If you have never tried it, I encourage you to make it a regular practice to spend a day with the Lord.

Usually our days are filled with the demands of life crying for our attention, but today, whether for four, eight or 12 hours, your only priority is to be with your Lord, to bask in His love, to thank and worship Him, to listen to Him, to intercede for others, to lay your life and activities before Him and let Him give directions.

The Bible promises us in James 4:8,

“Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

He is waiting for you! Don’t rush. The objective is to spend relaxed, uninterrupted time with God, not to go through a format. These are mere guidelines. Let God be your guide.

Preparation

• Find a place where you can be alone and free from distractions.
• Bring your Bible, a notebook and pen, a hymn book, song sheets or cassette tapes.

Thanksgiving and Praise

Begin with Thanksgiving
Psalm 100:4 tells us, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”
a. Thank Him for His patience and forgiveness.
b. Thank Him for the privilege of coming into His presence.
c. Thank Him for what He has done in and through your life in the last year.

Make a List
Take time to list what God has done for you.
Be specific.
Think through every area of your life.

Search My Heart
Ask God to search your heart. Psalm 139:23,24

• Confess any sins the Holy Spirit reveals. Psalm 19:12
• Remember the certainty of forgiveness. 1 John 1:9
• Make certain you are walking and praying in the Spirit. Ephesians 5:15-20

Become Still
Become still before the Lord. Psalm 46:10

• Consider who God is. Psalm 103
• Praise Him for His attributes. Psalm 145
• Rejoice in your fellowship with Him and that He delights in you. Proverbs 15:8
• Read passages of scripture and pray them back to God. Psalms 146-150
• Sing to the Lord.

Revelation
Ask God to reveal the world to you from His point of view as you read. Psalm 33

Intercession
Pray your way around the world with unhurried, detailed intercession for others.

• Begin with your non-Christians, friends, relatives, neighbours and others the Lord puts on your heart.
• Pray for those in authority – federal, provincial and municipal government leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1,2
• Pray for Christians using Paul’s prayers in Philippians 1, Colossians 1, Ephesians 1 and 3.

“By intercessory prayer we can hold off Satan from other lives and give the Holy Ghost a chance with them. No wonder Jesus put such tremendous emphasis on prayer!”  -Oswald Chambers

Personal Life Evaluation

Ask for understanding as you read an entire book of the Bible. Record insights God gives you.

Inquire of God what He thinks of your life and wait. Listen for His answer.

Evaluate the use of the time, talent, treasure, education and experience God has entrusted to you. Are they glorifying to God? Do you need to modify some of them?

Discuss with the Lord your joys, your sorrows and decisions you are facing. Find promises and directives in the Bible which you can record.

“The greatest answer to prayer is that I am brought into a perfect understanding with God, and that alters my view of actual things.”
~Oswald Chambers

Concluding Your Day with God

Praise and thank God for the fellowship you had today.

Schedule the next “Day with the Lord” in your appointment book.

Share with someone about your day.

by Katherine Kehler
used by permission

FURTHER READING

How to Have a ‘Quiet Time’ with God

Quiet Time with God is like a Date Night – by Max Lucado

How to Pray

The post How to Spend a Day with the Lord appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Thus God used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.”  Exodus 33:11

The Bible is filled with role models, but I can’t think of a better mortal one than Moses. He was a leader, but also a listener. More importantly, he listened to God.

Here is the lesson we learn from Moses that we should apply each and every day: Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. God’s voice is the most essential part. Listening to God’s voice is the secret of assurance that he will listen to mine.

I once heard someone say that if we have only ten minutes to pray, we should spend the first half listening and the second half petitioning. Yet most of us rush into pray at a hundred miles an hour with gusts to one hundred fifty and rattle off out a list of I wants, but God wants us to listen to His wants as well.

Moses had a special relationship with God because he spent time alone with Him. With all he had to do in running the nation of Israel, he always took time to be alone with God.

We are the ones who don’t know how to listen or do not have the time to hear what He would say to us. We need to develop a habit of spending time with God that is undisturbed, focuses and determined.

In her book Listening to God, Joyce Huggett spells out nine steps to develop this spiritual discipline, especially in times of turmoil.

1. Physical relaxation and silence
2. Becoming aware of God’s presence
3. Surrendering to Him in obedience
4. Acceptance of ourselves as He sees us
5. Repentance and receiving forgiveness
6. Spending time in contemplation
7. Receiving grace and expressing gratitude
8. Listening to specific instructions
9. Moving to action

Can you find more space in your day to meet with God? We all prefer talking to listening and need His grace to talk less and listen more.

Have you approached listening to God today?

By John Grant
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Hearing God’s Voice

Eagerly Watch – a story about eagerly watching for how God answers a prayer

Pray and then Decide

The post Listening to God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Be Still and Know That I Am God.” Psalm 46:10

Hastily, I finished my last appointment on Capitol Hill and made a mad dash for Union Station and not a minute too early, as I arrived one minute before the Acila Express left for New York. I presented my ticket and walked at a fast pace down to Track 15, where I jumped aboard the first Business Class car available. After stowing my luggage I settled in my seat just as the train slowly pulled out of the station. My cell phone rang and just as soon as I began the conversation a lady a couple of rows forward turned to me with her finger to her lips and pointing to the sign overhead which read “Quiet Car.”

The sign explained the rules of the Quiet Car: no talking, no cell phones, no standing in the aisles. In other words, that translates to be quiet and be still, so reluctantly, I did. Where I would normally pull out my lap top, do mail and make phone calls, now about all I could do was sit, read, watch and listen, and I did a little of each.

