I have a question to ask of you, my six loyal readers.
In a few weeks, I will be speaking at RPC on the importance of having a quiet time. (quiet, uninterrupted time where you read the Bible and pray)
In the interest of keeping it real and relevant, I want to address the reasons people struggle with having a quiet time.
Do you have a daily quiet time?
If you don’t, what are the reasons?
If you do, what distracts you from, or competes with, that time?
Please feel free to respond anonymously.
6 comments
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May 14, 2009 at 7:17 am
Jamison
TV… TV is such a automatic thing for me it is not even funny. I would come home and rev up my dvr and start watching all the shows I have recorded.
Another reason is that I have a hard time understanding the bible. Most of the time, Timm or other speakers do a sermon on a passage and go in depth with that passage. Where I may have read that very same passage and just read right through it without even thinking.
Then there is the versions of the bible. I have one of those HUGE multi version study bibles, then my iphone and the internet that allows many different versions, but I never have found one that I connect with well. One of the few I do connect with to a point is the message, but I have heard pastors, and people who are in school to become pastors, say that the message is pure crap. Which makes me even more distant.
May 14, 2009 at 8:40 am
squincheye
@Jamison – Thanks for the candid feedback. That’s great info.
May 14, 2009 at 9:30 am
Timm
btw, The Message is not ‘pure crap’. There are good and bad things about it, but that’s a little harsh. if you like it, then use it.
May 14, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Emily Marion
Honestly, I don’t. I have struggled with this for years. It seems like I’ll do really well for a couple of weeks and then not for a couple of months.
I get caught up in “it’s never the right time.” Mornings didn’t work, because when it came down to it, I unfortunately, ALWAYS choose sleep. I do better in the evenings, but end up struggling to stay focused.
The majority of the time I have this thought “I should be productive with my time. I can do laundry/wash the dog/pay bills and pray at the same time.” It’s hard to be still and intentionally make time to hang with God, when life it smacking you in the face.
Sometimes I don’t know where to start.
Reading, internet and exercise have been distractions in the past.
It’s a weakness and I know it’s something I have to be intentional about! When I screw up, I start over!
May 15, 2009 at 10:57 am
Melissa Loop
Mornings are my best time. I am a morning person. Well, normally I am. Lately, I haven’t much of an anytime person. For about 2 months I did really good at reading every morning then I fell off the wagon. I just can’t seem to get back on regularly. Saying life is a distraction is true, but seems like to easy of an excuse. I just can’t seem to get up and get back at it these days. I have good intentions, but they don’t happen. At night I can’t focus. To many other things to do. So for me I have to do it in the morning, plus I really like the way it starts off my day. For me there really is no better way than starting off the day in God’s word. As for the version, I agree, find what speaks to you. I use both the Message and NIV. Sometimes a verse will make more sense to me in one version than the other.
June 10, 2009 at 6:18 pm
jamienance
I used to do quiet times. Some things worked and others didnt’.
when I was in youth we had this thing called “acountability partners” where someone would call you everyday and your goal was to get to 28 days where you and the other person did your biblestudy everyday b/c apparently if you do something for 28 days it becomes a habit. So this person would call you and if you or the other person didn’t do your biblestudy then you would have to start over and work towards 28 days again. It was harsh but it worked b/c you had to be accountable. at this point that wouldn’t work, we would start over every few days. lol
in high school I used to watch Joyce Meyer in the mornings (while eating my cereal) when I woke up super early to catch the bus. that was pretty cool.
Mornings are bad for me-I’m not a morning person at all so I’ll always sleep in. Night time is better, it calms me and helps me sleep better but I don’t always remember what I read the next day : (
Now, I struggle with what to read. I’m always afraid that I won’t “find” what I need at that moment b/c I dont’ know where to look and I feel like I’ll end up reading some random verse that doesn’t help me and I will have wasted my time. Also the bible is just so overwhelming! It’s this huge historical book with all kinds of strange customs and rules that I don’t really understand completely. I dont’ know where to start.
but I really liked the sermon you did! It made things seem SO much easier and the system of read one chapter in genesis, one in psalms and one in matthew works really well for me. It’s not too long, it gives you different perspectives, so one is bound to say something good and you feel like you are making progress. If I started reading the bible in genesis, I would never make it all the way through b/c it takes forever to see results.
Distractions: I have tons of distractionso (ADD), chores (laundry, feeding the cat, taking out the trash) exercise, cleaning, TV (huge distraction, there’s always something on that I’d rather watch than have to go read a book), sleep (sleep is good, sleep is my friend) stress-I’m always thinking of other things I need to do (just like Emily said)my cat-every time I try to read any book, he takes it upon himself to lay in the middle of it. lol
I think that people put way too many harsh expectations on themselves about reading the bible so much so that they go through teh motions instead of getting anything out of it b/c they feel like they are “supposed” to read it. so I think I do better, when I set goals like read it 3 times a week or I’ll say “wow I haven’t read my bible in a few days I should read it” and then when I do read it I’m so proud of myself instead of feeling condemned.