Do Not Depart

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My Prayer Couch

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Kristin chronicles life as wife and mother of four with daily musings about what’s cooking at The Schell Café. Passionate about cooking and gathering family around the table, she knows the truth that man cannot live by bread alone and shares her faith story and love for Jesus Christ at The Kitchen Mission. Someday, Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise, the two sites will merge. Until then you can find Kristin at her blogs or on twitter @theschellcafe.

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The Schell Café is more than my little nook in the blogosphere, it is quite literally my kitchen. By day, the command center bursts with activity generated by our family of six – meals, snacks, homework, crafts, home office, portal to the backyard and catch-all for backpacks, Legos and tutus.

In the pre-dawn hours of the morning, this normally chaotic space is a quiet refuge. It is my meeting place with the Lord.

For my 40th birthday Husband gave me a prayer couch for the kitchen. Before you google ‘kitchen prayer couch’, rest assured it’s just a regular old sofa I placed in the kitchen, but it is special. This is where I meet the Lord in the throne room of grace.

What does my morning couch time look like?

From an earthly perspective, I guarantee it’s not pretty and bed-head is definitely involved. Very early I make my way downstairs. After several years of this early morning time with the Lord, we’ve both come to expect it, and I usually wake up without an alarm about 5:30 am (although this morning He moved the appointment time up to 4:45 am!).

Cozy on the couch, still in darkness, I greet the Lord with praise and adoration, something like this:

Good Morning Lord. Thank you for the gift of this peaceful, quiet morning. You are an awesome God – the author & perfecter of our faith. You are merciful, righteous & steadfast. You are my rock & my redeemer.  My protector.  My shepherd. You alone are worthy of all my praise.

As I reach to turn on the lamp Psalm 119:105 floats across my heart:

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path.

What follows next varies but I always dig in to scripture with my prayer journal close by. Currently, I’m participating in the Bible in 90 Days Challenge. I spend about 30 – 40 minutes on the readings taking notes in the margins of my Bible or in my prayer journal for further study.

During the academic year, I attend our women’s bible study at church. I use my couch time for daily scripture reading of our study. I’m part of the leadership team, but I don’t use couch time for ministry work, although I certainly pray for it!

After time in the Word, or as the Holy Spirit leads, I pray. Really the entire morning is a continuous prayer, but I focus more intently after my readings and like to follow the ACTS prayer. Adoration. Confession. Thanksgiving. Supplication. If the Littles remain asleep, I close my couch time quietly listening to the Lord.

By now the sun filters through the windows and my kitchen begins to buzz. Throughout the day, my prayer couch will host a child needing a band-aid, another wanting hugs, and a hungry Husband waiting for dinner. I smile and my heart is in anticipation of my next meeting with the Lord whose mercies are new every morning.

Blessings,

Kristin

Call Me Crazy

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My friend Emily loves the Lord and loves to share His love through teaching and counseling others. Today, she shares thoughts about her quiet time with you. Dr. Emily Edwards is the author of Ready and Waiting: A Biblical Approach to Singleness, Dating, and Preparation for Marriage. The book and its companion workbook are powerful resources for helping singles put on their “biblical glasses” to find the one God has prepared for just for them. More information on Dr. Edwards and her books can be found at Living Hope Publishing. Dr. Edwards is currently working on a book on helping believers through the difficult problems and trials of life.

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” – Psalm 5:3

When people ask me about my quiet time with God, I almost don’t want to say because they often don’t believe me. Or they get mad at me. Yes, I’m one of those crazy people who gets up and spends 40 minutes in the morning with God.

When I told her I was writing this article, I have a friend who said, “Nobody wants to hear that because it makes them feel bad. It makes them feel guilty that they aren’t doing that (or don’t want to do that), too. It sounds like you’re bragging.”

That made me think about why I spend so much time in the morning. The honest answer is, it’s because it doesn’t do me any good if I don’t.

I’ve tried spending less time. Even now, there are some mornings I wake up late and I only have 15 minutes. I spend as much time as I can in prayer. I might read a verse or two, but I feel rushed. It almost feels like a chore instead of a desire. I don’t get anything out of it. (I don’t think God gets anything out of it, either.)

