A quiet time is the phrase Christians use to describe the time they spend alone each day with God. Sometimes it is also called a devotional. It is the time we take to pray to God, worship Him and read/study the Bible. Christians have long debated the proper way to do a quiet time. Really there is no perfect answer. I would say that you need to be sure you are seeking God through prayer and the reading of His Word. I don’t think many people would disagree with that statement.

I do have some opinions about using devotional handbooks to assist yourself through your time of study or through your quiet time. I personally believe that these devotional handbooks, study guides and daily readings should only be used to supplement the time we spend directly in the Bible and in prayer. We shouldn’t ever depend on them. Using devotionals is an easy way to avoid getting directly into God’s Word and seeing what He has to say to you. Daily devotional thoughts, readings, handbooks etc… can be good, in my opinion, as long as they are only used in addition to your time spent directly with God.

Now as for how to do a quiet time, I’ll just tell you what I do and you can take it for whatever it is worth to you.

I like to do my quiet time in the morning because I’ve found that if I don’t do it first thing I end up getting distracted by the business of the day. Once I’m awake I like to sing praise and worship to God and directly worship him in song. I do this by getting alone and playing worship music on my ipod. I just sing along and worship. Next I pray. I pray for as long as I need to about a variety of topics, but I always pray about that day and that I would please The Lord with all that I do. Finally I read and study the Bible. What I read or study always varies but I always have a plan ahead of time. For example I may be reading through a specific book in the Bible or set of chapters. As I read I take notes and ask God to help me understand the things that I need understanding on. I pray about the things I learn and try to meditate on them.

So that’s what I do every day. I hope it is somehow useful to you. If you have questions just make a comment below or feel free to contact me.