5 Easy Steps to a Meaningful Quiet Time

Draw near to the Lord, and he will draw near to you. That’s the promise in James 4. But how do we do that? How do we quiet the world around us and sit at the feet of Jesus? Here are some simple ideas that work for me.

1. Find a quiet place. Turn off the TV. Mute the phone. Have a notepad handy to jot the things down that vie for your attention. Invariably, thoughts try to interrupt this time. You can always jot down “buy milk”, or “call so and so.” Then you can get back to purposeful quiet time.

2. Make time for Jesus. Wake up early! Stay up late! Carve out 15 minutes during nap time or before the children come home from school. Chores will wait. Fellowship with Jesus is a necessary part of your life! Life is filled with difficult decisions, and we must create time to be alone with our Savior. This is more than talking to him in prayer. This is intentional time to sit and be quiet before him. You may ask him where he wants you to read in his Word. Listen and see if he speaks something into your heart. Ask his blessing on this sacrifice of time. He has never let me down. When I invite him into my day, he always shows up!

3. Grab your Bible, a pen and paper. Be ready to jot down whatever the Spirit lays on your heart. Pray about it, ponder it, and date it. Having it written down will help you remember what was spoken to you. This also allows you to watch for confirmation! Many times for me, God uses songs or words spoken from a friend. He has even used the voice of children to speak into my spirit. A few years back as my daughter and I were discussing a situation, her son said from the next room; “Mom, God knows what He’s doing, right?” We both knew we had just heard the voice of God, and the situation we were concerned with was already in his hands!

4. Add some music to your time. Worship songs help me quiet my heart and meditate on Jesus. Whether I sing along or listen to the words, it allows me to enter into a state of recognizing God for who he is and what he had done for me. It puts the focus upon him.

5. Invite Jesus in. Ask him to open your eyes to see and your ears to hear. Ask him to quiet your heart and listen.

Enjoy this precious time! God will show up, and he has so much to share with each one of us. Soon you will wonder how you’ve survived without this valuable time.

Dear Jesus, help us draw near to you. Help us find the time to sit quietly before you and listen for your voice. May your Words become part of our spirits, and may you guide and lead us into life everlasting! You are our most precious Savior! We love you and need you! Thank you for the gift of time. May we be responsible with it. Amen.