It is because of my love and out of my weaknesses that I purposefully structure my days around my quiet time with my Bridegroom. It is because I love and need Him and His Word, my Savior and my Sustenance. It is because as I abide in Him, staying rooted in His Word, living close to the streams of Living Water, then He will bear fruit in my life for my family. In my weaknesses, He shows His strength. I love Him, revere Him, and depend on Him. He loves perfectly and beautifully. “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV)

In the preface to his book “The Holiest of All”, Andrew Murray writes: “I have not been afraid of continually repeating this one thought: Our one need is to know Jesus better, and the one cure for all our feebleness is to look to Him on the throne of heaven and really claim the heavenly life He waits to impart.”

In the 20+ years I have walked with the Lord, becoming a wife and mom (hello….feebleness and “uglies” sprouting up all over!) brought me to the place of intentionally structuring my days around my quiet time in His word and in prayer. I treasure this time with my Bridegroom.

His Word is alive indeed. (Hebrews 4:12) And I do delight in His Word. It is a treasure. His Word is truth and life, and it brings us to a place of intimacy with Him. My heart craves it everyday, and I pray He keeps my heart postured in that precious place.

The other day, Chatty Kelly was asking about how we do our quiet time. I loved reading everyone’s thoughts and ideas (do share!) So, I wanted to share how I replied here. Spending time with Him is the most important part of every single day’s “to do list”.

Morning Quiet Time: Since I am a morning gal, I wake up early while the house is truly quiet. It’s hard to have “quiet time” when it isn’t actually quiet!

Prepare The Evening Before: I prepare the evening before so my mornings have the least amount of distractions as possible. Lunches and snacks are prepared, school bags are packed, the table is set for breakfast, the kids outfits are ready to go, and the coffee machine is loaded and ready for a push of the button.

A Special Place: My special place is my dining room table. I keep my Bible, journal, pens, devotional, Bible study guides and books there. My seat there has become a sanctuary of sorts.

Go Straight to Him: Going straight to His Word and talking with Him is best for me! If I check e-mail or even an on-line devotion, I can get easily distracted.

Bible and Devotional: Trusting Him to lead me, I usually read through a Psalm a day, or part of a Psalm. And I like to read New Testament and Old Testament each day. I also have a favorite devotional (“Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young) that I use with a few other great books. Another great one is John Piper’s “Pierced by the Word”. A devotional that puts me into God’s Word is what I look for. Currently, I am studying 1 Samuel and Hebrews with Bible study groups, so I have been spending a lot of time there.

He Gives Us Our Portion: He is faithful to meet us in His Word. Sometimes, one single verse pops out at me so strongly that I know I just need to digest that for a while. Some mornings, it’s just that one verse that stirs and speaks to my heart. Other days, I may read a few chapters. If I am feeling like I am at a “dry spot”, I just keep opening His word.

Devoted Time: I love having at least 45 minutes to an hour of quiet time, and that happens often. However, if I over-sleep or am interrupted and only have 15 minutes, then I go with it. All of the time, I have undone things on my “to do list”. But I do not want to neglect His Word. (Psalm 119:16)

Grace…Grace…Grace: He wants our hearts devoted to Him. He wants our quiet time to be intimate and meaningful. If I miss a day of quiet time altogether, His grace covers that and we move on to my next quiet time. Don’t throw in the towel or be discouraged if you miss one day…or more…of quiet time. He’s there to meet us continually.

It Will Not Be Taken Away: The best part is…the time we spend with the Lord will not be taken away from us. (Luke 10:42) Those intimate treasures of Him are in our hearts forever. The investment of time we have intentionally made with Him is OURS FOREVER!

Please share your thoughts and ideas and any good devotionals you have read! Let’s spur one another on!

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9