Quiet Time is crucial

“Yes I will be there. Thank you,” you respond as you end the phone call. One glance at your calendar and all you see is a blur of colors. Pulling out the blue pen you mark down another event that you agreed to attend. “Why am I so busy,” you wonder, “I never seem to have time for myself.” You glance to your left and notice your dust covered Bible lying there. It has been almost a month since you picked it up. You feel defeated realizing that, in addition to not having any time for yourself, you don’t seem to have enough time to sit down and have quiet time with your Heavenly Father.

This is normal for everyone. We rush through everyday life and no matter how busy we are we continue to pile on more activities. Then we arrive to the point where we wonder why are we so tired all the time, or don’t have the strength to make it through the day. In addition, we wonder why God seems so far away. The reason for this is because we tend to push back our “Quiet Time” (our time with God), or say we will do it tomorrow, and from there “tomorrow” turns into a week. I know I am guilty of this myself. Quiet time, I realized over the summer, is a crucial aspect as a Christian. It is during our quiet time that we hear what God wants to show us. During our quiet time we are able to learn more about who He says He is through his Word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” His Word guides us through our everyday life. Having that time of just simply submitting yourself to Him brings an unexplainable peace. During this time you may run across a passage that pertains to your current situation. Or perhaps God will speak to you in a way that you were not expecting. So many different things can happen during your quiet time it is hard to explain.

However, I know that it is not easy to just sit down and say “Hey Lord! Are you ready for our daily talk?” Life is hectic for both college students and many adults. I have classes, church, my fraternity, studying, and also the time I spend with my friends. It seems that I only have time to study my Bible at night, and even then it is extremely hard to allow myself to get into the Word when I’m tired. As for being an adult, you work 8 hours or more a day, you have kids you come home and tend to, talk with your spouse and have dinner. Then at the end of it you are too exhausted to keep your eyes open. Due to all of this quiet time seems impossible to obtain. However, Jesus asks of us as Christians to seek him, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him” (Deu 4:29-30). It is during all the trials that we need to have God’s Word tucked into our hearts so that it overflows with hope when we need it most. That hope will come from having your alone time with Him. In fact, the secret to having quiet time is found in Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Do not feel guilt if you cannot have quiet time daily, God understands, but don’t forget about Him. He wants to hear your daily struggles and your triumphs. Yes, he already knows what is going on in your life but He still wants to hear about it, so if perhaps you haven’t had quiet time for a while go and remove yourself from people and hear what God has to say, He is waiting for you.