What is a quiet time?
Quiet time. Morning devotional. Silence and solitude. Biblical meditation and prayer. Many phrases can describe the few moments each day that followers of Christ spend in intentional time communing with God in prayer and Scripture intake. A flourishing Christian life is one in which prayer actually characterizes all of life (1 Thess 5:17) and in which the Word of God provides nourishment (Deut 8:3). But one does not arrive at this kind of communion with the Father by accident. Like Jesus, we must take time to withdraw from busyness and distractions to be refreshed and renewed with the Holy Spirit (e.g., Mark 1:35).
Most of us know we ought to have a daily quiet time. Many of us truly desire to commune with our gracious God and experience life with him. But what should that intentional time with the Lord look like? While there are certainly some wrong ways we could attempt this — for example, mirroring the goals and practices of Eastern religions — there is no one right way either. Still, a guide may be helpful to enrich your time with the Lord. Consider following this process to deepen your quiet times.
Five Ps of Quiet Time
Prepare
Find a comfortable and quiet place and remove as many distractions as possible. Take a couple of minutes to quiet your mind and body. Take a few deep breaths to intentionally slow down, preparing to be with Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind so that you would be receptive to his transformative grace in your life.
Partake
If the Word of God is like our bread, then we are invited to partake. We receive it with gratitude, humbly asking God that we might have ears to hear and eyes to see. With this posture, read a passage of Scripture slowly.
Pay Attention
With eyes enlightened by the Holy Spirit, begin to look more closely at the text. What do you notice? Ask yourself things like:
Who? What? Where? When? Why?
What’s the author’s intended meaning to the original audience?
What’s happening in this passage? What’s emphasized, repeated, or related?
What is the movement of the text or its train of thought? How does each phrase or thought connect to the next?
What do specific words mean?
What does the text say about God (e.g. His attributes, desires, promises, commands)? About humanity?
Ponder
Moving past observation, become aware of God’s loving presence and read the passage again silently. Notice how He might be speaking to you. Dwell on a single word, phrase, or theme that jumps out at you. Consider these questions:
What has connected to my heart or mind (e.g., a characteristic of God to be grasped, a command to be obeyed, a comfort to be savored)? Try to narrow your focus to one thing.
Open up your imagination: What would it have been like to experience that event or to be among the first hearers of the text?
Think deeply about it. Let your mind explore every facet of that idea, word, characteristic, or image. What does it really mean? Why is it expressed in that way? What else does Scripture have to say about that?
What might God be showing me? How might he want me to respond? How does He want to transform my heart, thinking, habits, and/or relationships?
Pray
If God has brought something to mind through the text, talk with him about it. Praise him or thank him. Confess sin to him. If you are confused, conflicted, or frustrated, ask him to bring clarity and peace. If you have questions, ask him about it. Take this time to be with the Lord.
(Bonus) Journal
Write down something from your quiet time. That might include some observations about the text or some of your ponderings, questions you have, what you believe God is speaking to you through the Word, a practical response you feel inclined to make, or a prayer.
