When Do You Have Your Quiet Time?

When do you have your quiet time? That's a question I get asked a lot and with each season of life it is at a different time. There are many great Christian heroes of the faith down through the ages who had early morning quiet times including David, Daniel and Jesus. In Mark 1:35 it says "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place and there he prayed."

But I have found that some seasons of life do not lend themselves to a consistent morning wake time like when I had newborn babies! My energy level was low in the morning and I found that during the children's afternoon naps I could have a more "alert" quiet time! But I have passed through that season of life and am able once again to return to my morning quiet time.

So every morning I meet with God around 6am-ish. The discipline of rising early is not as difficult as the discipline of going to bed early! The computer and television lure me into staying up late and create a weariness that would not exist if I had more discipline!

So here's what I do - each night my goal is to go to bed while there is a 10 on the clock. So if I get to bed at 10pm - I get 8 hours of sleep and if I get to bed at 10:59pm I get 7. Once I see a ten on the clock - I wrap up what I'm doing and head to bed. Sometimes I get sidetracked - but as the 10 o'clock hour comes to a close - I can be found rushing to my bed so that I am in my bed when that clock hits 10:59pm.

Let me shout from the roof tops -this blog is NOT to make moms of nursing babies or toddlers who are still waking in the night, to feel condemned for not rising early!!!! I think God does not command that we rise early for this very reason - there are situations in life where it just is not possible! So I cannot speak where the Bible does not speak!

Evening quiet times may work best for you, for me I often think I will do it later but then it just doesn't happen. So this is what works for me. Elizabeth George says there is just a small window of time in the morning that slams shut the moment your children wake. So even if you can only rise just 5 minutes early - grab that window of time and delight in your time with your Heavenly Father. He loves you so!

It's your turn. When do you have your quiet time? What works best for you and why?

Walk With the King!
Courtney
http://www.womenlivingwell.org/