Our world thrives on being busy. We can easily be caught up in the frantic business of this world. We jump out of bed, get the kids ready for school, run out the door to work or school, barrage of emails and phone calls to handle, we barely have time for a bite to eat, we rush home to take the kids to soccer practice, eat in the car after stopping at the drive through and so on. We might be distracted by all the activities of life, and at the end of the day, not spend time doing the things we say we value the most.

We should make a goal to find a peaceful moment of quiet every day. Throughout the gospels, we see examples of Jesus getting away from the business of life and taking time to go off and be alone:

  • “(Jesus) often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)
  • “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)
  • “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
  • “And when He had sent (the multitude) away, He departed to the mountain to pray.” (Mark 6:46)

Let’s take a look at why quiet time is so beneficial and how we can use these moments to become more devoted to God. When we acknowledge the great value that a quiet moment holds, we’re going to seek out opportunities to escape from the chaos of the day. In order to help us see the great value in times of quiet, we’ll look at 3 men of faith in God’s word and see how they bettered themselves by escaping the distraction of daily life to devote their minds to God. We’ll look at how they made quiet time to pray, to meditate on his word, and to sit in front of the mirror of self-examination.

Making Quiet Time to Pray

Example: Daniel, a man of Quiet Prayer

King Darius signed a law that said no one should be allowed to pray to any other god for 30 days. “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Daniel 6:10)
Daniel had made a custom of praying 3 times a day in the quiet privacy of his home. He did not change his practice after hearing the decree, but continued doing what he had always done. Daniel valued his quiet time of prayer to God!

Practical Application

  • What a great blessing to be able to speak with our Creator through this powerful avenue of prayer!
  • Prayer is so vital to our spiritual life, that Paul tells us: “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). That means that we should have a habit of praying just like Daniel did. We should be praising God, thanking Him, asking for His mercy, and confessing our trespasses to Him throughout the day.
  • Instead of turning on the television, pray. Pray while you’re in rush hour traffic. Pray when you’re standing in line at the grocery store. Pray when you’re in the shower. Pray!

Making Quiet Time to Meditate on God’s Word

Example: David, a man of Quiet Meditation

Before David was King of Israel, he was a humble shepherd and was intimately familiar with quiet time as he sat out in the pastures watching over the sheep. Later in life, he did not forget about making time to be alone and to be quiet, especially when considering God’s Holy Word. “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” (Psalm 63:6). “I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.” (Psalm 119:147–148) David would wake early and go to bed late just so he could think about the previous word of God.

Practical Application:

  • The Bible has the power to change your life, but not if it sits on the shelf. David understood that he had to carry God’s word in his heart every day to avoid sin in his life, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)
  • The apostle Paul felt meditation was so important to the life of a believer, that he concluded his letter to the Philippian church with this instruction: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
  • When we make time to fill our minds with wholesome things, it will change our thoughts, our attitudes, and our actions throughout the rest of the day. Pick a verse or a collection of verses and stop to consider them throughout the quiet moments in your day.

Making Quiet Time to Examine Yourselves

Example: Nehemiah, a man of Quiet Examination

Nehemiah was a man of great passion and determination, though he was merely a cupbearer to the king. When he heard about how the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruin and the survivors were in distress, he was greatly saddened and sat alone for many days fasting and praying. In his prayer to God, Nehemiah was able to acknowledge that it was the sins of his people, and himself, that caused this great tragedy. “… I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.” (Nehemiah 1:6–7)
Taking time to be alone, Nehemiah was able to consider his actions, and the actions of his nation, and rightly assess that they were in sin and needed forgiveness.

Practical Application:

  • God has promised us that He would forgive us of our sins, but we can only access that powerful forgiveness if we’re honest with ourselves about the sins in our life.
  • Paul wanted to Corinthian church to get real with themselves, and to not be too arrogant about their standing in the faith. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. …” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
  • Take quiet time at the end of a busy day to honestly consider if your daily attitudes and activities have brought glory to God or led you further away from Him.

Conclusion

  • Life is very busy, distracting, and full of things vying for our attention.
  • Recognize the value in taking time to be alone, quiet, and make that time throughout the day to bring glory to God.
  • Develop a habit of daily prayer.
  • Study His word and meditate on it every day.
  • Stop to think about your life honestly, every day.

“LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.” (Psalm 131)