Intimacy with God: Your Quiet Time

Based upon Dr. Stanley’s “How to Listen to God.” 

To cultivate a daily walk with Christ – to know Him more intimately, we need to come to Him focused upon Him.  We should have a plan when we come to Him that includes meditating upon the Word.  Start in one of the Gospels like John or an epistle like Philippians, read a chapter a day.  Let the Holy Spirit guide you as you read.   A good discipline is to use a prayer journal to write down what you say to Him and what He says to you.  Here are some factors to consider when you pray, read, and meditate: 

1.      Time - Set aside a certain time of the day, I like early mornings to start my day with Him (Psalm 5:3), but the time of day is not as important as consistency.  Listen to Him, allow His Spirit to fill you and equip you for the day ahead!

2.      Stillness – If you’re going to meditate upon the Lord, stillness is vital (Psalm 46:10; Psalm 62:5).  Fix your thoughts upon Him; be sensitive to His presence, His goodness, and His Grace.

3.      Seclusion – Sometimes God wants your absolute, undivided attention; He wants a private time with you. Even Jesus needed time alone with the Father and so do you (Mark 1:35). His private workings are often the most precious.

4.      Silence – If we are quiet before The Lord, He can interject His thoughts into our minds and hearts. Silence and seclusion allow our hearts to clearly perceive what the Lord is saying to us (Isaiah 30:15). He may give you a passage of scripture, reveal a truth, or give you peace.

5.      Self-control – As we begin to meditate, we may have to labor a little mentally to focus our attention on God; a psalm can help center our thoughts. Begin to think just about Him, become lost in His Majesty! (Proverbs 8:34)

6.      Submission – We must humble ourselves and submit to the Lord (James 4:10). If we are rebellious in our hearts, we won’t meditate.  Yielding ourselves to Him is vital in listening to His voice.

So mediate upon the Lord – His majestic glory, faithfulness, goodness and wonderful promises.  Meditate on who He is, the Great I AM, and you will come to know His character and presence in a deep fresh way!e to edit.