Mom Time NewsTime for God There's an incredible sin-a secret sin in the body of Christ. All of us have been guilty of this sin, at one time or another. Few would admit it but the consequences of this sin are evident in all our churches and our personal lives. In fact, conservatively speaking fifty-to-eighty percent of all churchgoers are guilty of this sin. It is the sin of neglecting God; not spending time with Him. I am referring to quality quiet time with the Lord without a personal agenda, just an open heart a ready ear. I know you've heard it before and it is not my intention to make you feel guilty. Although guilt may be an preliminary barometer to indicate we are not where we should be in our walk with the Lord. Truly dedicated Christians will feel some guilt because they treasure their time with the Lord. Superficial saints, on the other hand, will only make vain excuses. There is simply no excuse for not spending time with the Lord. It is just a matter of forming a habit. Habits are things we do instinctively. Good habits are the result of good thinking. It is essential to examine our beliefs about our time with God. I know I'm stepping into murky waters here but I must to make this point. I find far too many Christians are quick to say, "God told me______" (You fill in the blank). Too often, these remarks usually come from people who do not have a consistent, proven or developing relationship with the Lord as evidenced by their quiet time which should be rich in prayer, bible study and biblical meditation. Instead they spend an inordinate amount of time communing with their own thoughts and desires, so much so, that they are unable to hear God clearly. They mistakenly believe what they want is what God wants. Unfortunately, they do not realize if they spent real time with God they would die to themselves and become more like their Savior.
We can avoid deception if we would only concentrate on developing a closer relationship with God Himself. We can grow to know the Lord better by spending quality time with Him. Intimacy with God is the cry of the human heart. We simply have to spend more time with Him. We have no choice. If not, then we become like the children of Israel. Remember, God wanted to commune with them but as they approached the place of His Presence, they opted for the easy route. They preferred God to speak to Moses instead of to them, personally. (Read Exodus 20) They were not willing to pay the price to get to know God intimately. It is said the children of Israel knew God's acts, but Moses knew His ways. (Read Pslams 103:7) Sincere Christians know God's ways. Yet, many in the church desire to only know God's acts. Many parishioners are content with their Minister giving them the word of the Lord on Sunday but make no effort to know God for themselves all week long. They barely survive from Sunday to Sunday. This is tragic but true. In times of crisis they look for a minister to help them though it. Everyone should have his or her own personal intimate relationship with the Lord. This begins with personal quiet time. There are a few practical steps you should take to ensure you have daily quiet time. First, you should schedule time with the Lord write it down in your calendar, organizer or planner. Schedule it at a time when you will not get interrupted. Allow no one to get you to alter or cancel your appointment. Time with me and God Be time sensitive. It is also important to be diligent about spending the whole-allotted time in prayer. Do not become legalistic about it though. Several years ago, I heard an excellent teaching on prayer. I became convinced that I should pray at least an hour every day. I would drag myself half-asleep out of bed everyday at 5 A.M. It quickly became apparent I was not enjoying my prayer time and was doing it as a matter of duty. I later learned to adjust my long stretches of prayer to the nights when my house was quiet and more importantly my kids are asleep. Time constraints should not be too rigid. When I first started praying for an hour I scheduled different types of prayer within the hour. It has evolved to a more natural rhythm now with the Holy Spirit directing me when to speak and when to be silent. Of course, I no longer time how long I pray. My prayer life developed as a result of the time I spent with the Lord. In addition to scheduling time for the Lord, you should prepare for it. This is an often-neglected area. Be sensitive to the area in your home where you will fellowship with the Lord. If you are praying in the morning, prepare the area the night before. Do you have a comfortable chair and the necessary materials to make your quiet time sustenance? Practical Helps Little things can really make the difference like having all your materials in one place. I have a prayer basket. I take it with me whenever I go in prayer. The basket makes it easier for me to move all my needed items from place-to-place easily. It really comes in handy when I have to find a quiet spot in when my house is a buzz. My basket is large and sturdy therefore I can put lots in it. You may find a small crate works for you. I put my bible (a few translations), my journal, my prayer book (with petitions for others) and tissues (for those misty moments). I do recommend also a good programmatic bible reading plan because the more Word in us the more we are able to discern the voice of God and to know the character of God. It is interesting that it seems the more time I spend with God, the more time I want to spend with Him. It's like I have an insatiable appetite. And the more the desire increases, the more the anointing from my quiet time begins to spill over into all the areas of my life. Over the years I have heard great sermons, been awed by incredible orators, taught by the masters of the Word, listened to faith-filled cassettes, enjoyed melodic praise & worship music but by far my greatest growth has been the result of a consistent quiet time with my Savior. Nothing can replace it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cheryl R. Carter generally writes on time management, parenting and family issues. She believes one of the biggest threats to the sanctity of the family is sexual sin. She is willing to step out of her comfort zone to address this issue. Read her other commentary under her e-newsletter--Momtime at www.momtime.net |
