I have a philosophy that there are three things we can do every day to live a healthy life. For me, I have learned the first thing is to have quiet time with the Lord each day through studying His word and prayer. By having quiet time with God each day, we become more healthy on the inside with a peace, confidence and direction that only comes from Him.
So how do we do it? First and foremost, our time with the Lord must become a priority. We all have priorities and where we spend our time reflects what is important to us. Ponder on that for a moment. It can be a painful revelation for me. 🙁 Once our time with Him becomes a priority, we will make time.
I hear many women say they want to have quiet time with the Lord each day, but struggle to know what to do during that time. Here are a few simple guidelines to get you started.
- Select a Specific Time- Without setting a specific time that is dedicated to Bible study and prayer, too many things can occur that will get in the way. I love mornings before anything gets in the way and I am fresh. If mornings are too difficult, choose a time that will enable you to be consistent such as lunch time or letting go of a TV show at night.
- Identify a specific and regular place.
- Choose a particular devotion/ study or passage of scripture to be your focus
- Keep Materials Together– Have your Bible, Journal, pen and devotion / study in a Bible basket or bag to keep them all together so that you are not wasting time looking for everything during your specific time.
- Turn everything off (tv, social media, phone etc.) and be still physically and mentally. I recommend to eliminate any social media until you have spent time in the Bible each day.
- Pray for God to prepare your heart for what he wants you to receive.
- Choose a study or devotion in advance as a guideline for your time.
- Read from the Bible the scripture references that are given in devotion.
- Journal personal thoughts, or truths from the Bible such as a promise, sin to confess, commandment to follow, prayer, example to follow, and or gratitude.
- Reflect on a verse and record for memory or future reference. Here are a few examples of how to memorize a particular passage.
- Create a journal of Bible verses or
- Write Bible verse on Note card and keep in index card box or
- Write Bible verse on Note card and keep in visible location such as refrigerator, bathroom, car, Bible, etc.
- Download a Bible app on your phone and set a reminder to read verse through the day.
- Pray
- P – Praise and give thanks
- R- Repent and ask for forgiveness of sins
- A – Ask His will and desire for your heart
- Y – Yield to the Lord and pray for change of heart.
I love Psalms 90:14 that says, “Satisfy us in the morning that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” (NIV)
May we commit time to God each day to grow in His word so that we are healthy, mentally and spiritually, to do what He has called us to do.
Such good tools to keep us on track!
Thank you for these tips.
You are welcome.