My best time to meet with God is in the early morning. That is the quietest time with the least interruptions. For that time to work, I needed to change when I went to bed. Going to bed earlier helps me get up earlier. I search for a quiet place to get still with God.
Reading
I need a constant flow of God’s Word through me. So, I determined to read five chapters from the Bible each day. There is nothing sacred about how many chapters or verses a person reads. There is something sacred about reading every day. When I read Bibles with detailed footnotes, I read fewer chapters so I can absorb the footnotes. I often highlight what I am reading. If I want to explore the depth of a passage, I spend more time on those verses.
I also read daily devotional books. These brief devotionals help me look over the shoulder of godly people who are journeying with God. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers has influenced me. I’ve learned about Christians throughout history from The One Year Christian History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten. I’ve gleaned insights from Letting God: Christian Meditations For Recovering Persons by A. Philip Parham.
Praying
Prayer helps me connect with God. I create prayer guides in which I include passages of scripture that speak to me. In these, I list my requests for myself, my wife, and my family. I include attitudes, characteristics, habits, tendencies—areas where I need God’s direction. Over time, I’ve shifted some of these as I’ve grown in my faith.
In addition, I include people beyond my family on my daily prayer list. I set up a Sunday—Saturday prayer guide. My list includes:
- Sunday: my church, including worship and ministries. I ask God to use me to bless and encourage people.
- Monday: the persecuted church and Christians living in oppressive locations
- Tuesday: government leaders including local, state, and national leaders, as well as teachers, police, firefighters, and the military
- Wednesday: missionaries and Christian leaders serving in various parts of the world
- Thursday: specific focus on people who are ill or in other times of crisis
- Friday: ministers who will preach on Sunday, including those who have grown up under my leadership
- Saturday: thanksgiving to God and the request for God to prepare my heart for Sunday.
The above does not exclude the specific needs of any day. However, it helps stretch my prayers to address more than the crisis at hand.
Resources
Kenneth Boa created a helpful prayer guide. Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship. Prayers for the Moment by Jim and Kaye Johns is also useful. Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions is helpful. My daily prayer guide shows similarity to Peter Lord’s 2959 Plan.
When possible, I include reading books relating to the challenges I face in ministry. I often read small increments, maybe a chapter at a time.
My daily quiet time prepares my heart for the ministry demands of each day. Many times, thoughts or discoveries in my quiet time contribute to my preparation for Bible studies and sermons. However, I don’t feel comfortable using my quiet time as preparation time for teaching or preaching.
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Quiet Time
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Posted: March 8, 2020 by Harry Lucenay
My best time to meet with God is in the early morning. That is the quietest time with the least interruptions. For that time to work, I needed to change when I went to bed. Going to bed earlier helps me get up earlier. I search for a quiet place to get still with God.
Reading
I need a constant flow of God’s Word through me. So, I determined to read five chapters from the Bible each day. There is nothing sacred about how many chapters or verses a person reads. There is something sacred about reading every day. When I read Bibles with detailed footnotes, I read fewer chapters so I can absorb the footnotes. I often highlight what I am reading. If I want to explore the depth of a passage, I spend more time on those verses.
I also read daily devotional books. These brief devotionals help me look over the shoulder of godly people who are journeying with God. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers has influenced me. I’ve learned about Christians throughout history from The One Year Christian History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten. I’ve gleaned insights from Letting God: Christian Meditations For Recovering Persons by A. Philip Parham.
Praying
Prayer helps me connect with God. I create prayer guides in which I include passages of scripture that speak to me. In these, I list my requests for myself, my wife, and my family. I include attitudes, characteristics, habits, tendencies—areas where I need God’s direction. Over time, I’ve shifted some of these as I’ve grown in my faith.
In addition, I include people beyond my family on my daily prayer list. I set up a Sunday—Saturday prayer guide. My list includes:
The above does not exclude the specific needs of any day. However, it helps stretch my prayers to address more than the crisis at hand.
Resources
Kenneth Boa created a helpful prayer guide. Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship. Prayers for the Moment by Jim and Kaye Johns is also useful. Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions is helpful. My daily prayer guide shows similarity to Peter Lord’s 2959 Plan.
When possible, I include reading books relating to the challenges I face in ministry. I often read small increments, maybe a chapter at a time.
My daily quiet time prepares my heart for the ministry demands of each day. Many times, thoughts or discoveries in my quiet time contribute to my preparation for Bible studies and sermons. However, I don’t feel comfortable using my quiet time as preparation time for teaching or preaching.
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