I haven’t managed to have quiet time every single day, but I have done it enough to see its impact on my life, to see the significance of His presence in my days. I’ve started to journal my prayers and the Bible verses that God lays on my heart, and I refer to that journal often. My soul is healing. I cry less, a lot less. I am more content, more settled, more peaceful. I want to make quiet time a daily habit , and I’ve Googled a bit on how to do it.
Do you know what everyone suggests in order to make this work? They suggest getting up 30 minutes earlier.
I have a long list of reasons why that simply will not work for me.
I often work late into the night. I have narcolepsy that makes me require more sleep than most people.
My kids usually wake up before me.
My kids sleep in my bed.
If I set an alarm, it wakes my kids up long before
it wakes me up.
Getting up 30 minutes earlier is not an option. I have to
find a way to make quiet time work while my kids are
awake if I’m going to do it.
And also, I think it’s good for my kids to see me praying
and studying the Word.
Over the last three weeks, I’ve learned a few things
about making this work.
How to Find Time for Quiet Time
(Without Waking Up Earlier)
Start your day with prayer. Ask God to give you
the time to spend in the Word and in prayer and
meditation.
Have quiet time early. Quiet time is the
beginning of a conversation. The easiest part of
my day to read and study and pray would be 1
am. Everyone is asleep except me (most of the
time), and I could do it in peace and quiet. The
problem is that quiet time gives me something
to ruminate on, something to minister to my
heart, a way for God to speak to me all day long.
If I do it at the end of the day and then go to
sleep, I’ll miss out on the best part of the
conversation.
Gather your quiet time materials and put them
together wherever you will use them. I am using
Breaking Free by Beth Moore , Life Application
Study Bible , a pretty journal , my favorite pen ,
and a fine point highlighter . I keep them all in a
tote bag next to my chair in the dining room, so
that I can take them with me if I know I’ll have a
few quiet minutes (like while we’re waiting for
Grace at art class). If you have to go look for
your stuff every day, you will be much less likely
to sit down and open them up.
Get your kids involved in something. Don’t hate
me for what I’m about to say. I am not above
turning on my kids’ favorite tv show so that I can
get in 20 minutes of peaceful study. I am not
above handing over the iPad, either. I have
gotten out the Play-Doh, handed over a box of
markers, and provided a big stack of books. But
mostly, it’s the tv that does the trick.
Be prepared to have your quiet time with
someone in your lap. Is it ideal? Absolutely not.
Ideal would be getting up early to study the Word
in peace and quiet and pray in solitude.
Motherhood rarely conforms to an ideal. I have
done my daily study, journaling, and prayer with
Allie in my lap, coloring or reading her own book.
I have made it work.
When all else fails, get out your kids’
devotional. If your kids are absolutely intent of
having family time (and sometimes they are),
lead them in a devotional. It isn’t the quiet time
you hoped for, but it’s still time spent studying
and applying God’s Word and praying.
Doing scripture memorization as a family has also
helped in my connection with God and general feeling of
mental well-being, but I’ll write about that another time.
posted from Bloggeroid
Comments
Post a Comment