I think a key element of living a Christian life is to make sure that we are disciplined in the way we spend our time. We should be making time with God a priority in our lives. And, in order to do that, I think it’s helpful to include a quiet time in at least our weekday routine. I believe it was Charles Stanley who I heard say that our daily schedule should flow or center around that daily time with the Lord. For some, it could be a morning appointment, for others, other times of day. In Mark chapter 1 (ESV), we read this about Jesus:
32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
An intense day of ministry, followed by rest, then a “very early” rise. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 5:3: “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”
Billy and I were discussing Richard Blackaby the other day - what an amazing man of God from a family of multiple generations of ministers. He wrote a piece for The Christian Post that got my attention, especially in light of our upcoming Faith Radio Ministry Magazine, which has content about Biblical literacy and the importance of what we typically call a “quiet time.”
About his father, the late Henry Blackaby, Richard wrote, “He could have easily gone through the motions, focusing on the next task to check off the list. Yet he approached each day with an awareness of God’s presence, eagerly waiting for the opportunity to participate in God’s activity around him.”
He went on to say:
Dad habitually rose at 4 a.m. to meet with God. While us kids did not join him that early, he often invited us into his encounter with God, glowing as he shared what the Lord had shown him that morning.
As I reflect on my dad’s example, I recognize two responsibilities fathers share: first, to encounter God personally, and second, to leave a legacy of faith to the next generation.
He continued…
One of the greatest barriers we face to experiencing God today is our schedules. A typical schedule as a parent often looks like: wake up, grab a quick breakfast, commute, work, attend a child’s activity (or two), dinner and then finally bedtime, leaving a sliver of time for God before your head hits the pillow. The busyness epidemic takes our eyes off of Christ and leaves us with a never-ending checklist.
This challenge is not identifying what you should remove from your schedule. It’s identifying how you walk with God throughout your day to seek His guidance, listen for His direction, and recognize what He is doing around you.
One of his recommendations was: “Maybe you get up 15 minutes earlier to enjoy some solitude and silence to hear God’s voice.”
On the Blackaby Ministries International website, Richard wrote: “Dad truly loved God. Dad didn’t just love God when he was preaching on stage or writing a book. His life was driven by his intense devotion to God. He regularly arose at 4:00 a.m. to spend hours with God. No matter how early I got up, I knew I’d find Dad with his Bible in one hand and his spiritual journal in the other. I have reams of his journals today. They are filled with his thoughts and prayers as he spent time with his Lord.
There was an article at the website for The Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary that included an example of a weekly schedule of the great preacher and theologian. On most days, the words, “Wake early” were found.
These great ones, we are told, met with God in the early morning: Spurgeon, Blackaby, Jesus Himself. That may not be what fits best with your schedule, but we can ask ourselves if our schedule is predicated on devoted, intentional time with the Lord. That can be the fulcrum that determines whether or not our day is successful according to God’s standards.
Henry Blackaby would say to find where God was working and join Him in that work. We learn where He is working through the leading of the Holy Spirit. But, there are too many voices that could drown out the voice of the Spirit…so we have to focus, to concentrate, to gain a sense of His presence with us. That includes prayer, study, perhaps journaling, and even listening to Him, communing with the Lord with an attitude of worship.
Does that mean adding a few more minutes to your waking hours? Perhaps. Or does it mean that we can devote special time to God at other times? Whatever God leads, He is calling us to a deeper level of awareness of His Word and His ways.