Tuesday Testimony
In a world that is always on the move and hardly ever quiet, it’s easy to see why we have trouble with our “quiet times.” I loved reading chapters 10-12 of Gordan MacDonald’s Ordering Your Private World, because they really started to go in-depth on how to work on your quiet time with the Lord.
Here are the spiritual exercises of importance that most of us are neglecting:
Solitude and Silence
Regular Listening to God
Reflection and Meditation
Prayer as Worship and Intercession
If you have these things making up your quiet time, then you either have a very ordered private world, or are well on your way to one. Unfortunately most of us, if we do have a quiet time, reduce it to “a system or method that is swift and streamlined (pg.122).” There’s hardly a connection made with God, or enough time to really calm our minds and be still.
So far we have set aside 10 minutes a day for prayer and time with God these past few weeks. The amount of time is not the important thing, but the quality of that time. Here’s what I would like for all of us to do this week:
1. Schedule your time somewhere you can have absolute quiet (or as close to it as possible).
2. Take the first few minutes to calm and quiet your mind: do relaxing breaths and/or movements to quiet your body and mind.
3. Praise. Praise God for all He has done, and thank Him.
4. Pray.
5. Meditate and Reflect. Just remain quiet and reflect on what you have learned, and enjoy the time with the Lord. Do some worship and praise if you feel led. This would be a great time to journal.
I am a big promoter of making your quiet time your own. But if you are new to this, I think these are some good steps to get you started.
What did you think of these chapters of the book? Do you have any thoughts you would like to add?
For next week: Read Chapter 13 and work on your quiet time.
