Quiet Time

I've disciplined myself to have quiet time each day.  It hasn't been easy because life always has a way of crashing the intimate.  My quiet time with the Lord is the most important part of my morning routine.  I like to fix a cup of coffee and sit down with my bible and my journal.  My quiet time goal is to get to know God, His will, His desires, His requirements for me.  I choose a book of the bible I want to study and I read just one chapter a day....if it's a long chapter, I may break it down into digestible sections.  There's not much point in speed reading.  I stick with that book to the end...I don't jump around (usually. Although sometimes I'll read a psalm along the way).

When I come upon a passage that speaks to me or intrigues me or puzzles me, I underline it with a bible-page-friendly highlighter.  I'm fearless about writing in my bible...it's a tool, after all, meant to be used and used and used.  At the end of the chapter I reread all that I've underlined and select the one that is speaking the loudest to me.  Then I journal....(my journal of choice is hardback, spiral-bound, ruled pages, not more that $6, and pretty....and I love to write in purple....my favorite pen:  Pilot Precise V5 extra fine -->PURPLE).

Here's the format that works for me:

Date:  the date...(duh)
Read:  Book and chapter
Best:  Chapter : verse
    Write out the entire verse here.

Prayer:  I take the remainder of the journal page and pray to the Lord about the verse I've selected, my thoughts and questions, praises and requests.  I write it like I'm writing a friend...I don't use fancy words; I don't try to be all pious;  I don't fear telling Him that I don't get what He means.  I just talk to Him on pen and paper.  I limit myself to one page (one side) per day.  That forces me to be concise....to the point.

Right now I'm in the book of Isaiah....it's a long one.

I hope you'll be inspired to reserve just 20 minutes a day to get alone with the Lord and His Word and "taste and see that the Lord is good" (from Psalm 34:8)