“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” James 4:8
In a world full of media frenzies and work styles that insist we be busy from morning until night, it is often hard to find those quiet moments to just sit and reflect on God and His purpose for your life. How can we do this?
One way to enjoy quiet time is to spend it in prayer. Prayer is defined as: an expression of our sense of God’s glorious perfections, confession of our sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others, and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and benefits. (Webster’s 1828) This definition covers much of what we can pray for and if we’d spend time praising God for Who He is, then we’d have such a blessed quiet time. Reflect on your Lord and bask in His goodness. Psalms 103:2 says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”
Thankful for the morning light,
Shining over earth and sea;
Thankful for the gift of sight
O Father, Lord, to Thee.
To Thee with all the heart I pray,
Now at the dawning of the day;
I know Thou hast me in Thy care,
And Thou wilt hear my prayer.
What is the job of the Holy Spirit? He is there to comfort, guide and direct us in our lives. Are you struggling with a trial? Talk to the Holy Spirit for help and comfort. Did you find out a close relative has left this earth? Ask Him for comfort. That name you can’t remember? He will help you there, too. There isn’t anything too little or too big that He can’t handle. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,…he shall teach you all things,….” (John 14:26)
Thankful for the power to hear;
Thankful for the power to speak;
Lord, to Thee I bend my ear,
Thy holy face I seek,
To Thee my earliest thoughts are giv’n,
Like incense, may they rise to Heav’n;
And from Thee thence a blessing bear,
In answer to my prayer.
It is said that the vast majority of Christians do not read their Bibles consistently. If we can eat daily, we can read our Bibles daily. If we want real quiet time we need to get into the Word for it will quiet our souls. Matthew 6:6 says, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;”
Thanks I give for strength and health,
Making all my pulses leap;
Greater boon than boundless wealth
Is waking out of sleep.
Content and glad for each new day,
O Father, Lord, to Thee I pray;
I pray to Heav’n for Thou art there;
And Thou art everywhere.
A personal relationship with God doesn’t come from Him alone. We need to keep close attention as we build this relationship use our quiet times to grow stronger in Him.
Greatest boon is heart of love;
May at length this heart be mine;
Lord, Thou sendest from above
Thy love and truth divine.
And they shall purge the willing soul
Of earthly ills, and make it whole;
For Thou didst come those ills to bear,
And canst not spurn my prayer.
