Quiet Time Explained

Perhaps you have heard about this concept of “Quiet Time”.  It’s possible you’ve been asked to go on a retreat where the agenda includes going on a nature hike, locating a place of solitude where you are encouraged to experience a couple of hours with the Lord.  As you consider embarking on this excursion, the perplexing thought of 2 hours by yourself in the mountains becomes troublesome.  

This idea of “Quiet” and “Solitude” really emphasizes the spiritual aspect of our relationship with God. When Jesus met the woman at the well in Samaria, He announced to her:

God calls us into a unique relationship as believers, empowered and taught by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Admittedly, this spiritual relationship to which our Lord invites us is foreign to our earthly dimension.    The ability to connect with a friend, enjoy a cup of coffee over a robust discussion about what God has shown us in His word is familiar.  These horizontal relational experiences are critical, yet God calls us to a vertical connection which seems foreign.  

My Story

I came to faith in Christ in high school while having an in-depth study of the second coming of Christ.  Out of fear of being “left behind”, I dug into the excited events surrounding the whole eschatological landscape.   With spiritual naivety regarding a true relationship with Jesus Christ, I was on board with the rhetoric.  I had my tee shirt which read, “Get Right or Get Left”.  I became an evangelist for the return of Christ’s timeline based on very little real prophetic understanding but a whole lot of emotion and energy.   But what was lurking in the back of my mind was the question,

There were many questions of great importance which needed to be answered.  But the emotion and excitement of the movement abated not.  I definitely was opposed to missing out on the Rapture of the Church.   I talked with my Christian friends, my pastor Reverend Bill, and a lady at the local Christian bookstore – I talked with anyone who would dialogue on the subject.  I acquired more books, tracked down more preachers teaching on the subject.  I consumed whatever I could find.  

I became a faithful follow of the Billy Graham ministry, writing for materials about being a Christian and watching the crusades on television.  They recommended I start with the Gospel of John.  The first few chapters were filled with amazing stories.  However, before penetrating very far into John’s account, I reverted to the beginning of the New Testament not wanting to miss out by starting in what I thought was the middle of the “book”.  It was my junior year in high school when I prayed to receive Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I repented of my sin and committed to setting a new spiritual “due north”.  My excitement for Jesus overflowed in my life in many areas.  I was known as “Father Dave” on the track team given my evangelistic boldness (my hometown was heavily Catholic).  I defended Christ in my high school physics class with passion when someone raised an objection to faith in God.  I plugged into the “I Found It” outreach campaign, complete with door-to-door evangelism.  My parents were convinced I had gone completely overboard as I shared the gospel message with them, my grandparents, and neighbors.  My journey with God began with a flurry of excitement.  There was a new life focus, new friends, and an eternal outlook in the spiritual realm that was very exciting.  For the first time, I became aware of the great love of God which directly challenged my well established love of worldly living.  The battles for the allegiance of my heart began.  

While my conversion experience was amazing, I had no spiritual mentor leaving me vulnerable to worldly allurement.  Entering college, my relationship with God became transient as I explored this new domain of adulthood.  I began to question the legitimacy and value of my faith.  My zeal for Him was depleted.  The assurances spoken by many of knowing God, seeking His presence, finding hope in His word, and resting in His promises were seemingly like chasing the wind of Solomon’s Ecclesiastes.  Everyone kept offering assurance that my prayer to receive Christ, my clearly demonstrated interest in the things of God, and my desire to know Him served as evidence that I was accepted by God.  I could call God my Father.  But my claim to know Christ didn’t seem genuine as I searched for that peace everyone talked about.  I began questioning everything as discouragement and a sense of defeat emerged.  I began wondering if I really knew God at all. 

Entering the workforce as an electrical engineer, I began a new life in the desert southwest.  The Motorola facility, located on the outskirts of the east valley in the Phoenix metropolitan area, was surrounded by cotton and alfalfa fields.  Regardless of the daytime temperatures, I frequently walked along the water canals that matrixed the fields.  It was during those walks that God again burdened my heart with a prodigal son’s conviction.  Efforts to deny the Father’s loving call to again pursue a divine relationship were futile.   In the solitude of one of those walks surrounded by God’s creative pageantry, I fell to my knees in submission. 

