Spiritual Disciplines and The Quiet Time The Life

Spiritual Disciplines and The “Quiet Time” The Life: Practical Insights for Christian Living MITACF Large Group February 22, 2002

Discipline: The Other Definition

What is a spiritual discipline? A habit or regular pattern in your life that repeatedly brings you back to God and opens you up to what God is saying to you. - from www. spirithome. com (part of crosswalk. com)

Examples of spiritual disciplines - community - prayer - a sabbath - bible study - fasting - worship - keeping a budget - and more … - journaling - confession - solitude - celebration

Those seem constricting. Isn’t the Gospel about freedom? n What disciplines ARE NOT: “What it means to be a Christian” n The way to start a relationship with God n Things to do to earn God’s favor and love n Ways to make up for your sins n n There is nothing you can do to achieve these things – they have already been DONE for you by Jesus.

Those seems constricting. Isn’t the Gospel about freedom? n What disciplines ARE: The tools that help you to know God more deeply and that He uses to mold you more and more into His image. n Learned habits that free us to focus on the object of the activity – God – rather than the mechanics of the activity itself. n n The ways our lives as Christians, our restored relationship with God, play out daily – the ends, not the means.

The “Quiet Time”: The Swiss Army Knife of Spiritual Disciplines Definition: An unhurried time of the day where you intentionally seek solitude in order to talk to and hear from God through prayer, the Bible, listening, and meditating.

Let’s Get Practical: The “Quiet” n The “quiet” is an important part. Find a place where you can spend it alone with God, unhurried and without distraction. n A priority for Jesus: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ” Mark 1: 35

Let’s Get Practical: The “Time” n Find a time and schedule it and stick to it, just as you would anything else in your life. n n Make it the priority: “If what’s happening at 10 pm at night is more important than my time with Jesus in the morning, then I’ll do it” - Dawson Trotman Find a regular time & start with a workable expectation. n “Start with 10 minutes faithfully applied everyday, and let God expand your capacities” -Dave Schmelzer

Let’s Get Practical: The “Time” n First ½ of your time: Seek God in the Bible. n Second ½: of your time: Hear from and talk to God in prayer

Bible Study n Observe: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? n Interpret: What’s the context? Is there something that strikes you? Is there something different from what you expected? What is the passage saying? n Meditate and Apply: God, what does this mean in my life? n Be careful of using the Bible as your fortune teller.

Prayer n Have a normal conversation with God. Come to him and speak like you would with your parents, your friends. n No special language needed. n If it helps, follow a structure n e. g. A. C. T. S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication)

Practical Tips n Too tired? n n Try to find a time during the day. Lose focus when you pray? write down your prayers n speak out loud n n use a pattern like A. C. T. S.

Practical Tips n Hard to find a “quiet time” because you have roommates? n Find a place on campus n Don’t n Ask know where to start? people here what they do

Practical Tips n There is no “right way" to have a quiet time. n If you find your times dry, come to God with your desire to know Him more. He wants that, too.

Not natural? Well, a discipline is like learning to play an instrument … n “It takes 3 weeks for you to become familiar with a new task. Then it takes another 3 weeks before it becomes a comfortable habit. Many people never make it past the 6 -week barrier of having a quiet time” – Vineyard 201

Remember: Jesus = Emmanuel = God With Us “… you do not leave God when you go from the quiet place any more than he leaves you. A ‘quiet time’ is a ‘tuning in’ time. You should not switch off the radio once you have tuned in to God’s wavelength. ” - John White

Remember: Always Think About Why You’re Doing This A quiet time is not a time for you to set aside to do something. A quiet time is a time for you to set aside to meet with Someone.