The Right Attitude for Your Quiet Time

“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b NIV)

You can have a quiet time anywhere, but it all starts with a great attitude. God wants to know that your heart is in the right place. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV).

What is the right attitude to have during your quiet time?

1. Come with expectancy. Be eager to come before God’s presence. You’re meeting with God — the creator of the universe! You should expect to have a good time of fellowship with him and receive a blessing.

2.  Come with reverence. You’re going to meet God, so don’t rush into his presence. Prepare your heart by being still before him. If you were going to meet with the president of the United States or the queen of England, you’d get there early. You’d look your best. How much more reverence should we have when we come into the presence of the creator of the universe?

3. Come with alertness. Get yourself wide-awake before you meet with God. Again, you’re meeting the creator of the universe. Don’t have your quiet time in bed. You’ll probably fall asleep. In fact, the best time to prepare for your quiet time is the night before. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier if you need to. Be in good shape when you meet with God. He deserves your full attention.

4. Come with the willingness to obey. Don’t start your quiet time with the idea that you’ll hear from God and then decide whether or not to obey. Instead, tell the Lord you’ve already decided you’re going to say “yes.”

Have a good attitude before you start your quiet time, and you can expect a good result from your quiet time. Come before the Lord with the wrong attitude, and it’ll be just the opposite.

Talk About It

• What specific ways will you change the way you do your quiet time once you consider your attitude toward your time with God?

• How do you think your attitude would change if you had a sense of expectation about what God is going to do in your heart during your quiet time and not if he will work in you?

Finding the Right Time and Place for a Quiet Time

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 NIV)

Over the past few days we’ve been talking about your quiet times. The time you spend with God is the most important part of your day. That’s why when and where you meet him is so crucial. Consistency matters in both cases.

Meet God at the same time every day. Mark 1:35 says that “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (NIV). Just because Jesus got up early to pray doesn’t mean you have to. The key is this: Give God the best part of your day. Give God whatever time of day you’re the freshest. For some of you, that’s the morning. You jump out of bed and hit the ground running. Others of you don’t believe in God until 11 a.m.! But you’re still rolling at midnight.

Most importantly, give God the best part of your day and schedule your quiet time into your day like you would any appointment.

Start slowly. If you’ve never had a quiet time before, start with five minutes. Start small and let it grow gradually. If you start out trying to have an hour-long quiet time each day, you won’t do it consistently. Eventually, shoot for no less than 15 minutes each day. Who doesn’t have 15 minutes?

Find a special place to meet with God. Jesus had a special place to meet with the Father. Luke 22:39 says, “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him” (NIV). It was Jesus’ usual habit to go to the Mount of Olives. He had a regular place where he went and prayed. What kind of place should you look for as your “regular place”? It should be:

• Secluded: Look for a kind of place where you can be alone, where it’s quiet, and where you won’t be interrupted. It should be a place where you can pray aloud.
• Consistent: Make it the same place every day.

Talk About It

• Take time now to identify your “when” and “where” for your quiet time. You can even share it with a close friend who will hold you accountable.

• What are the parts of your day to which you give great attention, are never late, and look forward the most? Put your quiet time at the top of that list.

The Privilege of Your Quiet Time - Rick Warren

“You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11 NLT)

I mentioned yesterday that it’s quite a privilege to have a quiet time. We get to have an audience with the king of the universe, the creator of everything.

What makes our quiet times such a privilege that we wouldn’t want to consider missing it? Here are four miraculous things that happen when we spend time with God.

1. You get to give God your devotion. “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you” (Revelation 3:20, MSG). He’s your creator, redeemer, provider, sustainer, counselor, and comforter. God deserves our worship. We’d have nothing without God. Better yet, God wants your devotion, too! He wants to spend time with you.

2. God gives you direction. “Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:4-5 NIV). You and I need direction on a daily basis. God wants to give that direction to you, but to get the direction you must spend time with him. Your quiet time gives you an opportunity to get a daily mid-course correction in your life.

3. You gain delight in God. “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11 NLT). Spending time with God will actually make you happier. Your quiet time is when you enjoy God. Knowing God is the secret to joy.

4. You grow to be more like God. The more time you spend with God, the godlier you become. Spend time watching television, and your character will be shaped by the people you’re watching. Spend time studying God’s Word and with him in prayer, and your character will be shaped by the character of Christ.

Are you spending time with God every day? Do it, and it will be the best decision you’ve ever made.

Talk About It

• In what area will you ask God for direction today?

• Have you noticed that your day goes differently if you start it in the Word and in a quiet time with God?

A Simple Way To Unlock The Bible - Rick Warren

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.” (Colossians 3:16a NLT)

Studying the Bible in a way that changes your life doesn’t take a bunch of expensive tools. You don’t need commentaries or Bible study software. In fact, if you were stuck on a desert island with just a Bible, you could simply use the method you’ll learn about in this devotional.

Yesterday, I told you how important it was for you to meditate on God’s Word. God says that if we meditate on his Word, we’ll be successful. Here’s a method you can use to meditate on God’s Word in a way that’ll please God.

The “pronounce it” method of biblical meditation is an easy method for meditating on Scripture — and getting every ounce of spiritual nutrition you can out of it.

You start with a verse and read it over and over again. Each time you read the verse, you emphasize a different word. It’s the simplest way to start unlocking Scripture. You can do it even if it’s the first time you’ve ever opened up a Bible. It’s simple but amazingly powerful. Each time you emphasize a different word, you get a different perspective.

Take the first part of Colossians 3:16 for example. The verse says,  “Letthe word of Christ richly dwell within you” (NLT).

The first time you read the verse, emphasize the word “let.” “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.” What does it mean to let? It means “give permission.” I open the door; it’s my choice. We have to choose to let the Word of God dwell in us richly.

Then, read the verse again and emphasize “word.” “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” That means I need to get God’s Word in my mind.

Then, emphasize the third word of the verse, “Christ.” You’re not dwelling on what some philosopher, guru, or talk show host has to say. You’re dwelling on the words ofChrist! I don’t want to let the word of the world dwell in me, but I do when I spend my time watching TV instead of reading God’s Word.

Then you focus on the word “dwell.” “Let the Word of Christ dwell within you.” The word “dwell” means “to hang there for a long time.” It’s not rushing through God’s Word so you can get on with the rest of your day. To let the Word of Christ dwell in you is to let it live within you.

Then you stop and emphasize the word “in.” It’s good to have the word of Christ around you. You can put the Word of God on a plaque or a bumper, but it won’t change your life until you let it in your life.

Then focus on the word “you.” The Bible isn’t just God’s Word for your pastor, a seminary professor, or your Sunday School teacher; it’s God word for you! The Bible is instruction for every single believer.

Finally, emphasize the word “richly.” What does that mean? It means the opposite of poorly. In other words, richly means lusciously, extravagantly, and profoundly. God doesn’t want his Word to be a poor substitute in your life. He wants it to create beauty in your life.

See all the great jewels you discovered in this passage just by focusing on one word at a time? You didn’t need a seminary degree or a great library of reference tools. You can do this!

Talk About It

• How will you dwell on God’s Word throughout your day?

• Does your life reflect the richness of God’s Word and his grace? How would it look different to other people if you allowed God’s Word to make a difference in your life?

National Day of Prayer and Fasting

National Day of Prayer this Sunday 19th….check this link for more info…get involved if you can.

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.com.au/