Is It ReaLLY important 2 have QUiet TimE with HIM

The summer months seem to be a time where we take a break from our normal routines, which is great. But, we have to be careful to never take a break from having time with the Lord. How can we safeguard this time and make it a priority each day?

Is it really that important to have a quiet time with the Lord everyday? I mean, the Lord knows how busy our life is, so if we just toss up a few prayers and listen to a Christian song on the radio while rushing off to work, that should suffice, right?

It’s easy to let the busyness of life crowd out time for prayer, Bible reading, and sitting with the Lord. There are a million things on all of our to-do lists, time is tight, and quiet moments seem few and far between. But I’ve learned that if I make the choice to be with the Lord first thing in the morning, my outlook on life that day and my ability to handle things seems to go so much smoother.

Also, we've had to change my mindset on having a quiet time. Spending time with the Lord in the morning doesn’t end when we say “amen” and put our Bible back on the shelf. We've just invited the King of Kings to participate in our day. So, we get up from spending time with the Lord in the morning and start eagerly looking for His hand of activity in my life.

We think about the Bible verses we read that morning and look for ways to apply them to our life that very day. We watch the circumstances that come our way hour by hour and ask the Lord to constantly give us wisdom to process life in the way that would be most honoring to Him. Our mindset is healthier, our attitude more positive, and our ability to extend grace to those who rub us the wrong way is increased just by setting aside some time to be with the Lord.

If you are struggling with having quiet time with the Lord each day, try these helpful ideas:

* Be honest with God and admit your struggle. Ask God to give you the desire to set aside time to be with Him.

* Start with just a small amount of time. Even if it is just 5 minutes at first, give this 5 minutes solely to the Lord without any other distractions. Over the next weeks and months, your desire for more time with Him will increase.

* Use a version of the Bible that lends itself to study. I use the NIV Life Application Study Bible and I love it. It helps me understand the context each book was written in and gives me commentaries to understand specific verses.

* Ask God for understanding as you read the Bible. When I first started reading the Bible I had a hard time, so I started praying that God would open my spiritual eyes to see the truths in a life changing way for me.

* Write some of the verses that seem most applicable to your life on 3x5 cards and use them in your prayers. For example, Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” So, I could use this verse in my prayer time by praying, “God, help me to know how to store up treasures in Heaven. Help me to relinquish my tight hold on my earthly possessions so I can use them to build your kingdom now. Show me how to best use that which you have blessed me with. Give me your mindset for the money I have.”

Dear Lord, I want a more vibrant relationship with You and I know having a daily quiet time is an important part of that. Help me make this my most important priority each day, no matter how busy life is. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.