Becoming a follower of Jesus is the greatest gift anyone can ever receive, and nothing can top that. However, many Christians may think that believing in Jesus is where their relationship with God begins and ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lord wants an intimate relationship with you \u2014 and what\u2019s needed to develop your relationship with Him is not that different from the essential ingredients needed for successful relationships with people: time, effort, communication, and shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spending daily quiet time in God\u2019s Word and in prayer are essential ingredients to growing your relationship with Him, yet so many of us struggle to do either consistently. Perhaps it\u2019s because we\u2019re unsure what consists of a \u201csuccessful\u201d time with God, wondering if we need to feel peace, have a spiritual experience, or receive a clear message from the Lord. That\u2019s not what happens every time, and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having a daily quiet time is not an end in itself; rather, it’s just a tool to help you develop and deepen your relationship with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Mark 1:35<\/a>, Jesus gave us a great example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery 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\u201d<\/em> (NIV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n He chose a time<\/strong>, a place<\/strong>, and made a plan<\/strong> to pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TIME<\/strong> – Choose a time of day when you can give your full attention to God, even if it’s just five minutes. Maybe it\u2019s mornings, lunch, or before bed. Consistency is key, so pick a routine you can stick with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PLACE<\/strong> – Find a spot where you can tune out the noise and be free from distractions. For Jesus, this was \u201ca solitary place.\u201d For you, it might be your room, your car on lunch break, or a park bench when the weather is nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PLAN<\/strong> – Before you start, decide what you\u2019ll focus on. Choose what Bible passage(s) you\u2019ll read and what else you might do, such as meditating on Scripture, allowing the Holy Spirit speak to you. Then, journal your reflections. Having a plan means spending less time figuring out what to do and spending more time with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After coming up with a plan, the next step is to learn how to structure your daily quiet time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As disciples of Jesus, we are called to drink Living Water (John 7:37-29<\/a>), and to \u201cnot live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.\u201d (<\/em>Deuteronomy 8:3<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>Matthew 4:4<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n One way to feast on God\u2019s Word is by \u201chaving a spiritual sandwich.\u201d With the \u201cbread\u201d being prayer (first and last) and the \u201cmeat\u201d being Scripture (middle), we can be nourished daily by the Lord and His truth in the Bible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how you can taste and see that the Lord is good by eating a \u201cspiritual sandwich\u201d with this daily quiet time outline:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To start off your quiet time, use the ACTS Prayer Model<\/a><\/em> for prayer. Focus your time by beginning with just A and C, as you\u2019ll move on to T and S later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A – Adoration<\/strong>. Begin with praising God, adoring Him for who He is, His Holiness, and making Him the focus of your worship and exaltation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nDaily Quiet Time Outline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
PRAYER – \u201cBREAD\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n