Spending Time with the Lord

Have you ever spent a day in prayer? How about a half of a day? How about a few hours? Have you ever prayed for an hour? Talking about prayer can be intimidating. Most of us have struggled at one point or another in our spiritual walk.

Sometimes, the day sweeps away our good intentions and it is night before we can pray. Sometimes, we rest our weary heads upon our pillows, begin to pray, and discover with the morning alarm that our prayer time was cut short. Some days, things are just so hectic we can only snatch a couple of minutes of prayer at at time.

How do we spend an extended amount of time with the Lord that is both fruitful and invigorating? Here are some ideas:

• Find a time and place that is right for you. When are you most alert? When do you have the most free time? Do you have a place were you can pray in private, that is comfortable (but not too comfortable)?

• Have a plan. You can see a sample plan here.  Consider these elements:

• Prayer. If you are new at praying, find a pattern that will help you get started. There are several acronyms that can help you (ACTS and R.I.G.H.T. H.E.A.R.T. are good ones).
• Read the Scriptures.
• Meditate.
• Pray the Scriptures.
• Journal.
• Sing or play music.
• Read devotional material. 

• Here are some tools you can use:

• Music. Use CDs or MP3s. Listen to music that brings you into a worshipful place. You can also use a hymnal to aid you.
• Bible. Your Bible is an essential tool. It enables you to hear from God, as you talk to him.
• Pen/Paper/Journal. The pen helps to record insights and promise that spring to mind during your devotions. Journaling can be helpful in remembering specific prayers the Lord has answered.
• Prayer list. Keep a list of people and things you are praying for.
• Prayer Guide. There are several guide the can help you spend an extended time in prayer. Check out this one, this one, this one, and this one.
• A Good Devotional Book. There are a lot of excellent Christian books you could read that would help you grow closer to the Lord. Knowing God, Desiring God, The Holiness of God, and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life are all good places to start.

Some Thoughts

It amazes me how quickly a day can go.  I spent a lot of time yesterday working on a project related to goal-setting.  Today, I spent a good deal of time studying contemporary world religions.  I am sure that both topics will make for useful material in the days ahead.

I know when I am busy, I am tempted cut back on important things like my time with the Lord (prayer and Bible reading), my time with family, exercise, etc.  The only thing I don't struggle with getting rid of is the distractions in my life like t.v. and the internet.  Apparently, I always have time for distractions.

I working to change that, but as for now I still struggle.  I have found in the past couple of weeks, that I have gotten more out of my quiet time when I do them in the morning.  About a week ago, I was able to get up early a few days for Scripture reading and prayer.  My mind, although not super-alert early in the morning, seemed fresher, and more able to think through the implications of the passages I was reading. 

Usually, I do my reading late a night, just before I go to bed.  However, I find that I often rush through these readings, because I am tired and want to get to bed.  Also, my mind has been engaged in some many activities throughout the course of the day, that I struggle with mental fatigue. 

I am trying to shift my schedule, so that I can spend time with the Lord each morning.  When do you spend time with the Lord?  When do you find it the most beneficial? How to you approach your quiet time?  I would really like to hear from you.