” In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”-{ Mark 1;35}
To be with Him. Jesus demonstrated this by carving out time to be with His Father.
You don’t have to be too long as a new follower of the LORD JESUS when someone might say you need to have a “quiet time!” And you are maybe not sure if this is one of the conditions of being a ‘good Christian’ that has to be fulfilled and on par with the commandments of God! You may be told to how long you should have a quiet time. So off you go trying to have one and soon running into the difficulty of what to do during that time, seems like you have prayed, read, and still have forty minutes left and not sure what to do but know you have a whole lot of time left before you can finish this allotted time for your “quiet time.” Or you run into the difficulty you are having with the thoughts coming to mind, at times causing your mind to wander or bombarded by sinful thoughts, and just how difficult it is to get your mind quiet as it seems like you are sitting in the middle of a busy runway at an international airport with planes flying, whizzing over head taking off and landing and it can seem that way with your thoughts, things you haven’t thought of for weeks, months, years coming back to your memory. The word “quiet” doesn’t seem to describe your experience of a “quiet time” and you may be tempted to wonder what is wrong with you. Why ARE YOU NOT experiencing the”bliss” that others speak of? And it seems the only relief you get is when you leave the place of your “quiet time” does your mind finally settle down. Phew! Relief!
The desire of one who loves, is to be alone in the presence of the one they love for as long as possible- uninterrupted, yet to have no desire to be with Him or for Him, or His Word, we deceive ourselves. But also to try force people to have a “quiet time” as though that is the end of all and without explaining why carve out time to have alone is also wrong and misleading and confusing for the young as well as the old in the LORD. It can nearly end up as a works mentality to find favor with God, when He has already fully accepted us because of His Son, in whom we are “accepted in the Beloved”-{Read Eph 1;6} and we stand in the full favor of God-{Read Rom 5:2}. We are trying to earn what God has freely given us. Full acceptance and eternal favor with Him!
There is nothing ‘magical’ about having what people call “a quiet time,” as though somehow it makes us more “spiritual” if we do, or we can use as a “merit” to “cash in” with God when tough times come and we use it to appeal to Him why we should not have difficulties or experience suffering. We can have so many wrong concepts about having a ‘quiet time’ like I said from believing we are more “spiritual” if we do and can check of our ‘to do list” for that day and forget it is not something to do but Someone to meet with! Or the sense, though perhaps unspoken but the sense that by having a “quiet time” we are spiritually ‘superior’ to others when we find they don’t or do not have as long “a quiet time” as we do. It is so, so wrong that sort of thinking. How wicked is our heart’s. It is pride, sin, self centered arrogance and needs to be repented of. No, the reason to have some time alone is simple. It helps us have uninterrupted time to think, meditate, read His Word and talk to Him and listen to Him from His Word. We get alone so we can have time…alone! Alone from having to interact with others, responsibilities, just to come apart for a time with Him. It is just some time carved out to be able to concentrate on the LORD and relate to Him things on our heart and read from His Word what He says, thinks.
One practical reason for having it early in the morning before work, school or your day begins is it is the only time you may find that day as things, life, is so so busy for so many. No, there is no magical thing or spiritual “merit ‘ to be gained by getting up in the middle of the night or early in the morning. It is just for some practical in light of the full commitments of a day! And let me just say this if you are getting up in the middle of the night or early morning to have a “quiet time” and as a result of sleep deprivation being irritable with people during the day, then change the TIME. You are not a slave to a time as though that is your “time slot” and the only time God can meet with you! You are not a “slave” to a specific time but you are a love slave of Jesus Christ and called to represent Him in loving others. If you are not getting enough sleep, look at why. Is it you are staying up too late, spending time on things that don’t really matter? If so, you are free to make an adjustment. Is it because you are up half the night with a new born baby who needs feeding, or a sick child, spouse, relative? Is it because you worked late? Is it because you have trouble sleeping? Whatever the reason make adjustments where you can and if you need to sleep longer then sleep longer… everyone around you will appreciate it more if you are easier to live with! Then spend time when you can with Him. Remember He is with you when you awake, because He is the One who awakens you! Don’t be a slave to “a time.” You can end up being ‘legalistic,’ and seeking to have others live under a teaching that is yours and not God’s, and ELEVATING YOUR opinion above God’s Commands! We know HE commands us to be kind, and loving to others. He does not command we get up at a certain time to have a ‘quiet time,’ and if you don’t you are not a ‘good Christian’ or you must not ‘really love the LORD.’ Do you see how we drift by displacing Him, His Word for our own strongly held opinions and present them as though this is what God says, when that does not represent His thinking as the question always is “What does His Word say?” As it reveals His thoughts. And where the Scripture is silent on a matter and there are no principles for that issue then where He is quiet we must be quiet and not present our opinions as though they are what He says! WE DISHONOR HIM AND TAKE HIS NAME IN VAIN WHEN WE DO!
