Daily devotional, March 9, 2024 QT
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16
I remember some years ago that QT meant “Quality Time.” It could mean Quality Time between husband and wife, parent and child, or grown-up kid and ageing parent. Whatever relationship it may want to nourish, the common denominator is love and wanting the other to feel important.
As followers of Jesus, we must also strive to have QT with our Lord and Personal Savior. And this does not mean Sunday church or worship, but everyday QT through QUIET TIME. I may have written about this several times before but its importance in one’s life makes me want to encourage everyone I know to develop this habit if they do not have it yet.
Our bible study leader says, our prayers at night will not suffice if we do not exert an effort to read God’s word, or reading God’s word will not suffice if we do not spend time in prayer. There has to be a balance, so that the knowledge that we gain from reading the Bible can be complemented by the Holy’s Spirit’s guidance given to us through prayer. With these two, it will be easier for us to align ourselves to God’s will.
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17
So what is “quiet time”? Quiet time is when we spend time praying and reading God’s word. We can do it any time of the day and anywhere, for as long as our hearts are ready. It can be as short as three or five minutes, and can extend as long as you need to speak to our Creator. As our Messiah said Himself, time will come that we can worship God anywhere, ince God is Spirit and is essentially everywhere.
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24
So how do we actually do it? Well, first we must designate a specific time and a semi-permanent location where we are not likely to be distracted. Could be first thing in the morning, or when the kids are already in school, or before bed. Could be in the dining table or your home office, or your bedroom. In the Gospel of St. Mark, He described how Jesus spent time with the Heavenly Father:
"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."
Mark 1:35
We can then prepare our Quiet Time tools: an old or new devotional book (an app is helpful but receiving notifications during Quiet Time can be distracting so let’s just use hardcopies of devotionals and bibles), a small notebook, a pen, and a Bible version that you are comfortable to read (easy to understand like the New Living Translation or the New International Version).
So what should we do then? Here is a suggested pattern:
1. Before sitting down for your quiet time, place your mobile devices in another room so as to avoid distractions.
2. Say a brief opening prayer like “Lord, I am here to read your words. Help me understand it, Lord so I can apply it in my life. Open my eyes to what you want to reveal to me and keep my mind from getting distracted. Amen.”
3. Open your devotional and read the reading and reflection for the day. Alternatively, you may start with a Book in the Bible, for example the Epistle of Peter or James and start reading a verse or two from the first chapter.
4. Reflect on the bible passage. You may ask yourself some question like these below to help you reflect:
*What is God trying to tell me with this verse?
*How can I apply this to my life?
*Is there anyone whom I need to share this passage with?
5. You may jot down notes about this, and you may choose to stop if you do not have time anymore or you may choose to read on.
6. Say your quiet time prayer. Begin by praising God for who He is in your life. Thank Him for the lesson and guidance you have received from reading today’s bible passage. Give thanks as well for all the blessings and deliverance. You may want as well to ask for pardon from any mistakes you may have made since the last time you prayed deeply to confess your sins. Lastly, you may also mention your prayer requests.
Make sure that your quiet time prayer will not be a litany of your prayer requests from the Lord. It should instead focus more on you wanting to build a relationship with Him — like asking for forgiveness for past sins, thanking Him for undeserved blessings, as well as asking for guidance.
Start with just three or five minutes if that is all you can spare. What is important is that you do it everyday. You will be surprised that you yourself would want to extend this Quiet Time with Him.
It is important to know that in case there are days when you cannot do it, consecutive or otherwise, you must not lose heart. You should still keep on doing it every day that we can. That way, like a muscle, your prayer life will develop, and be strong enough to help you grow in faith and love for Jesus. P.S. Always remember that no matter how sinful you think you are, you can still come to Jesus. He will still listen to you, and He can make everything new:
"My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heartyou, God, will not despise."
Psalm 51:17
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Luke 10:38-42 and Psalm 51 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you spend Quality Time with the Lord? How can intentional and daily quiet time help you nurture an intimate relationship with hIm?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for inviting me to nurture an intimate relationship with you. As I decide to pursue this, please give me the confidence to protect and honor our time together, so that I will not be distracted from spending time with you, and listening to your words. Amen.