Connecting with friends involved with the Navigators ministry, my desire for God was reinvigorated. There was a renewed passion to know God, to be obedient, and to walk in a manner that would please Him.  Bert, a retired anesthesiologist and Navigators supporter, became a powerful spiritual mentor. Through his teaching, I was introduced to the practice of something called “Quiet Time”.  For the first time, I began to learn what it meant to develop a relationship with God. Bert took our small men’s accountability group to a Navigators Conference in California where the guest speaker was Lorne Sanny.  Mr. Sanny, mentored by Navigator founder Dawson Trotman, was the General Director of the Navigators for 30 years.  A man of God, Lorne shared an incredibly encouraging and challenging message.  He called us to an intimate walk with God, listening for God’s voice as we meditated on God’s word through our Quiet Time experiences.   Over many years, I have come to appreciate what Lorne shared at that conference – it has been a game changer in my relationship with God.  

Implementation

The idea of Quiet Time as a critical element in my quest to develop a deeper relationship with God made sense.  I longed to know God, to listen to his voice through the scriptures, to enhance my time of prayer, and to sense His presence in a very tangible way.  The goals were encouraging but I lacked clarity on implementation details, reasonable expectations, and the means to translate this desire to experience. Often these challenges can lead to discouragement and disappointment if not managed properly.  Based on my experiences, I have highlighted some Quiet Time considerations which will help you manage expectations, set reasonable goals, and develop a desire for time with the Lord that will become an indispensable part of your daily walk with God.  

Expectations

You hear from someone about the idea of having a Quiet Time, how impactful it has been on their spiritual journey, and with great eagerness you desire to replicate that experience in your own walk with God.  Developing a new spiritual practice like any other activity needs to have reasonable goals and expectations so that you’re set up for success.   Nothing is more discouraging than attempting to immediately achieve a level spiritual impact equivalent to someone who has developed the Quiet Time spiritual habit over many years. It creates the situation where experiential replication seems beyond reach.  

I have been practicing the concept of Quiet Time since about 1989.  My approach is to rendezvous with God in the morning which consists of prayer time coupled with listening for God to speak through His word. I have come to appreciate that prayer is one of the most powerful means of communing with God.  It is also one of the more difficult aspects of this spiritual relationship.  We all understand that communication is a pillar in successful relationships.  Why would our relationship with God be any different?  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that God isn’t sitting across from us, not actively engaging in the conversation like we normally experience in our earthly relationships.  Wrestling with this vertical connection, I have found growth in my prayer life emerging from a deeper understanding of spiritual truths revealed through immersing myself in God’s word. As Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 2, the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our heart to that deeper understanding of God found in dimensions that are beyond our earthly frame of reference.  How else do we grasp the spiritual reality that those who are in Christ are seated in the heavenly realms with Christ even now (Eph. 2:6). In a spiritual dimension, I am with Christ even as I dwell physically on this earth – a concept considered “foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18). Prayer is a time of speaking our hearts to God in praise, confession, petition, and thanksgiving. But prayer also includes those moments when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to a deeper understanding of God’s word. Prayer is a faith exercise at the spiritual level with the Holy Spirit dwelling in our inner man leading, instructing, and advocating on our behalf.  

Journaling is one of the key components of a quiet time.  Not everyone thrives on writing, but there are so many benefits from this activity that we can’t pass it up.  The danger is thinking that there must be some prescribed format.  While I would advocate for some structure, being free to write about different topics, thoughts, and concerns is important.  I have included 4 different examples of journal entries for your consideration.  My quiet time is usually in the morning but sometimes I will take evening hours before bed to capture what I call “Evening Thoughts”.  This is a chance to reflect on experiences of the day including spiritual insights which God placed on my heart are important to capture.   As this spiritual habit grows, it becomes something that is anticipated, leaving a deficit feeling if the time is missed.  The important step is to develop a Quiet Time rhythm which will become more of a priority due to the meaningful times you have with God – we do prioritize what we value.  In this age, perhaps your Quiet Time journal is digital.  Find what works for you and be consistent with that method.  

