October 13th
“Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” Mark 6:30-31 NKJV
“And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.” Mark 6:46 NKJV
Jesus often retreated to deserted places to pray and rest during his ministry. If Jesus felt it necessary to get away to be alone with God, how much more should we! Often people’s busy lifestyles give them plenty of distractions from spending quality time with God. Without that bonding time with God, we’ll be much more likely to feel disconnected with the Father and clueless about what he is doing around us.
The traditional “Quiet Time” is a great place to start investing time with the Lord each day. This can be a time for prayer, Bible study, worship, reflection or whatever the Lord prompts us to do. I’ve found that I get the most out of quiet times when I allow myself to be flexible and to focus on the Lord instead of my agenda for the quiet time.
As Jesus pointed out, it can be helpful to go somewhere for our quiet times. For example, I normally have my quiet times in the our living room / kitchen, however there are times when I feel the need to get out. Sometimes a change of location can be good for us, especially when our normal surroundings may detract from connecting with God. Jesus chose deserted places like mountaintops for his times with God, perhaps because there were no distractions. While you may not live near a mountain, you can certainly get creative and find places to meet with God that have similar qualities. Here are some examples of alternative places that I’ve used for quiet times:
The local park
The back porch
The kids’ playhouse in the backyard
The beach
The pier
The car
Conference room at work
The office (before everyone else arrives for work)
Bleachers at an athletic field
Church sanctuary/prayer room
I hope that those might help give you some ideas on where you might go for some time out with the Lord. The important thing is that you stay fresh with the Lord and stay in touch with him.
Questions for further thought:
What are some of the reasons a referee might yell “Time out!” in sports event?
What are some of the possible causes of getting “burned out” on Quiet Times?
What are the distractions and obstacles that you typically face when you have your quiet times (or try to have them)? What can you do to minimize those things?
Prayer:
“Lord God, Thank you for the invitation to meet with you each day. Please forgive me for neglecting fellowship with you in any way. I dedicate my Quiet Times to you anew today. Please help me connect with you each day and find creative places to go to commune with you. Lord, I lay any distractions and obstacles that I typically face at your throne right now. Please help me find ways to minimize these things. I long to connect with you as Jesus did when he went to deserted places to pray and rest. Thank you, Father! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”