Thursday, September 17, 2009
Rethink Your Quiet Time
Rethink your quiet time. When it comes to spending time with God, most Christians envision their Bible and journal, along with a cute pen and a floral mug filled with coffee. But, that's not what it has to look like. It can be something a little bit less traditional and still provide growth and meaning.
Rethink your vision of God. If you picture Him as a schoolmaster holding a ruler out to hit your hands, you might assume that he's holding an egg timer while you meet with Him to worship. The truth is, if you believe in Him and walk with Him, then He is with you throughout the entire day. He loves you and accepts your offering no matter how big or small.
You can pray from anywhere. He's not just with you in your organized little study spot. He's with you while you sleep, while you're cleaning your house, and as you taxi your kids around town. You need to remember that God accepts you where you're at. When you pray while washing dishes, He takes your offering as a sweet aroma. When you pray over your kids as you fold their laundry, He listens. As you lift up your financial needs while updating your checkbook, he hears those concerns too.
Mix it up a little. You can worship God just by listening to some encouraging Christian music. That's what I was doing when I became inspired to walk downstairs to write this post. After a long night and a super sick kiddo, I didn't have the energy to read a book let alone murmur out a long list of prayer requests, so I just decided to put on some praise music. WOW! It not only energized my tired spirit, but it reminded me of my identity in Christ and of how I'm not alone. It's pretty cool that great music can center our hearts on the Lord.
Sometimes, you just feel too discouraged to worship God. If your prayer life is taking a hit because you feel bummed out, don't stop praying, just start to thank the Lord. You could even use your daily commute as a time to express thankfulness for your life: your hands, your kids, your spouse, your house, your breath, your brain, etc. As you thank God, peace floods your heart. Disappointments fade. Your eyes are opened to who God is. You remember that He is all that you need for this day.
Serve others. Sometimes, a service project doesn't seem like worship. But, it worked for me and my kids awhile back. We made some care bundles and drove all around our city looking for homeless people. When we found someone in need, we gave him or her a lunch and a drink, along with a rain poncho to stay dry from the rain. We included an encouraging Bible verse to remind that person that God still cares. When you get out there to serve, your eyes see what Jesus sees. It inevitably leads to worship!
Include your kids. Of course you can pray before meals, but why not involve your kids in a time of prayer on the way to school? This is a time where you can pray for their teachers and their friends, along with the staff workers and other parents. Show your kids you care about their lives and that God does too. You could also venture out on a nature walk and ask the kids to point out the cool stuff God has created. Share a basic verse from the Psalms about how God is the Creator of everything.
Rethink your vision of God. If you picture Him as a schoolmaster holding a ruler out to hit your hands, you might assume that he's holding an egg timer while you meet with Him to worship. The truth is, if you believe in Him and walk with Him, then He is with you throughout the entire day. He loves you and accepts your offering no matter how big or small.
You can pray from anywhere. He's not just with you in your organized little study spot. He's with you while you sleep, while you're cleaning your house, and as you taxi your kids around town. You need to remember that God accepts you where you're at. When you pray while washing dishes, He takes your offering as a sweet aroma. When you pray over your kids as you fold their laundry, He listens. As you lift up your financial needs while updating your checkbook, he hears those concerns too.
Mix it up a little. You can worship God just by listening to some encouraging Christian music. That's what I was doing when I became inspired to walk downstairs to write this post. After a long night and a super sick kiddo, I didn't have the energy to read a book let alone murmur out a long list of prayer requests, so I just decided to put on some praise music. WOW! It not only energized my tired spirit, but it reminded me of my identity in Christ and of how I'm not alone. It's pretty cool that great music can center our hearts on the Lord.
Sometimes, you just feel too discouraged to worship God. If your prayer life is taking a hit because you feel bummed out, don't stop praying, just start to thank the Lord. You could even use your daily commute as a time to express thankfulness for your life: your hands, your kids, your spouse, your house, your breath, your brain, etc. As you thank God, peace floods your heart. Disappointments fade. Your eyes are opened to who God is. You remember that He is all that you need for this day.
Serve others. Sometimes, a service project doesn't seem like worship. But, it worked for me and my kids awhile back. We made some care bundles and drove all around our city looking for homeless people. When we found someone in need, we gave him or her a lunch and a drink, along with a rain poncho to stay dry from the rain. We included an encouraging Bible verse to remind that person that God still cares. When you get out there to serve, your eyes see what Jesus sees. It inevitably leads to worship!
Include your kids. Of course you can pray before meals, but why not involve your kids in a time of prayer on the way to school? This is a time where you can pray for their teachers and their friends, along with the staff workers and other parents. Show your kids you care about their lives and that God does too. You could also venture out on a nature walk and ask the kids to point out the cool stuff God has created. Share a basic verse from the Psalms about how God is the Creator of everything.
Labels: kids, moms, quiet time
