The main meal of the day

It is often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Children preparing for a hard day at school, and busy parents going to work or looking after the family, need to begin the day with the right ‘fuel’ to keep them going. Some people surprisingly skip breakfast, but not me – it’s my favourite meal!

In the Christian life it’s also important to begin the day well, and for many believers that means time alone with God. Of course we can connect with God at any time, but it seems sensible to me to meet with God before rushing off into the day’s activities. This appears to have been the pattern for Jesus (Mark 1:35), and comes highly recommended by the Psalmist (5:3, 59:16, 88:13 and so on).

As a young Christian I was brought up to have a regular ‘Quiet Time’, and it remains for me a helpful spiritual practice. But how can we ensure that it doesn’t become a dull routine, something we do because we ‘must’? Here are four important keys:

(1) Rhythm - life works best when there is a regular pattern, and making time each morning to meet with God is a good habit to adopt. It doesn’t matter if you miss occasionally, but generally try and keep to the pattern. A rhythm makes it easier.

(2) Variety - it is the spice of life, and varying what we do in our time apart can keep it fresh and alive. Review your Quiet Time often. Be creative and imaginative.

(3) Place – create a special place where you can meet with God. A quiet corner of the house, a comfy armchair, a room with a view… make it ‘sacred’, perhaps with a small table for books, your coffee cup, a small cross or icon and so on. For some it may be outdoors - a special walk you take with the dog, a church you drop into on your way to work, a bench in the park.

(4) Purpose - keep in mind why you are doing this: to meet with God in a life-giving way. Aim to enjoy his company, express your dependency upon him as you begin your day, seek his will for your life. Don’t let any particular activity become dominant; you are there to meet with God.

With these four provisos in our minds, what then will occupy us during our Quiet Time? The most commonly found ingredients are Scripture, prayer and worship.

Scripture
The word of God is at the heart of the devotional life, providing sustenance for our souls. Jesus said: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4). We need to develop effective ways to absorb the truths of Scripture.

Some follow a reading programme or lectionary, leading them through the whole Bible in a year or two in daily portions. Others enjoy developing plans of their own – reading steadily through different books of the Bible, following themes or topics, looking at Bible characters. A good number have Bible reading notes to guide them, or commentaries to provide understanding.

Sometimes I enjoy reading the Bible imaginatively, in the way of Ignatius, where we are encouraged to place ourselves into the Bible story and see it through the eyes of those involved. Another approach I enjoy is called contemplative Bible reading (Lectio Divina), where we read a short passage slowly and allow a word of phrase to speak to us, receiving it as God’s word to us for that moment and meditating on it.

The important thing is to try new ways of interacting with Scripture and not to become stale. Many resources are available on the internet, and for downloading as well. See for example: Quiet Time Ministries (www.qtmin.com), Crossmap Daily Quiet Time (www.dailyqt.crossmap.com) and BRF’s own Bible reading notes available for iphone (www.brfonline.org).


Prayer
If Scripture provides food for the soul, then prayer supplies us with oxygen. It is the way by which we commune with God, our core purpose when establishing a Quiet Time. Whatever else we do, we should reach out to God with longing and desire, speaking freely and honestly to the Lover of our souls.

Some are happy speaking to God in their own words (aloud or silent), whilst others enjoy the objectivity of Spirit-inspired and Christ-centred liturgy, joining the stream of prayer down the centuries. Most enjoy a mixture. I often base my prayers on The Lord’s Prayer, using each phrase in turn as a ‘coat hanger’ on which to hang other prayers. Occasionally I have done the same with Psalm 23, and the ‘armour passage’ in Ephesians 6:10-18. A framework like this stops my mind from wandering.

I love using the great prayers of the Bible too, and making them my own. Currently I am finding satisfaction in crafting my own prayers – taking the passage from my daily reading and turning my thoughts into a prayer, which I write down.

Some days we may have no words at all, which is fine; enjoy the silence, being still and knowing that he is God – a true quiet time!

Worship
Worship connects us to the Holy Spirit and is the way we drink the living water to satisfy our thirsty souls. By taking time to give thanks to God for his goodness, we cultivate a grateful heart; by dwelling on his greatness and glory we allow faith to grow within us. Worship enables us to express our love for God, and as we give to him our praise and adoration, his grace and strength comes streaming back to us, preparing us for all that lies ahead.

We have a family friend, over a hundred now, whose constant companion throughout her life has been the Methodist hymnbook, a source of great blessing and encouragement to her. The words of hymns and songs have a wonderful capacity to lift our spirits, to reach us when our souls are dry and barren.

We can listen meditatively to music as we sit, walk or drive - even as we do our chores – and our spirits can be in communion with God; or we can open our lungs in full-blown praise! Allow the glory of creation to inspire you as get out and about. Use your senses to encounter the living God in the world around you; be inspired by works of art, objects of beauty, the wonders of the animal kingdom.


Remember there is no right or wrong way to have a Quiet Time, and it should never be regarded as a burden or impossible demand. Hold it lightly, and yet think of it as the main spiritual meal of your day. And then, fortified and nourished by the grace of God, go out and live for Jesus in our needy world!