Reclaiming Quiet Time: 1. An Introduction | 2. Discipline and Devotion

Last week, I began a short series on reclaiming "quiet time." If you haven't read the first post, you should start there as we continue this series. But as a quick recap, I mentioned that "quiet time" is a period of time that is dedicated to devotion in God's word and prayer. Additionally, I began last week's post by noting that "quiet time" does not change how God views us; it is not a reflection of your maturity nor should it keep you from approaching the grace of God because of your sin. This week, I wish to dive a little more into what "quiet time" means and why it's good for us; addressing whether it's biblical or not.

Let's begin by defining "quiet time" a little more clearly since last week we primarily looked at what it isn't. "Quiet time" is a concentrated time devoted to encountering God in His word and prayer for the purpose of spiritual growth and so that we might live out what we learn during this time.

"Quiet time" is a discipline with the central focus of this time being encountering God privately and personally; worship. Further, let me add that this is a devotion. In other words, I understand that we may pray throughout the day or even listen to sermons, but I wish to emphasize that this time is specific, intentional, and purposely set aside. This time should help us in our spiritual development as we engage and encounter God through His word and prayer; lead us to confession and repentance; and ultimately leading us to our worship of Jesus. Remember, time in devotion should be a great reminder of our need for a Savior. This time should best help us develop and understand the renewal of our minds, conforming our lives to the grace of the gospel.

The end goal, in my opinion, is that we would engage our need for Jesus during a time such as this daily. Paul, in Ephesians, tells us that we are to be imitators of God and as we look to Jesus throughout the content of the gospels, we see Him in constant, concentrated times of devotion and prayer (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; Luke 11:1). So, should you have this time in the morning or evening? And should you always have a journal alongside of you? I don't think that's the point. Regardless of what your time looks like, the crux is setting intentional and regular time alone with God for devotion, prayer, and worship. For me, it's early in the morning with my Bible and journal, lots of coffee, and headphones. What about you?

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