August 9, 2018 / Quiet Times and Annotating Bible

Quiet Times – A Beginner’s Guide

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” – Mark 1:35

Why are Quiet Times So Important?

One time at a Matthew West concert, the famed musician shared with us something Billy Graham, the famed evangelist, had shared with him on how he was able to maintain such a strong faith and high level of success in life. “The quality and success of my time with God impacts the quality and success of everything else important in my life,” encouraged the old Southern Baptist minister.

So what does having a successful life, marriage or career have to do with successfully spending time with God? I have come to find in my young faith that going out into the world without having first spent time with God is like going out to play tackle football without pads. It’s just unwise. We need God’s grace, which he freely offers us. D.L. Moody, the 19^th century evangelist, describes more eloquently than I can God’s undeserved kindness:

“If we would be strong and vigorous, we must go to God daily and get grace. A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough today to last him for six months; or take sufficient air into his lungs at once to sustain life for a week to come. We are permitted to draw upon God’s store of grace from day to day, as we need it.” ~D.L. Moody ¹

But our time with God is not simply the Quik Trip for our heart’s gas tank. God wants to spend time with us (John 17:3) and the closer we get to him, the more we want to reciprocate this love language of quality time. Just like with any friend, if we feel far from God, we simply need to spend time with him, but how?

This month marks 5 years since my about face towards Christ. Christ has changed my life in so many ways, and one of the most noticeable differences is the peace he allows me to feel which stems in part from the intimacy I experience with him through spending time with him in his word every morning. But if you are anything like I was early in my walk, the unfamiliar act of sitting down for a spiritually nourishing quiet time can seem like a daunting task. Never fear, for in this post we will be going over some simple and practical tips on how to begin experiencing fruitful quiet times with God.

What Do I Need?

Jesus welcomed without hesitation the first disciples who felt led to follow him (John 1:38-39). God is always ready to receive us, but what do we need?

Time –If this is new for you, start by committing seven minutes of your morning to God’s word and learning at least one thing from him. The more the better, but some time with God is tremendously better than none.
Your Bible – Whichever version you prefer is fine. I use the English Standard Version, and have a Journaling Bible, Interleaved Edition where every other page is blank and allows for notes.
A Journal – If you choose a non-journaling Bible for your quiet time, you will need to opt for a journal. God will teach you in your heart (Psalm 51:6) during your quiet time, so it is ideal to have something to write down what he brings up in your heart while you read.
A Pen – A simple Bic pen works for me when writing in my Bible, but whichever pen you prefer can work. Just make sure you pick one that doesn’t bleed.

What Else?

If you are wishing to dig a little deeper, here are some other tools which can prove useful in your quiet time:

Bible Highlighters – Regular highlighters don’t work very well on Bible paper. This set of special Bible highlighters that my wife found are what I use and allows you to look for different things while digging into God’s word.
Commentaries and Concordances –Bible commentaries and resources like Strong’s Concordance (for word nerds like me) can be crucial in having a successful quiet time with God when you inevitably come across that line of scripture you don’t fully understand.
Other Bible Versions – Bible Gateway is a great website for easily comparing a verse across different Bible versions.
A Computer – Given the usefulness of online Bibles, concordances and commentaries, along with how you chose to write what God is teaching you, if you feel led to, having a computer with you in your quiet time can be fruitful as well.
A Special Place – Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:18 that our Father knows what we do in secret and that he is always with us (Hebrews 13:5). Create a place that is special to you where you can grow close to God.

What Do I Do?

You certainly don’t have to do all of these every morning, but here are some activities you can do to draw yourself near to God:

Proverb on Phone – If you want to get close to God as soon as your day starts, hit your snooze button, open up your Bible app, and read the Proverb’s chapter of the day. If it’s the 7th day of the month, read Proverbs 7. If it’s the 15th, read Proverbs Chapter 15, and so on.
Drop to a Knee –There is nothing we can do apart from Christ (John 15:5) and “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5) That truth is so powerful God led his authors to repeat that exact phrase at least twice in his scriptures! So before you stand up from your slumber, slide off your bed and onto one knee, and simply give God your day. It belongs to him already.
Make some Coffee and Get Ready for the Day – It’s a nice bonus to have during quiet time, but is certainly not a necessity.
Go to Your Special Quiet Time Place – Don’t be afraid to mix it up. One of the best quiet times I’ve ever had was outside in the 45 degree weather surrounded by Colorado’s mountains.
Praise Him – Just like you do in the shower, sing. Pick out a favorite praise song or two of yours, bring it up on YouTube, and sing to God. God resides in the praises of his people (Psalm 22:3), and praising him in some way is something we should be doing in all endeavors of life.
Read and Annotate (Mark) Your Bible – Reading God’s word and writing down what we feel like he is teaching us is the cornerstone of any quiet time. It is so important that we will focus exclusively on this topic in our next post. If you need a place to start for now, The Navigators in their 2:7 series suggest John or Philippians if you wish to begin in the New Testament, and Joshua, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Genesis, or Daniel if you’re ready for the Old Testament. Ephesians was the first book I started with.
Follow up Journaling – Once you are done reading, it can be fruitful to separately write or type “This morning God taught me _______” and then fill in the blank. Doing this can help you retain what you’ve learned and makes transitioning through a book of the Bible more fluid. God can also use this to show larger themes he is seeking to lay on your heart.
Prayer – End your quiet time with a prayer thanking God for what he has shown you, whatever else you may be thankful for and anything on your heart in general. You can write this prayer down, say it out loud, and not have to limit your prayer to just the end of your quiet time. Talk to God during the whole thing as you feel led. We should “Never stop praying.” (1st Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)
Scripture Memory – If time permits, practice scripture the Lord has led you to write on your heart (Psalm 119:11) or begin practicing a new verse God impresses on you during your quiet time.
Driving – Finally, you can always extend your quiet time into your drive to work by listening to the Bible on a CD or listening to sermons, practicing scripture you’ve memorized, or just praying out-loud to God. Again remember that Jesus refers to us as his siblings (John 20:17) and friends (John 15:13), so if praying is newer to you, simply talk to him like a dear old friend or brother. Don’t worry, the reverence will come later.

A Simple Start

Life is all about building habits, and meeting with God is an abundantly fruitful habit that will wash into every aspect of your life. If this all still seems overwhelming, just start by devoting seven minutes to God and his word and write down at least one thing you believe he is teaching you.

If you’ve read this far and haven’t come to accept God’s gift of salvation for your sins through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, it’s a free gift my brother or sister. Jesus loves you and has sent his Holy Spirit for you to come and know him and the Father miraculously intimately. The peace you will find in Christ will not just be for the first few minutes of a day, or even your entire life, but will last for eternity.

I hope this post has encouraged you into why quiet times with God can be both fruitful and necessary, and has also given you some practical pointers on experiencing God’s love. Remember, you only need a few minutes to pick a ripe and perfect apple from God’s tree of wisdom, love and peace. Next post we will dive more in depth with successful strategies for what to look for when reading God’s word and how to mark and annotate one’s Bible.

Thank you, love you and God bless you…and as always, here is a little prayer! Heavenly Father, we love you so much and thank you for this time as we dive into the idea of spending time intimately with you on a regular basis. Please bless the one in reading these words to be like your Son and know the overflowing wonder of intimacy with you and to seek your loving arms every day. In Jesus’ name we pray by the power of the Holy Spirit, amen.

~ For more tips, check out this post from Billy Graham or this post from Watermark Community Church.

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