That’s why I try to take at least 40 minutes. This gives me time to reflect and really meditate on God’s Word. When I’m reading Scripture, I try to think about the application. I reflect on what I read for the day and ask, “How does this apply to my life”? or, “How can I apply this to my life”? This way, it becomes real to me instead of just more words on a page.

I am also very conscious of my sins. I spend time working through areas of unforgiveness and repenting where necessary.

This is critical time for me. What I do with my time at the beginning of my day affects the rest of my day. I need that time or I struggle.

Not everyone needs their quiet time this way. Some of my friends find their quiet time with God in other ways, like while driving to work or taking a jog. That time is as productive for them as my quiet time is for me. I can’t do that because I don’t multi-task very well. I am easily distracted by things I see and hear around me.

Everyone’s quiet time is different. Everyone is wired differently and God works in their lives in different ways.

That’s why I encourage everyone to figure out what type of quiet time is most productive for them. When can you focus on God most easily? What time is He able to reach through to you? When are you most likely to let Him break through the clutter so you can hear Him? It’s worth thinking about.

My Time to Dig ~ Adrianne

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Adrianne is a special young lady in my life. Scott was her youth pastor throughout high school and he was privileged to perform her wedding last August. Adrianne is the Multi-Media Specialist at the crisis pregnancy center where I volunteer. She has redesigned all the websites and also manages the social media component of the ministry. In addition to that role, Adrianne is helping lead the student-driven abstinence education program called Braveheart. Thanks, Age, for sharing your quiet time story!! ~ Teri Lynne

I became a Christian in 1999, when I was twelve years old. Like most middle schoolers, I was pretty clueless, especially when it came to my quiet time. From what I had gathered from all my friends at church, your quiet time was this special, ceremonial time of day (that usually lasted an hour or more!) where you got completely alone with God.

Our youth pastor gave us these devotional books to use in our quiet times, so then I FELT READY. That night I went to my bedroom, locked the door, and cleared out a space in the bottom of my closet. (Please pause for a moment and imagine me sitting there, clothes hanging above my head. It was not a large closet by any means.) I got my devotional book out, got out my Bible, turned on some great inspirational worship music, and got started. Unfortunately, I finished five minutes later. FIVE MINUTES!?! I thought this was supposed to last for hours! What did I do wrong? Was I a bad Christian?

I also gathered from my friends that they had quiet times every day. I assumed that they never missed a day. However, I didn’t seem to be that consistent. I would forget one day, oversleep the next day, and sometimes just not feel like it. What was wrong with me? Surely if I were a good Christian I wouldn’t do this! I felt like the only person who was having these problems.

Those experiences understandably caused a great deal of guilt to form up in me. I felt that because I couldn’t spend daily quiet time with God I was a terrible person. Every time I would forget a quiet time I felt more and more defeated. I felt so guilty that I couldn’t set aside time for the Savior of my life. So I would try even harder to have a quiet time, if only to avoid those feelings of guilt, of failure.

It took several years for this thought to occur to me: I was thinking about it the wrong way. God didn’t want my quiet time with Him to driven by guilt. The attitude with which I was approaching God was one of “OK, God. I don’t want to get in trouble with you, so here I am.” Gee, what a wonderful heart of worship I was presenting. I’ve come to realize that the motives that govern our desire to have a quiet time are extremely important. God wants our hearts to be hungry for Him, seeking Him, desperate to know Him. This concept has really set me free. I don’t have to feel guilty if I miss my daily quiet time because God’s GRACE covers my shortcomings. I simply need to focus on God and continue to seek Him. If I keep doing that, then having my quiet time won’t feel like a chore. It will become a NEED.

The Type A Quiet Time

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I have loved reading about everyone’s personal time with the Lord … and have gleaned some great insights from each post so far.  I’m already trying to figure out how to add photos like Kathy and incorporate those Sabbath principles shared by Julie.

My life is routine-driven.  In fact, that might be the understatement of the year so far.  I’m definitely a “type-A” personality.  I like lists, schedules, and plans … I do not thrive in chaos nor do I enjoy spontaneity.  It should, therefore, not be any sort of surprise that my quiet time is much the same today as it has been the past 10 years.

