Is one of your New Year resolutions to begin a quiet time with God every day? Some suggestions today on getting started.
Ron Edmonson, writing in crosswalk.com, offers five easy steps to beginning a daily quiet time:
First, pick a definite place. If you travel frequently this is more difficult, but the more routine you can make it, the better. It should be as free of distractions as possible and will soon become very comfortable to you.
Next, pick a reasonable amount of time and put it on your schedule. If you use an electronic calendar, you can set it to repeat the appointment everyday. Start with 15 minutes, maybe even 10. The key at this point is consistency.
Then, decide how you will structure your quiet time. The format may be based on what you hope to achieve. If developing intimacy with God in prayer is your goal, then choose to spend more time in prayer. If Bible knowledge is your goal, then you may want to choose to do a Bible study.
The next step is to decide what you will specifically do in your time. Will you do a Bible study or simply read Scripture and pray? Maybe it’s a mixture. The goal is not to be mechanical, but rather to provide structure, that will lead to productivity in your building your God relationship.
And finally, commit to doing something consistently for at least 30 days. Every day… without exception… do it… whether you “feel” like it or not. Habits and lifestyles form this way and you’ll need this discipline.