Spending Quiet Time with the Lord

From the beginning of my Christian life as a new mom, I knew that I needed quiet time. Todays new mom might think that term means time for the kids to be quiet and take a nap. Yippee! But its really a time for you to be quiet with God. Its a time to spend alone with Him, to read His Word and share your heart with Him. Its 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 didnt 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 cant do it then (some people arent morning people) do it before you go to bed or during the childrens 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 dont 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 Gods. 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? Heres 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 didnt want to wake anyone upespecially 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 youre reading in the Bible. What should you read? Here are some suggestions but you should find out whats right for you.

• Start with the Psalms. I guarantee you will find something there to relate to and help you speak honestly to God.
• Begin at the beginning-Genesis-and keep going until you get to Revelation. Then, start over.
• One chapter from the Old Testament and one chapter from the New Testament.

Go With the Flow

Altogether, your quiet time may take 5 minutes or 15 minutes or an hour or more. Its 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!