SHELBYVILLE, IL. — What is a quiet time?

 

When I met my wife I was blown off my feet. I know, I know; each husband is supposed to say that, but it rings true for me. The first four weeks of us dating in college we did not go out much, in fact we did nothing but talk. We talked about everything, and it became a game. We would go to the local park and sit on the swings and I would ask a question, she would answer and then I would answer. Then she would ask a question…you get the idea. At the end of that month, I knew that I loved her. I knew I loved her because I knew her; we ended up running out of questions to ask each other.

A quiet time is a simple way of getting to know God. The best way to get to know God is to read the book that he wrote, the Bible. A quiet time can be broken down into a few simple steps. First is prayer, before you start reading the scripture you want to make sure your mind and spirit is right to receive what God is going to tell you. You are to pray for God to let you be like a sponge, soaking up what he has to say (Colossians 4:2).

The next step is to read a portion of the Bible. The length of scripture you will read will vary from person to person. The length is not the most important thing; the most important thing is that you are learning. So, if you read one verse and learn something, great! If you read an entire chapter, that’s fine too. After you have read whatever passage you have chosen, you need to ask yourself two questions. First, what does the passage say? This is trying to figure out what the passage means to its original audience. You may need to read the passages surrounding it to understand its context. A good study Bible with commentary will help you out with this question.

The second question you are to ask about the passage is how this passage influences your life. If you read the Bible and then do not act on what the bible has to say, you are neglecting the point and usefulness of it. If a passage is talking about the use of language and controlling your tongue, then that is your goal, to control your words that come out of your mouth.

Lastly you are to end with prayer, asking God to lead you throughout the day and beyond in how to obey what you just read. Being a Christian is not easy, and it requires constant seeking after God’s presence (Psalm 105:4). If you need any assistance knowing where to start, email me, our church has an easy guide to doing quiet times that we would love to give you.



Chase Smith (email- chase@fellowshipinshelbyville.com) is the pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Shelbyville. For more information from Chase or the church call 774-3636 or visit www.fellowshipinshelbyville.com.