle of a... Read More
You may ask, "What are hot buttons anyway?"Hot buttons are... Read More
Spending 'Quiet Time' with the LordFrom the beginning of my... Read More
If you have a longing to connect with something higher,... Read More
Many of our great religions hold that numbers contain hidden... Read More
In this series I would like to take you through... Read More
Behold, a certain young maiden did often times and at... Read More
As a child growing up, whenever I was worried about... Read More
Make no mistake about it, change is challenging whether it... Read More
A year ago, a beautiful woman came to see me.... Read More
A few men and women are universally successful but such... Read More
Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think... Read More
Spirituality |