First, I took out my Encounter devotional and my Bible and proceeded to pour through the scriptures. I just sat back and listened. Listened to God and listened to my inner self. I spent a lot of time looking out the window. A record snowfall had turned the countryside in to a winter wonderland. What a sight as the train picked up speed and we traversed the countryside of Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I saw God’s majestic hand in the beautiful ice formations and in the drifts of snow. It was as if I could see God himself. It was an awesome quiet time and when the train pulled into Penn Station, I got off a rejuvenated man, all because I had jumped on the Quiet Car.

The experience on the train last week has given me a lot to think about, He is asking: “How are you with your quiet time?” I was again reminded of the need for a quiet time just yesterday as I checked into a hotel. When I got off the elevator, a large sign greeted me informing that I had entered a “Quiet Zone“, where no children, leisure groups or circus animals will be assigned. It further instructed that in this area there would be no loud TV, no slamming of doors and no loud singing in the shower.

God’s quiet time formula is much like His stewardship formula: “The more you give, the more you receive.” I have found that when I do carve out a time for God, preferably at the beginning of the day, though at first my schedule says I don’t have time, I have to respond and make time. And. When I do, somehow God always stretches my schedule and I am more productive than ever.

This is my busiest season of the year and so easy to shut God out of the schedule, but all the more reason for the Master to gently remind me, whether through a sign on a train or in a hotel, every day we need to be reminded to spend time with Him and then pull apart before you fall apart. I highly recommend a ride on the Quiet Car, actually or symbolically every day in every life.

by John Grant
used by permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney. He is an active writer and frequent speaker. He can be reached by e-mail at [John.Grant@johngrant.net]

RELATED READING

• How to Have a ‘Quiet Time’ with God
• Quiet Time with God by Max Lucado
• Reading the Bible – Where to Start?

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“I’m a new Christian who is trying to figure out how to grow closer to God. Friends tell me I need to have a quiet time with God each day, but I can’t figure out exactly what to do.”

My wife, Denalyn, and I like to go to the same restaurants over and over again. You could call our dates predictable, but for us they are special. We like the food. We like the servers. We like the atmosphere. When we’re there, we remember special moments we’ve shared before. Our hearts open up . . . we lose track of time . . . because we’re comfortable in that place. We talk to each other, listen to each other, laugh, and cry. I love those times!

A quiet time with God is very similar to a date. Here are some tools to help you keep your very special date with God.

Decide on a regular time and place. Select a slot in your schedule and a corner of your world, and claim it for God. A familiar place will remind you of similar feelings you experienced before with God. You need to get comfortable.

How much time should you take? As much as you need. Value quality over quantity. Your time with God should last long enough for you to say what you want and for God to say what he wants.

You should bring on your date an open Bible—God’s Word, his love letter to you. You won’t necessarily hear God speak out loud, but you can hear what he has to say through his eternal dialogue with humanity.

You also need a listening heart. Don’t forget the admonition from James:

“The man who looks into the perfect mirror of God’s law, the law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who sees and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true happiness” ( James 1:25 PHILLIPS).

Listen to the lover of your soul. Don’t just nod your head, pretending to hear. Your date knows when you’re engaged.

So does God. Just as you wouldn’t miss your date with a loved one, claiming you were too busy, make sure your date with God is on the calendar, and do everything in your power to keep it special.

by Max Lucado
used by permission

From: MAX ON LIFE:
Answers and Insights to your Most Important Questions
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2011) Max Lucado

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

RELATED READING

How to Have a Quiet Time with God author unknown

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C. S. Lewis wrote:

“The moment you wake up each morning your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job of each morning consists in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, letting that other, stronger, larger, quieter life come flowing in.”

Here’s how the psalmist began his day:

“Every morning, I tell You what I need, and I wait for Your answer” (Psalm 5:3).

Spend time waiting on God. And, at the end of the day, thank God for the good parts. Question Him about the hard parts. Seek His mercy.  Seek His strength. And as you close your eyes, take this assurance into your sleep:

“He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).

If you fall asleep as you pray, don’t worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father.

By Max Lucado
From: Just Like Jesus

Used by permission
To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

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Read: Philippians 4:11-13

God has provided us with many things to enjoy. But too often our lives are filled with turmoil instead of contentment. Four practices that create dissatisfaction are . . .

Busyness. We live in a hurry-up society, dashing from one activity to another. Jesus did not rush anywhere, yet He accomplished whatever God gave Him to do. Not once did He tell His followers to move faster. He even praised Mary for choosing to stop her work and spend time with Him (Luke 10:39, 42).

Earthly perspective. Too often we live focused on our circumstances. Our minds think about what happened earlier in the week, what’s on today’s agenda, and the activities occurring next week, month, or year. No wonder enjoyment of life remains elusive. The solution is to have an eternal perspective, which acknowledges that God is in charge and our goal is to please Him.

Self-imposed pressure. We have all experienced the unavoidable burdens of schoolwork, employment, and relationships. But we bring needless pressure on ourselves when we allow unnecessary “musts” and “shoulds” to rule us. The remedy is to turn to God, acknowledge His right to order our days, and ask for His plan.

Unhealthy attitudes. Perfectionism, false guilt, and apathy all undermine our enjoyment of life.

Satisfaction is found in a life that reflects God’s priorities—and time with Him comes first. Reading His Word, we become mindful of the Father’s great love, learn what He views as important, and experience the joy of belonging to Him. When contentment is elusive, it’s time to examine our priorities.

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by Permission

https://www.intouch.org/

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