Quiet Time and Intimacy with God
MATT NATIONS
04.12.21
SUNDAY:
12pm - Wow, that service was convicting and challenging! This week I’m going to make some changes and be intentional about my walk with God. I’m setting my alarm and getting up early to get with Jesus.
4pm - Sunday naps are the best!
6pm - Dinner with Family
7pm - Kids down to bed
8pm - Scrolling through TV and I see a good movie showing. Get totally sucked in and watch til the end.
11pm - Get ready for bed and pack kids lunches for tomorrow.
12am - Finally go to bed and set the alarm early to have a quiet time and start a good Monday rhythm!
MONDAY:
6am - Alarm goes off… Snooze it
6:15am - Alarm goes off again….Snooze again
6:30am - Alarm goes off… Snooze
6:45am - Finally roll out of bed. I knew I shouldn’t have watched that movie!
7:00am - Kids wake up.
7:01am - I’ll try again tomorrow to have a quiet time…
Does this resonate with anyone or just me?! I can have the best intentions to get up early in the morning and make a delicious cup of coffee and sit with Jesus and open my Bible, but most days I find myself snoozing my alarm until it’s too late and other responsibilities arise. Kids get up and I am helping them get ready for their day, cooking breakfast for my bride to help her out or checking my email so I know what I’m walking into today at work.
I am a night owl through and through. I could stay up until 2-3am every night no problem if I didn’t have to be up early in the morning. For this reason, quiet time has been a battle for me. I have stints of consistency followed by a month long drought. It is up and down, up and down. Anyone with me on this?
Recently I was talking with a buddy of mine and sharing about the constant struggle to get up early and get into the Word. I was sharing that when I am in a good rhythm, my days and weeks are so much better. I am filled with far more joy and much better perspective as I navigate my life. But, getting into the rhythm is hard.
THE FIGHT FOR THE MORNING BEGINS THE NIGHT BEFORE
As I have tried everything, I have come to find that the fight for the morning begins the night before. For me, if I can be intentional the night before to take care of the things I need to do and get to bed at a decent hour, the mornings are exponentially easier. When I can say no to the movie on TV or the three extra episodes on my latest Netflix binge or catching the night game, the morning is much easier to win.
I don’t need to go on and on about how important it is to spend time with Jesus. You know that. That’s not the problem. We all know it is good for our walk, but our choices either clear the way to access this or pile up a wall of things that make it near to impossible to find time to sit down and be quiet.
If you are like me, take some time to go through your nightly routine and see if there are a few things that are not helping you win the morning. Ask a friend or spouse for help setting a new rhythm. Do whatever you can to fight for the morning the night before. I promise if you clear the path the night before, you will win the morning a lot more often.
TIPS TO WIN THE MORNING:
-I use my phone as my alarm clock. I have found if I plug it in by my bed, I will snooze it more times than not. Try plugging your phone in across the room so you have to get out of bed.
-Do household chores the night before. It is much easier to spend time with God when I am not staring at the sink full of dishes that needs to get done or a load of laundry that needs folded.
-Pack lunches the night before.
-Don’t beat yourself up. I am not perfect. I miss days. Just get back at it the next morning and find out what got in the way to help avoid that tomorrow.
-Set good expectations. Often, I want this hour long quiet time with a nice cup of coffee and nowhere to be. This is rarely doable for me. Most days my quiet time is 15-30 minutes. I celebrate a morning started with Jesus and in the Word and worry less about a clock.
-Avoid looking at your phone/computer until after you finish your quiet time. If I check my email or task list before I get in the Word, I find it hard to focus on anything but what I have to do that day.
RESOURCES
The Divine Mentor
WAYNE CORDIERO
In The Divine Mentor, you will discover how to enjoy a dynamic, vital, and intimate relationship with God as you learn to hear Him speak daily through the Bible. You'll embark on an adventure that will introduce you to His handpicked mentors, men and women who may save your health, your marriage, your ministry, and your future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MATT NATIONS
Matt and Jess Nations have been married for 7 years and have a 2 year old named Kai who keeps them laughing constantly! They are currently in the process of adoption and can't wait to see their family continue to grow. Matt is on staff at Riverside Church and Jess teaches 1st grade at Canterbury School. On the weekends, you will find them outside, usually around water, and of course finishing the day with ice cream from Sun Harvest!