There are no shortcuts to developing our relationship with God. Constant communication is key to knowing Him more. Every single day is an opportunity to do that.

No one drifts into spiritual maturity.

God has gifted us with His word. Meditating on it allows us to know the God that we worship. It gives encouragement, correction and guidance. It also leads us to make the right, God-honoring decisions.

Unfortunately, not every one has a regular Quiet Time with the Lord. More so, some who do are only slightly inspired and left unchanged.

When I was trying to get to know my future wife, I did all I could. I called her every day. I shared as much as I listened. I made time for it. I woke up very early just to catch her before she leaves for work.

I had the right attitude, motivation, and discipline. I was very intentional. This led to a very strong foundation for our lifetime together.

In the same way, every conversation with God can be meaningful and memorable.

If we do this, we’ll develop a very strong relationship with God. When the storms of doubt, confusion and temptation come, we will be resilient. We will stay faithful.

These are the essential elements so our Quiet Times become regular, exciting, and life-changing:

1. We must Schedule it.

Treat Quiet Time like an appointment. We make time for it because it’s a commitment. We protect it from being cancelled. We prepare for it by having a bible, pen and a journal.

Start by allocating 1% of the day for this. One Percent of 24 hours is about 15 minutes. Surely, we have 1% a day that we can commit to God… if we truly want to spend time with Him!

2. We must be Expectant.

Have the mindset that God desires to communicate with His children. He wants to speak to us. He wants to lead us, just as any good Father would do.

Be excited! God wants to reveal something about Himself. Within those passages are character traits of God that will encourage us to worship Him.

If it seems like we’re not getting anything from what we read, don’t give up. God wants to speak. Instead, we have two options: Read again, or read some more!

3. We must be Humble

This is the kind of attitude that will make us hear God more. We must be willing to align to His will. We must be willing to change and be convicted.

God’s word is not merely for information, but for transformation.

If we are not humble enough, He might be speaking already but our own beliefs are closing our spiritual ears.

4. We must Remove Distractions

Nothing is more important than being in the presence of God and hearing His voice. We live in a noisy world that tries to get our attention every moment. Only His words can impact our lives for eternity.

Don’t let anything distract us… phone, social media, TV, daydreaming. The King of Kings deserves our utmost attention.

5. We must Have a Plan

A Bible Reading program guides us to where we start reading. It also provides momentum so we know where we’ll read next.

Some do it cover to cover. Some start with the New Testament. Some combine readings from the Old and New testaments. Whether we start in the Psalms or the gospels, forward planning gets to continue this habit.

6. We must Ask the Right Questions

Reading is different meditating. When we meditate, we absorb more than just what we read. We ask questions and find ways to apply the lessons in our lives.

Three basic questions are:

#1 What is the passage telling me ABOUT GOD?

#2 What is the passage telling me to BE?

#3 What is the passage telling me to DO?

If we start with these 3 questions, we’re on your way to deep meditation of God’s word. Writing down your answers will help you recall the precious lessons that He’s teaching you.

7. We must Apply Within 24 Hours

We must take steps immediately or else we’ll forget what God is teaching us. When there is a deadline, we have that sense of urgency. We are conscious throughout the day to put into practice what we learned.

If God is teaching us about practicing radical love, then pray to God for opportunities to do so within this timeframe.

8. We must Share it to Someone

I call this “Double Impact”. When we share our Quiet Time, it blesses the people we talk to. At the same time, it reminds us of what God said to us. This makes each Quiet Time more meaningful and memorable.

No doubt, God wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He provided us with everything we need to have deep intimacy with Him.

If we have these right attitudes and approach, be amazed at the many wonderful conversations we’ll have with God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Posted on: June 19, 2017

Discussion Question: What essential element should you include in your next Quiet Time? Share your inputs below.