February 4, 2022

 

Quiet Time

 

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

– Luke 5:16

 

How often do you pray? I’m not asking how often you talk about praying. I’m not counting those one sentence prayers you throw out in desperation or to make a point. I’m asking how often you actually sit or kneel down in a quiet place and spend time with God, talking and listening.

 

We take prayer for granted, don’t we? God is always there so when we really need Him, we pray. Desperation turns a soul toward the One who can make it all right again. We cry out in anguish, in anger, in grief.

 

But what about all those other times. Do we thank God when life is good? Do we spend time with Him when we are filled with blessings? Or do we take it all for granted?

 

Are you tired from the demands of your life? Are you so busy juggling responsibilities that you just can’t seem to find time for God? He understands, you tell yourself. If you bother to think of Him at all, that is.

 

What would happen if you began each day with God? How would your day look if you asked Him to direct your path? How would it feel if God took care of you and everything on your list of responsibilities?

 

God provides us with the power to handle our day. It might not end up looking like the day we imagined. Maybe that’s our issue with kneeling before God. We want to be in control but He demands that we relinquish that control to Him. Funny thing about all that. We aren’t ever really in control. It’s an illusion that makes us feel safe for a time.

 

God is in control. He knows what’s coming. He knows what we need and how best to protect and nurture us. God loves us beyond anything we could imagine. No matter what. There is security in that.

 

So give it a try. Start your day with God. Talk to Him and take time to listen to what He has to say. You may just find yourself craving Him in a way you never imagined. You may even begin looking forward to that quiet time you spend alone with Him.