This is a Beautiful and helpful message from Sandy
        Quiet Time Guidelines

1. Our quiet time is a time of fellowship with God. This time should be one where joy is felt. Our soul should feel like singing:). Understand that it can take time for this kind of happiness to build as we grow closer and closer to our Father.

"The whole earth is at rest and quiet; They break forth into singing." Isaiah 14:7

"The Lord your God in your midst, The mighty One will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:19

There is something gentle and beautiful in a true quiet time... a time of tenderness and serenity... totally at ease in His care.

"rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." 1 Peter 3:4

"Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me." Psalm 131:2

I am using guidelines adapted from some I have learned to teach children in the youth ministry I'm involved in. The Pastor loaned me a Youth Bible filled with great things to teach:).

"For He said, "Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie." So He became their Savior." Is. 63:8

"and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

1.  God's Book is special and for our greatest good. 2 Timothy 3:16 teaches us that all Scripture is inspired by God Himself... He wrote through the writers.

a. The Word is ALIVE... it is living Word. These words have power to work inside us to change us.
b. We are blessed by the reading of the Word. In Psalm 1 we're told that if we read God's Word and meditate on it we will be blessed. .. our lives will be happier.
c. A SWORD in our lives. A sharp sword can cut deep. The Sword of God's Word can reveal to us things we don't like to realize, find out, discover or admit.  God's Word works to cut away the bad from the good and helps us reach deep inside of ourselves to examine each thought and action.
d. In the battle of living in the world, we need to powerful Sword of God (His Word) to battle against satan.  (Ephesians 6:17).  We need to learn this Word and practice using it every day. When your husband, child, friend or enemy says a hurtful or angry word towards you... you can say back to yourself, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth." (Ephesians 4:29). If you are ready to complain about washing the dishes, folding the laundry, mopping the floor, tidying the rooms yet again, you can repeat, "Do all things without complaining." (Philippians 2:14).

2. Finding A Place To Start

* Read a Bible book. Read a few verses each day or a chapter a day.
* Study by Topic. You can choose a particular topic to study by, like: Home Making, Love, Marriage, The Role of Wife, Motherhood, Learning to Love Self Biblically, Ministry, Serving, & so on. Just look in a concordance for anything related to these or do an online search to print and read from your own Bible. Another addition could be reading from other sources on the topic you are studying. Doing an online search, reading in Christian books and so on.
* Sunday School Resources. This is yet another way you can make the most of your time in the Book. Usually, in Sunday School we have some reading to last us through the week. We can read on and study this during the week and be really prepared for our next week's class!
* Use a Bible Study book. These are my favorites:). I just love, love, love Beth Moore studies and Experiencing God was great, too. You can find these at Lifeway.com resources and other places online.

3. Planning Your Quiet Time

What time of the day would be best for your quiet time? It might work best to get up 30 minutes to an hour early every morning before anyone else is up. This is my favorite and practiced timeframe now but when I had lots of babies underfoot... I gravitated towards late nights:).  If you are home during your day (work at home and stay at home moms) you can plan to have this time during your child's nap or right when other children leave for school.
If you work outside the home it might work to schedule times on lunch breaks or right when returning from work if this is a wind down time for you. Usually upon arrival at home in this case things are the most hectic of the day and if that is the way it is in your home... choose another more private and calm time.

4. Establish Your Quiet Time

* Set aside a regular time. Whatever time span you plan to use, choose to be there at that time every day. The other way of doing this is just to pray each morning for God to reveal to you when He wants you to do your quiet time for THAT day. (This idea came from Peg:)).
* Find a quiet place free from disturbances, a place where you can fully concentrate on God's Word.
* Have pen and journal/notebook handy for jotting down verses that particularly touch/ speak to you, letters to God, prayers, and so on.
* Come to Him with the right attitude. Expect Him to teach you something new. Expect Him to give you miracles:).

Last but not least... here is a simple guide to consider using:

Quiet Time Guide

Pray: Ask God to help you understand and comprehend all that you are reading. Pray that He will speak to you through His Word.

Read: Read several verses from the Bible.

Think:

1. What does it say?
2. What does it mean?
3. What is God saying to me?
a. Is there a promise to claim?
b. Is there a command to obey?
c. Is there something God wants me to know?

Write:

1. Copy a verse or part of a verse that is special to you or the one you liked the best.
2. Try to remember what that verse says during the day; let God use it to help you. Put it on your fridge, a bathroom mirror, in your wallet or somewhere that you can easily see and read it from.
3. Memorize the special verse.

Pray:

1. Confess your sins.
2. Praise God for Who He is.
3. Thank God for what He has done and for what you learned from your Bible reading.
4. Pray for others and yourself.

 

(Thank you, Sandy... may the LORD bless you! ---ps)

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