“Declare and affirm your lack of sufficiency today by praying.” – Joseph Solomon
I remember when I started trying to read Christian devotional books. It was so hard for me. I grew up on a diet of fantasy and mystery and action and so this new one was a shock to my system. I also struggled to find the practicality in a lot of the books that I was reading – don’t tell me to get closer to God, show me how.
That’s why I was so thankful for being introduced to the Ron Edmondson book How To Begin A Daily Quiet Time In 5 Easy Steps.
Why is it important to have a daily quiet time (devotional time, prayer time, meditation… the right kind)?
One of the most important things in a relationship with Jesus Christ is to include daily time with him into your schedule – this helps to build a solid foundation in one’s life, helping to keep you solid and fruitful.
Do you battle to incorporate time with God into your daily life –more time than just the ten minutes before you go to sleep? Well, here are Ron Edmondson’s steps for you:
- Pick a place: Pick a definite place where you’ll be every day for your quiet time. Obviously, if you travel frequently this is more difficult, but the more routine you can make this, the better. It should be as free of distractions as possible. This place will soon become very comfortable to you.
- Schedule a time: Pick a reasonable amount of time and put it on your schedule. If you use an electronic calendar on your phone or computer, you can set it to repeat the appointment every day. Start with 15 minutes, maybe even 10. The key is consistency, so make sure you don’t burden yourself with something you will not do. It may seem like a sacrifice at first, but keep the objective in mind. You need this. As you accomplish discipline in a little time it will be easier to increase the time you spend.
- Format: Decide basically how you will structure your quiet time. If developing intimacy with God in prayer is your goal, then certainly choose to spend more time in prayer. If Bible knowledge is your goal, then you may want to choose to do a Bible study. You can change the format over time and do combinations of each of these.
- Activities: Decide what you will specifically do in your time. Will you do a Bible study or simply read Scripture and pray? If your time is 15 minutes, for example, you could spend six minutes reading the Bible, three minutes talking to God, two minutes in silence, asking God to speak to you, and four minutes writing your thoughts at the time. If you choose the structure of a Bible study, you may need to allow more time, but again, the key is that you decide before you start what you are going to do during this time. The goal is not to be mechanical or punch a clock here, but rather to provide structure, which will lead to productivity in building your God relationship. Don’t worry as much about what activities you are doing at this point – just do something.
- Discipline: Commit to doing something consistently for at least 30 days. Every day, without exception… do it… whether you “feel” like it or not. If you miss the exact time, make it up later in the day. Again, it will require sacrifice. Habits and lifestyles form this way and you’ll need this discipline, because as soon as you attempt this dozens of obstacles will stand in your way. Over time, it becomes a habit that is easily repeated. Even better, it will soon become the best and most productive part of your day.
The Bible gives some awesome keys to successful prayer:
- Remain in God, in His Word and ask! (John 15:7)
- Ask in the name of Jesus (John 16:23b)
- Do not doubt, believe, and forgive others beforehand (Mark 11:24-25)
- Ask according to His will (1 John 5:14)
- Pray consistently about everything (Eph 6:18)
- Humility, repentance, godliness – that’s what you’re after (2 Chron 7:14)
What are the results of prayer?
- It destroys Satan’s work (2 Chronicles 10:3-6)
- Enables and gifts us (1 Timothy 4:14-15)
- Mental and physical good health and…. wait for it…. peace! (Philippians 4:6-7)
If you feel like you need help in having a personal relationship with Jesus, and are wondering how to even make the first step, why don’t you click on the banner below?