…Or Daily “God-Time” or Bible and Prayer Time…
Do you want to spend some time with Jesus, but you’re not sure how to do it or where to start?
This time I’m talking about is often called a “Quiet Time,” and it includes prayer, Bible reading, and application of the Word of God. Some call this practice their “God Time” or “Prayer and Bible Study” or “Study Time.” I like to call it my “Quiet Time” because this is when the Lord quiets my restless, anxious heart and fills me with His Peace before the new day begins.
An intimate fellowship with Jesus, time in His Word, soaking in what He has to say to you, and responding to Him as if you are “best friends” is offered to each one of us. He is available and waiting… but we must make the choice to come and meet with Him.
Like building any friendship, it takes a commitment of time, energy, and purpose. But friends, it is SO worth it! And it’s a “start where you are” kind of thing. You don’t have to “get better” about anything before you start meeting with Jesus. He loves you and wants to spend time with you (Matthew 11:28-30).
If you’re wondering where you’ll get any extra minutes in your day, let me ask you this: Do you use your snooze alarm? If so… there’s your answer (said with a grin)!
My personal philosophy is that if I have time to snooze in the mornings, I could invest those 10 minutes in time with Jesus and be more rested than if I had slept through several snoozes. If you’ll set your alarm back just 10 minutes earlier, and get up when it goes off, you can start your day filled and refreshed – rather than tired and cranky. I promise.
You can never out-give God. You give Him those precious 10 minutes, and watch just what He gives you in return: strength, encouragement, hope, a plan for your day, inspiration, peace… to name a few.
{Soon, you’ll find that 10 minutes just isn’t enough, and you’ll see such a “return” on your outlay that you’ll be craving more and more time with Him.}
Need a Jump Start? Here is a plan for 10 Precious Minutes with the Lord.
Have these items handy:
- A Bible – Choose an easy-to-read and understand version.
Note: I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Amplified version, and have been using it as my “main Bible” since 1995, but I also use and recommend The Holman Christian Standard, and the New Living Translation for easy-to-understand versions.
I’ve linked to the “Study Bible versions” of these Bibles because they include extra information to help with context and application. (However, you don’t have to use a “study Bible version – you can use any Bible you have. It’s all God’s Word, and He speaks through His Word (Hebrews 4:12)!!!
If you want to check out a passage in a different translation other than what you own, go to BibleGateway.com where you will find free access to tons of Bibles online to use and study!)
- Paper – I use a spiral notebook or several sheets of notebook paper folded up in my Bible for these moments with God.
- A Pen or Pencil (highlighter optional)
Here’s the plan:
- 1 minute – Submit yourself to the Lord.
Bow yourself to Him, acknowledging Him as your King and Authority over you. Give yourself and your day to Him. Ask Him to speak to you.
- 1 minute – Praise and Thank.
Praise God for three of His Characteristics and Thank God for three ways He’s blessed you. Quickly write the date and record these on your paper.
- 1 minute – Ask God to create in you a clean heart (Ps. 51:10).
As He reveals any unconfessed sin, repent of it; lay it before Him. (Of course, this is more than a minute-long process – it’s an every day, all day long process. This minute merely opens the door for the Lord to speak to you throughout the day about your sin.
As God convicts you of sinning, repent right then. Don’t wait until later. Confess it. Ask for forgiveness immediately, and stay clean throughout the day (1 John 1:9). It’s like washing your hands each time they get dirty, instead of waiting till the end of the day or the next morning. Occasionally we all will need a long, deep spiritual cleansing, so I encourage you to set aside a special time with the Lord to do that.)
- 2 minutes – Ask God to fill you, cover you with His armor, shine through you, and speak to you.
“Fill me” –
Colossians 2:10 says in the Jewish New Testament, “It is in union with Him that you have been made full.” Especially when we are rushed and stressed, we tend to run on empty. It is in union with Jesus – this time together with Him before anything else depletes us – that we are made and kept full.
“Cover me” –
Using Ephesians 6:10-14, put on the armor God has provided for you to wear in Victory! You do not need to face the day spiritually alone and naked! Idea: list the armor pieces at the top of your notebook or keep them marked in your Bible so you can be reminded of the name and function of each. BTW, Jesus fulfills EVERY piece of Armor – so when you put your armor on, you are putting on Jesus!
“Shine through me” –
Pray that the Lord will shine Himself through you, as His light in this world (Matthew 5:14-16). Isaiah 60:1 says, “Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
“Speak to me” –
Pray Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes that I might see wonderful things in Your Law” and prepare for God to reveal Himself to you through His Word.
