“We must remember that God will never drag us along
the path of true-hearted discipleship. This would greatly lack the moral excellency
which characterizes all the ways of God. He does not drag, but draws us along
the path which leads to ineffable blessedness in Himself; and if we do see that
it is for our real advantage to break through all the barriers of nature, in
order to respond to Gods’ call, we forsake our own mercies. But alas! Our
hearts little enter into this. We begin to calculate about the sacrifices, the
hindrances, and the difficulties, instead of bounding along the path, in
eagerness of soul, as knowing and loving the One whose call has sounded in our
ears” (C
H Macintosh).
Having
consistent times of private worship can be challenging in our fast passed,
distracting world. Yet, the reward we
get from spending time with the Father is well worth overcoming any
obstacles. As an encouragement and challenge
to make this a high priority in your life, here are some suggestions from my
routine,
1)
Find a time the works - Blocking out a time on
calendar is essential. It needs to be a
time where you are alert and not overly distracted. Though David rose early in the morning, that
doesn’t mean you need too. Remember, he
started his career as a shepherd, so he lived by the rising and the setting of
the sun.
2)
Find a place that
works – You
need a place where you can be alone, and where distractions are kept to
minimal. Starbucks is not that
place! I do my best study in places
where there is a lot going on around me, but it is a horrible place for a
personal worship! Getting beyond the
distractions, I am not sure it would go over well if I started to sing, pace,
or lay on the floor to pray! You get my
point!
3)
“Be
Still and Know that I AM God.” – Take time to quiet your heart and mind. Ask God to help you lay aside the many
distractions and give you focus. Confess
any sins that are tugging at your heart.
Turn the sound off on your phone, I-Pad and computer, so you don’t hear
texts or e-mails when they come in. If
you remember something important that needs to be done, make a record of it and
let it be.
4)
Read Devotionally – This is not the time for
academic study of Scripture. Until you
are fluent in Greek or Hebrew, just use your favorite translation. Read slow and reflectively. When your mind wanders, stop, go back and
read again. Let it sink in. My pattern for Scripture reading for the last
twenty years is that I read through the Psalms and Proverbs every month and
then work through the rest of Scripture at a rate of 2 to 5 chapters a
day. .If you prefer using a
devotional book along with the Bible in your quiet time, I recommend Spurgeon's
Morning and Evening.
5)
Reflect – Once you are done reading,
take time to reflect on what you have read.
Let the verses sink deep and be a means of grace for you. Remember, don’t rush through this!
6)
Pray – There is no magical formula
for a fruitful prayer life… it is hard work!
I like to prayer through the Lord’s Prayer as it keeps balance to my
prayer life. When I pray through the
Lord’s Prayer, at “Our Father” I
start with a season of praise and thanksgiving.
In addition, I make it a point to not skim through “forgive us our sins.” Confessing to God what He already knows, and
basking in His grace is always refreshing.
I have also made it a habit to be sure to pray both morning and
evening.
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