Some may point to someone in the Scriptures who like Jesus arose early in the morning and there is the “evidence” that early morning is the best time and superior time and “the” time to meet with God. But the Scriptures also show at other times people met with Him and prayed to Him. It is to try an “spiritualize” a verse, thought and take it out of context and instead of reading from it what it is saying we read and put our thinking into it to say what we want it to say. And then we build a “teaching” around it, elevating that teaching above the Word of God! False teaching!
Another problem is the thinking that if We don’t have “a quiet time” and something goes “wrong,” or “bad” that day, it is because we didn’t have our “quiet time,” and it borders on superstition and equating missing a quiet time as some grievous sin we have committed and God is punishing us… and so we are fearful of missing that time because of what potentially could happen to us. So what should be a time with Him now is turning into a time of fear if we miss it and we are now trying to appease God lest HE become angry with us and punish us as a result! This is why we need to continually renew our minds in His Word, so we no longer think wrongly, like that. It’s false concepts, erroneous thinking, making God out to be other than He is. It’s a fearful way to live when He does not call us to that but indeed set us free to live in assurance of His love and free to serve others in love. It’s not as though you can’t talk to Him anywhere else, or meditate upon His Word anywhere else. The psalmist delighted in His Word and meditated upon it day and night as was the occasion. {Read Psalm 1:2}. Don’t think God is a slave to our views of Him and a “quiet time.” He is available at all time, day or night, and you have access to Him through the blood, the life laid down to satisfy the justice of God though the LORD Jesus Christ. Make much of Him!
Potential problems arise with a ‘Quiet Time’ through wrong concepts we have been told or what we feel makes up a ‘good quiet time.’ Or potential problems arise because of how some people elevate it as a mark of “spirituality” and elevate it above the Word of God! Both problems, both wrong.
Why get alone with Him in what some call a ‘quiet time,’ when in reality it can be anything but quiet because of the thoughts that often bombard the mind?
We get alone to spend time with Him, at a time when we just take ourselves away from other activities to be spent with Him… to know Him better through His Word, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”-{Luke 24:27}. It doesn’t need a name ‘quiet time’ as a mater of fact it doesn’t need a name at all! For some that will mess them up because they see the phrase’ quiet time’ as sacred as though Moses Himself had brought it down from the mount.
We just cut out a portion of time to try and get way from other things, people, to spend with Him who loves us and we just want to have some time with Him and to be able to share our thoughts with Him, ascribe our thanks to Him ask His help and find out what He says in His Word to help us know Him better and to obey and be reminded of what IS His way, will, promises for us in life’s situations. Some people get caught up at what “time” you have your ‘quiet time,’ as though to get up early in the morning is of more spiritual prominence than to have some time alone in the middle of the day or evening with the LORD. It is to miss the point, it is not where or when but with WHOM you want to spend time with! Thank God we are not confined to a time or a place to meet with Him but through His blood we have unlimited access to Him and can speak to Him wherever we are. How more gracious is He than we are or we make Him out to be.
In truth many a “quiet time” is anything but quiet as all kinds of thoughts flood our mind, but we are there to spend with Him and to take time to tell Him how wonderful He is and ascribe worth to Him is an act of faith not an act of feelings. Some people can have had a “quiet time” and talk how wonderful it was while others can feel terrible because of the thoughts that were coming, bombarding them and their thoughts were all over the place and they can wrongly “feel” something is wrong with them as they compare themselves to someone else’s experience. That’s the problem. Comparing yourself to someone else. And then seeking a “feeling” rather than the LORD! It’s not as though the evil one says ‘time out’ leave him or her alone they are going to have a ‘quiet time’ seeking to read God’s Word, praise Him, get to know Him and His will better… have some respect leave them alone!” No, he is full of hatred towards God and those whom He has created and those who are His through redemption. Of course you can expect to be opposed but don’t go by what you “feel” but by the fact He is present as He is in every place and share your heart with Him. Don’t be taken up with the time or place you are having a quiet time but why you are and with whom you are having it with…HIM!
Jesus teaches us no matter how busy He was He made time to have time of fellowship with His Father.-{Read Mark 1;35}
We empathize a time He emphasizes a Person to be with!
It wasn’t about a specific ‘time,’ Or ‘place’ but it was making time to be with SOMEONE!
Same for you… same for me. We are not locked in to a time, an event but simply to spend time with Him because we want to… Your not a slave to a ‘quiet time’ but you are a love slave of Jesus Christ.
Don’t make much of the concept of a ‘quiet time’ make much of Him who owns all time and whom you have unlimited access to…at all times!