Is your quiet time all that it could be? Feeling like you need something a little quicker and easier or more life applicable? I’ve got just the way to revive your quiet time! In last week’s post I shared about how to go deeper in faith and Bible study. In this week’s and next week’s post, I’m going to walk through a couple of passages along with you to discover deeper truths just by asking yourself a few questions as you study. We’re going to start with a passage that really speaks to those of us who struggle with anxiety, depression and hopelessness. Is that you? Would it help someone you know? Read on. You are sure to be blessed!
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Table of Contents
Pray, pray, pray
I like to start with prayer and ask God to open my eyes and heart as I study so that I’ll be closer to Him, understand what He’s teaching me and have my heart aligned with His heart.
Psalm 121 is one of my favorite passages to find comfort and peace. I usually read through the passage twice in order to get a good understanding. Here’s a couple translations:
What does it say?
Take it in. Jot down words from the passage that stand out to you. You want to use the scripture, without any paraphrasing. So, what really stands out to me:
- 1-2 I lift up my eyes, my help comes from the Lord; maker of heaven & earth
- 3-4 He won’t let you stumble; your guardian God won’t fall asleep
- 5 The Lord watches over you to protect you,
- 6 The sun won’t harm you by day, nor the moon by night
- 7 The Lord keeps you from all harm; watches over your life
- 8 The Lord will watch over your coming and going forevermore
I reduced it a bit, but didn’t lose the meaning or intent of the passage. Just reading scripture is wonderful, but going on to the next step helps you think about what you learn from it.
What do I learn?
Think it through. Think of a funnel taking a large amount and making it smaller and easier to fit into the container. I started out with the full passage, and I condensed it a bit making it smaller and easier to determine what I learn. I could see something different everytime I look at this passage, because God’s Word is a living Word. He’s speaking to me through it and the Holy Spirit is teaching me. I take what I jotted down above in step one and grab what He’s speaking to me. So, here’s what I’m getting today as I study:
- My gaze (focus) needs to be on Him, not on my circumstances or selfish desires. My help will come from Him and Him alone. He created me and the world I’m living in.
- He’s got me and He’s not going to let me go. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, He’s wide awake taking good care of me, day or night.
- I can trust His protection and care; He created me and has a good plan for me.
- Forevermore, His care goes on today, tomorrow and through eternity.
How do I apply these truths to my life?
This is where the rubber meets the road. Taking what I learn and funneling or drilling down to really internalize and have it penetrate my heart. Sometimes this is the toughest step, because you need to ask yourself some tough questions. Ones that you can’t simply answer yes or no. These are questions that demand action on your part. What does he want me to do or change? What is He saying to me?
- What short-sighted plans and focus of mine will I instead pray and raise my gaze in trust to what He has in mind for me? (I’m thinking of a few things that this question applies to–pretty convicting;) Taking care of my 90 year old mom means that I have to say no to a lot of things that I would like to do. My wings are clipped. Taking care of someone at home with dementia is pretty challenging, and when we go out, it’s not simple. When I’m not keeping a heavenward focus, I tend to get frustrated and sometimes feel lonely. So, back to that question about my gaze–I need to keep looking to God for help and a right focus. I want to love and care for my mom and family through His strength–not mine.
Questions
I might end up with a few questions for myself or maybe I might just have a statement of what God wants me to do. Such as: “Next time I start thinking about how what He has me doing now is pretty tough, and it means I’m missing out on ________, I’m going to pray and ask Him to help me realign my will with His perfect will for me.”
These are the thoughts that God revealed to me. But maybe another time He might be telling me not to fear, He’s taking care of me, or another person might get something totally different. Because His Word is alive, He speaks through it to meet you right where you are at that moment.
One last step
Now that you’ve had this great time with the Lord, spending time in prayer is very sweet!
- Lord, you are a mighty God of provision and protection who never leaves your creation alone to stumble in the darkness. You are the light! Thank you for your care and your everlasting protection. Help me to keep my focus on you and come to you often when I need help. I love you. Amen
Bible Journaling. A bonus to revive your quiet time
Whether you’re an artsy person or not, you could try Bible Journaling or Scripture Art to meditate further. It really helps me get God’s Words to stick in my mind and heart. Here’s just a couple samples. I like to keep it simple and mainly use colored pencils. If you’re a beginner, you could even use printable templates to trace and color. Or there are even kits you can purchase from Dayspring . I recommend these because they really make it simple!
There is a set of free printable Bible Journaling trace and color templates that I made. Just click the link below to download.
A study guide on peace
The last couple years I went through a rough patch frought with depression and the Lord laid on my heart to write a 30-day study using this three-step method. It focuses on knowing peace. As I worked through each passage, I cannot begin to tell you how He filled my heart with supernatural calm, hope and trust in whatever the outcome might be. And to add a creative twist, I drew illustrations to color (which could also be traced into your Bible for scripture art). To God be the glory!! Click here for more information or to purchase Inspired, Peace in the Garden.
I want to encourage you to give this simple method of inductive study a try for your quiet time. Let Him speak to you and make your relationship together very active and vibrant!
Such a practical guide, especially the questioning portion. And I love the bible journaling! So beautiful.
Thanks Rachel!
I love how you break this down, so easy to follow. I do something like this in my quiet times as well. Keep encouraging folks!
Also, I LOVE your coloring pages. So fun.
Thank you Kristin. I love the added coloring element. It’s a fairly recent discovery but has added so much to my time with the Lord.
I’m always looking for ways to go deeper in my time with God. I find there are ebbs and flows and some days I can connect immediately and others it’s a challenge. We have to remember though that we just have to show up and God is there no matter if we “feel” Him.
I love how you gave some tips to practically apply these ideas!
Be blessed
Oh yes. There is definitely an ebb and a flow. But as long as we are faithful and don’t walk away, He speaks and we hear Him. I love that you said “we just have to show up and God is there”. That’s just beautiful:)
Have you tried this simple yet deeply moving method of study? Leave a comment and let me know:)
Great, simple steps. Sometimes it is so easy to get bogged down in “needing to have quiet time” that you don’t even know how to start. For those times these steps would be a great place to start. Perfect that prayer is the first step, without His help it is just a routine, we need the Holy Spirit to breath life into our time with him.
I love simple Trena. Spending time with our Best Friend and Lord doesn’t have to be complicated. He speaks through His Word in simple ways we can understand:) Thanks for the encouragement.
I truly believe in daily quiet time. I have it every morning and it involves bible reading, daily devotions, etc. This is a great article. Thanks for sharing this.
You are so right Miriam. A daily quiet time is so valuable! Thanks for the encouragement. Keep staying connected to the Creator:)