WHAT IS QUIET TIME? AND WHY?

 

QUIET TIME
Written By: Lizzy Oyebola Oyekunle

This was supposed to be a message on my WhatsApp Status but here it is ready for you that isn’t even on my contact list to enjoy and learn from.

Quiet Time or Personal Devotion has been a part of my life since I gave my life to Jesus.

At some point while still crawling in the Lord, whenever I missed my Personal devotion, I would smote myself numerously. It even became a prayer point.

“Lord, any time I miss my devotion, take my peace away till I have spoken to You that day oh Lord!”

And the Lord would do that for me!

During my undergraduate days, I have places where I would lock myself in just to pray!

When I got to a kinda Muslim environment during my postgraduate days also, I would go down to my church headquarters every Wednesday just to have a personal time with God. It was so far, but I had to do it! I can’t give God that which costs me nothing!

And everyday, I would wake up before everyone does, pick ky devotion materials and a blanket and move to the staircase leading downstairs. Do you know how cold Zaria is? I would be in that pure cold, freezing because I wanted to get the best from God!

The testimony from it is that, there comes joy, fulfilment, answers to prayers, inspiration, revelations and so many other benefits from going on my knees in the early morning while others slept!

As a Sunday School teacher in Bowen University those days, I would go to one of the common rooms and knee down every Saturday night when I know majority of my SS students would be sleeping. I would tell God about them then, no wonder testimonies abounded after each class.

As a preacher or teacher of God’s Word, you shouldn’t talk to the people about God without FIRST talking to God about the people!

I do not want to digress from the discussion for today.

As you must have guessed right, I want to briefly talk about Quiet Time also known as Personal Devotion.

Text/Memory Verse is from Mark chapter 1 verse 35 which reads thus:

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed!

Who is being talked about in this verse above?

You sure know that its our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

What is Quiet Time?

It is a regular observance of personal fellowship with God.

The two key words are ‘regular’ and ‘personal.’

If the way some of us observe our quiet time is the same way we eat, we would be long dead!

You wouldn’t because you ate a mountain of Eba and big chunks of different meats yesterday refuse to eat today. Once you go to the toilet, everything in your stomach is gone. Right?

That’s how our spiritual life is also. Because you spent five hours yesterday in fellowship with God shouldn’t mean tomorrow’s should be skipped.

Sufficient unto the day are its evil thereof.

Pray without ceasing is what the Bible says!

The big question now is this:

Brother, when last did you have a meaningful Quiet Time??

Sister, when last did you fuel the fire on the table of personal devotion?

Quiet Time / Personal devotion is very very very very different from Morning Devotion!

It is an intentional act of waking up early in the morning and committing the day into God’s Hands!

It is an act of listening to what God has to say concerning the day!

It is a means of subduing the day and its evils thereof on your knees!

Why should we have our Quiet Time?
1. We follow the Lord’s Example by doing so.

2. We cannot grow without quiet time.

3. We get Power to do exploits in our Quiet Time. Public Power equals Private Prayers and vice Versa.

4. We get to see God more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly!

5. We will win a special sit beside God as a favourite child. Abraham got called a friend of God, even Moses too! Why? They dared to pull themselves from the crowd to talk to God!

6. We will be spiritually sensitive and alert. There will be nothing hidden from us again. Maritally, you will get it right. In relationships with everyone, you will get it right.

7. The image of Christ will rub off on you: when a leaf stays long with a soap, it becomes soapy. When a Christian stays long with God, he becomes godly!

Many reasons abound but let’s move on.

What time is best for Quiet Time?

Quiet Time can come anytime of the day but the morning is more than ever, the best!

Why is it best to have your quiet time in the early morning?

👉

1. You get to see the Prince of Peace before seeing the prince of this world.

2. You bath in God’s Word before bathing with earth’s water.

3. You talk to God before talking to men!

4. You eat the Bread of Life before eating the world’s bread.

5. You kneel down before God to stand straight before man.

6. You weep before God to smile before all men.

7. You ask for the path to walk in and you are directed in the way to go.

8. You surrender all to get Strength to fight all temptations in the day.

9. You talk to God in the dark of the morning and you remain the light of the world wherever you go.

10. You exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and have the devil trampled under your feet throughout the day.

11. You clear the coast spiritually so you can have a victorious day.

Let’s stop here for now. You sure know the benefits are endless.

Components of a Sound Quiet Time:

1. Brief Session of thanksgiving.

2. Songs of worship and praise.

3. Intercessory and Personal Prayers.

4. Read and study the Word.

5. Meditate on the Word.

6. Pray for the Grace to obey the Word.

7. Thanksgiving/Closing Prayer

Let’s assume you spend 5minutes for each session, that’s like 35mins.

What if its 10 minutes you spend for each session? Oh my, 1hour 10minites.

If you increase it to 15minutes per session nko? That’s 1hr 45mins!

That’s awesome!

You’ll keep getting better!

Things you shouldn’t do:

1. If you want to wake up by 4am for instance, don’t ever set alarm for 4am o. Please na beg I dey beg.

Set the alarm for like 3am. Even when the sleepy you snoozes it to 3.15 and 3.30, you are already half awake.

By the time it comes up again by 3.45, you are seated already, staring at the phone angrily🤣🤣😂

Speaking from experience right?

But you will grow anyways! You can’t stay as an alarm Christian forever😁 but its not bad to start with it.😉👍

2. Also, don’t sleep on your back or side and all saying you are having devotion o.

Just sit up, stand up or kneel straight!

If you kneel with your head on the bed ehn, 😂 you are in the best position to doze off o. Dan Allah, just choose a position that’s not convenient.

Jesus climbed up the mountain, don’t you think sleep would have flown off by the time he reached the peak?

Jacob used stones for pillow😧…he just can’t sleep o, lailai!

Daniel would kneel down, his hands up like he was serving punishment, his face facing the windows!

What of Elijah? He prayed with his head between his knees. Oya try it and see if you can do so moreso for hours!!

3. Don’t put food on fire during your personal devotion. Wake up early so there would be time to do all those without getting late for work or school.

4. Don’t be tempted to use a devotional on your phone or on the internet. You could end up chatting with Bro Tony till its time to rush down to work/school.

What do you need for a great Quiet Time in God’s Presence?

1. A good Bible: King James Version at your right and Message Version at your left, you will be set to search the Scriptures! (Those are my best versions. I love Goodnews Version too though)

2. A good jotter/notebook: Don’t get the one with few leaves o. Get higher education notebook or something even bigger. Jot your dreams, feelings, inspirations and all down in there when you wake up. Your prayer requests too can be imputed in there.

3. A hymnal: this is also very essential and even better than having your phone near. Get a hard copy hymnal.

4. A good pen is nice too.

Let me round off with this: 👉👉

A day without quiet time makes you dry spiritually.

A week without quiet time makes you weak spiritually.

A month without quiet time makes you miserable spiritually.

Days without His Word makes you Worrisome.

Days without His Voice makes you vain.

Days without His Truth makes you Troubled.

Days without Fellowship makes you fruitless.

Days without His Will makes you wasted

I pray these words get internalized into your very being, rousing you up and challenging you daily till you have prayed and really fellowshipped with your Maker. Amen!

Thanks so much👏

Any question? Feel free to ask in the comment box.

Any personal question? Forward to me at deraconteursite@gmail.com.

God bless you.