(Now, you’re about 5 minutes into the 10.)
- 3 minutes – Read God’s Word.
Have a specific place in the Bible in mind, so you won’t waste your time randomly searching. I’m going through Psalms right now. Other great books to study through are Proverbs, John, James, Philippians… they are all so wonderful, it’s hard to choose one. But for this quick quiet time, I would encourage you to stick to one of the books mentioned above.
There is just something special about getting a Word from what I like to call “the raw Word of God”. I LOVE devotional books and Bible studies… and I encourage you to find time throughout your day to add a Bible study or devotional book reading to your life.
However, if you truly have only 10 minutes, I encourage you to spend them in God’s Word first and add what someone else has written about God’s Word later. {If you have the Holy Spirit living within you, He will speak to you just as He speaks to those who write those devotions and Bible studies… That is…if you ask Him to…and if you then get in His Word. (John 16:13)}
For these 3 minutes: Start at the beginning of the book/passages you are reading. Read for 3 minutes or until the Holy Spirit reveals or convicts you of something (like a name, characteristic, or action of God, Jesus, or Holy Spirit; or a truth about God’s Word, love, ways, plans, purposes, mankind, the world, the enemy; or a heartfelt response like You are so Good, Lord! or Thank you for this! or I am so sorry, Lord! or I never thought of it like that before… or even, I don’t understand… or HELP ME!!!). At this point, pause your reading. (You’ll pick up right at this place tomorrow and continue reading.)
- 1 minute – Write.
On your paper, under your praise/thanks, write the reference for what you just read, then summarize the significant truth that hit your heart. What made you pause? Write it down (this doesn’t have to be long – it can be just a few words or a few sentences).
Summarizing what made you pause brings Scripture alive because this is how God speaks through His Word. In some way, God just revealed Truth to you, and in your pausing and summarizing, you are responding to Him.
It’s as if you are writing to each other. When we get busy, we tend to forget the wonderful things the Lord revealed to us in our Quiet Times. Having them written down gives us a visible picture of God’s activity in our lives during this particular season. (These QT pages from years past have become a treasure to me and have served as a launchpad for many of my writings and teachings about God’s Word.)
IF you wrote a question, pray and ask Jesus to help you find the answer. During your day, ask someone who also studies the Bible. Or, look up the answer on your own at this trusted website, GotQuestions.org. (I do this often, and learn so much!)
- 1 minute – Respond
Either verbally or in writing below your summary, simply respond to the Lord about what He revealed to you through His Word. (This is prayer. God speaks, you respond. You speak, God responds.)
Do you need to thank Him specifically? Do it. Do you need to confess something? Do it and ask forgiveness. Do you need to start something? Stop something? Change something? Share something? Do something?
Whatever it is, talk with Him about it, ask for help, and commit it to Him. You are conversing with the Almighty, All-Powerful God, who loves, holds, and feeds you as tenderly as a mother loves, holds, and feeds her precious babe (Psalm 131:2). Nothing is too big or too difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:17), and you are not left on your own in it (Isaiah 41:10). Whatever He asks of you to do, He will empower you to do it (Philippians 2:13)!
At this point, the 10 minutes is over, but your fellowship with Jesus has just begun.
As you head into your day, continue to talk with Jesus about what’s ahead, about your family, your concerns, your needs, and those things/people heavy on your heart.
You can even pray that the same truths you just heard from God in your time with Him would be found true in the lives of others heavy on your heart. Pray them for your husband, children, grandchildren, family, friends, neighbors, church, ministers, missionaries, boss, government officials… all those you pray for would be blessed by you praying God’s Word back to Him on their behalf.
The KEY to making this work:
As you go about your day, drive to work with Jesus… fold the laundry with Him… acknowledge the Lord in your daily life … linger in His presence as you would your best and dearest friend. The intimacy of God’s fellowship and the awareness of His personal involvement in your life will be the sweetest blessing to you (and to those you encounter for the day, either in your refreshed attitude or as you share what God spoke to you through His Word).
No matter how busy or stressful life becomes, these 10 minutes with Jesus will help jump-start your day with the breath of the Lord God Almighty propelling you forward in His strength, joy, and fellowship!
I will never forget Your precepts,
Psalm 119:93 (AMP)
For by them
You have revived me
and given me life.
For more information on how to study the Bible for yourself, check out this post.
