How to have a meaningful quiet time

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will  reward you”  Matthew 6:5-6 

The religious people of Jesus day practiced some very important disciplines, like prayer and fasting. However, they practiced these disciplines in ways that caused them to miss out on God’s reward. They practiced them with the wrong motivation, with the wrong priorities. 

Similarly, there are Christians today that are praying and even fasting but are not experiencing the reward that God promises to give, namely God Himself. Why? Their motivations and priorities are not in the right place. Spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting ought to be first and foremost a means of growing in our relationship with God. 

If you are praying and reading your bible, let me ask you, are you doing so to gain points with God and others, or is your supreme desire to know God more intimately? Do you seek Him or just something from Him? The author of Hebrews wrote, “…whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). 

Getting away and getting alone with God is essential in experiencing revival in our relationship with God. Below are some keys to having a meaningful quiet time with God that will bring His reward:

Right Hour: 

You must make time for God. It should be your very best time. For me the best time is early in the morning before I start my day. The Psalmist agrees: “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch” (Psalm 5:3).  Someone said, “You don’t take the trip and then read the map, do you?” Make time to get alone with God, preferably before you begin your day. 

Ready Heart: 

A quiet time is fellowship with a holy God. “There are few things you can do to be prepared for this time. First, be physically alert. Find a time when the cobwebs are out of your mind and you can think clearly. Second, be mentally aware. Be focused, and know He’s there. And third, be morally pure and clean. Some people don’t have a quiet time because they feel uncomfortable looking God in the face with sin in their lives (Adrian Rogers). 

Adrian Rogers is not saying you have to be sinless to have a meaningful quiet time. But if there's unconfessed and unforsaken sin in your life, if you have no intention of getting clean before God, you will not have a meaningful quiet time. God is more concerned with your character than He is your comfort. If you're in sin, come before Him and get clean (1 John 1:9). 

Realistic Hideaway

Find a place where you can focus. Jesus said enter into your closet and pray (Matthew 6:6). “That simply means find a place of [solitude] where you can shut the door on the world and open the windows to heaven. Jesus sought out places where He could be alone, and so should you” (Adrian Rogers). 

Reliable Helpers

First there’s the Holy Spirit. Don’t just go through the motions when you pray. Rely on the fact that the Holy Spirit is there to make communion with God possible. Therefore pray that God would open up your eyes, ears and heart through the power of the Spirit. 

Secondly there’s the Word of God. If you are to have fruitful communion with God—the word of God must abide in your heart (John 15:7-8). That takes meditation. Here are some helpful questions to ask:

•   Is there a command to obey?

•   Is there a promise to claim?

•   Is there a sin to avoid?

•   Is there a lesson to learn?

•   Is there a new truth to carry me through?

Thirdly use a journal or electronic device to record what God is saying to you in your quiet time. What God says to you is more important than what you have to say to God. 

Remember, spending time with God is a two-way conversation. Write down what God reveals about Himself and His will and respond accordingly. 

What do you do for God’s eyes only? Jesus taught that our righteous acts, our giving, our prayers and our fasting should all be done for His praise and not the praise of man. When we do what we do to appear righteous before men, Jesus said we lose our reward. 

But when we do it for God, even if no one else will ever know, we will receive the Father’s reward, namely His presence, power and provision to wonderfully know Him and make Him known.