Time  

I have found early in the morning before things get crazy is best.  You must decide based on your schedule.  Some enjoy rising early before the day gets rolling.  It seems like the busyness of the day can really take over your thought processes.  I think that is why many pastors encourage an early morning time with the Lord.  It sets our minds on a firm foundation as the challenges emerge and opportunities present themselves.  The world system will pull you away from God’s desires.  It is best to start with His word circulating in your thinking.  

However, I often find evening time a good time to process the day reflecting on my actions, contemplating the victories and areas needing improvement as I pursue guidance from God’s word.  As I shared above, I often do both.  But in the spirit of managing expectations, the call of the family, the unexpected early morning meeting, and those who work a second and third shift may well demand a different time.  Find what works best to enjoy this time of fellowship with God.  The important point is to be committed to the time you set aside, develop a rhythm, and make it a priority.

Place

Find a place where you won’t be interrupted, which today is nearly impossible given our connectedness.  When approaching the throne in prayerful communion with God, contemplating what the Holy Spirit is presenting to your soul, and writing thoughts which capture a heart conviction, you don’t want to be disturbed.  A text message is all it takes for the enemy to distract us from such a holy moment.  But then there are the realities of a child in need, a call that must be answered, or a distraction due to an important meeting that is happening that day – things happen.  Give yourself some grace; but aspire in the majority to have that quiet place where your uninterrupted communion with the only true God can be protected.

Duration

The thing I worry about when setting a duration is the possibility of Quiet Time becoming a chore rather than a privilege to meet with God.  Some days will be different from others.  On Monday, your heart may be burdened for prayer with God and a deep dive into the impact of Romans 5:8.  Tuesday may be quiet with not much to drive engagement with God.  Your heart may be restless and so you chose to read through John 14.  Then you call it and start the day.  That’s ok, just make a commitment to join with God at your selected time and place and see where God leads.  With a Quiet Time rhythm established, concerns of duration will diminish giving way to time management issues because you’re going to be late for work.   Fellowshipping with God becomes so precious, it’s hard to bring it to a close – oh, to dwell in His presence.    

Commitment

It has been shown over and over that a consistent Quiet Time is an avenue toward intimacy with God.   Satan will fully oppose this spiritual connection utilizing different means and methods.  He may have lost the battle keeping you a slave to sin as God rescued you from the domain of darkness.  But he will be relentless in seeking to dilute your relationship with the King, to minimize your fruit bearing for God’s glory, and put stumbling blocks in your worthy walk with Him.  God desires relationship with us and that takes dedicated time.  Don’t miss out on the most important connection you’ll have each day. 

Partners

Sometimes it is good to have a “Quiet Time Partner” for the purposes of:

1. Holding each other accountable
2. Sharing what God has revealed
3. Seeking insights on things that are unclear
4. Encouraging one another on Quiet Time implementation and best practices

The logistical and time challenges may impede consistency which could be addressed using Zoom with remote connections.   However, I would suggest where possible face-to-face engagement holds much value which perhaps could occur on a weekly or bi-weekly basis as your schedules allow.  The important point is to consider if partnering with another believer is beneficial in establishing the Quiet Time Rhythm.   

Plan

Probably one of the most intimidating aspects of this Quiet Time implementation is:  Where do I start?  Proud of your motivation, the clock on our office desk reads 6:00am.  The kids are still asleep, the furnace provides a gentle white noise.  The light from the soft white desk lamp reflects off the blank first page of your new Quiet Time journal.  Staring at the Bible to the left of your journal, the tapping of your ball point pen with the consistency of a metronome communicates a “What Now” uncertainty.   That’s fair – it’s important to have a plan.  Some ideas would include:

• A daily devotional – Reading some thoughts from an author often tied to a bible verse can be a great way to stimulate your own thoughts.  Perhaps in your journal, write down what the devotion said to you.  Maybe this includes thinking about how these thoughts might impact your character, what you will do differently, think differently.  Apply your conclusions to real life – perhaps an impact to your fruit bearing for God’s kingdom.
• Read through the Bible plans can also be a great guide
• Listening to a short podcast or other Bible app can stimulate some things to consider.

I have included four example Quiet Time approaches for your consideration.  There is no perfect format. Each week could use one or all four of these examples.  Find what works for you as you pursue a Quiet Time Rhythm.