As I mentioned in a Your Turn post, I generally get up before my family … remember my rule, “I don’t speak to anyone until I have listened to God”?    I have a comfy corner of the couch where I can look out the patio doors and watch the sunrise as I spend those early moments of my day with the Lord.

Sunrise on March 17, 2010: the view from my couch

I always begin my quiet time by journaling.  As I write out the events of the past day and what is coming in the day ahead, I find myself processing … that becomes a blend of recording specific events and feelings merged with prayers and verses that the Lord brings to my mind as I write.  For me, getting all of that out helps me prepare to hear from the Lord as I read the Bible.

I read a chapter of Proverbs every day. Sometimes I also read from another portion of Scripture as well … savoring the passages and making notes/prayers as I read.  But, honestly, there are many days when I simply read a chapter of Proverbs, choose a verse and focus on it for the rest of that day.

In addition to reading the Bible, I prefer devotional material that is at least 100 years old … something about the lasting nature of these writings draws me to them.  In 2009, I used Streams in the Desert which is not quite 10o years old but certainly qualifies as a Christian classic.  This year, I am reading several books by various authors … currently, I am reading The Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross.  Using this type of material helps me gain perspective on the difficulties and joys of daily life.

My prayer time is filled with lots of stops and starts … generally I begin by just sitting.  Practicing the discipline of stillness … which does not come naturally to me.  As thoughts or individuals come to mind I pray for wisdom or healing or peace, whatever the situation demands.  Often I will use a Psalm as a prayer, taking a passage and praying it as it applies to me.    I use my prayer calendar as well during this time – dedicating each month to praying for a specific person or group.  Finally, I grab my Daytimer and to do list … I pray over each moment and task – in my life and for my husband and daughter.

Instead of trying to fight my organizational nature and my lists and plans, I use them to guide me … and in the process I lay them down before the Lord’s plans, trusting in His over mine.

Ho does your personality influence your quiet time patterns?  Maybe you are having such a difficult time because you are trying to fit your personality into a quiet time format designed for someone else … embrace the way God made you and commune with Him!


For Further Reading:

A Quiet Time Routine – Additional insights on quiet times from my blog.

Prayer Calendaring –  An example of how I have used a prayer calendar.

Books I have found useful:

Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas – Identifies 9 different “pathways” to connect with God.  This book has been very useful to me in helping others figure out how to improve their quiet times.

Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman – If you are facing difficulties right now, this is a great one-year devotional book packed with insight and encouragement.

Also, please check out our new Devotional Materials and Resources page for more book and website suggestions on this topic.

Kathy’s Quiet Time

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I spend my daily time with God at a roll top desk in my home office. Each of the items on my desk is an important part of my time with God.

  1. Bible – In addition to my main NIV Study Bible, I keep other translations close at hand. I use the NIV for study and memorization, as well as much of my Bible reading. I also read familiar passages in other translations. And I like to use the New Living Translation for devotional reading.
  2. Bible Reading Plan – I usually use a year-long reading plan. It keeps me purposeful and on track. Late in the fall I will research and pray about a reading plan for 2011. (If you need a plan I have several on my site that are free to download.)
  3. Journal – I record specific things God teaches or shows me from His Word. Then I can go back and review them. I also write down things He tells me to do. Writing them down makes me feel more accountable! And writing prayers or the main points of what I’m praying about helps keep my mind from wandering.
  4. Scripture Memory Cards – I keep the new verses and the verses from the last few months on top of my desk. My goal is to recite the new verse every day and to review the last few verses weekly.
  5. Prayer Photos – The photos taped inside my desk remind me to pray for specific friends, family members, and missionaries. It’s hard to pass over them when you can see their faces!
  6. Coffee Mug – I meet with God first thing in the morning before the demands of the day have a chance to intrude. For me, morning means coffee!
  7. Tissues – Allergies and emotions make Kleenex a must!
  8. Pen and highlighter

Having all my quiet time essentials in one place and always ready helps me stay consistent. (You may not have an extra room or even a desk, but you can keep your quiet time materials together in a box or tote bag so you don’t have to hunt and gather!)

My “quiet time” is the time I spend in purposeful fellowship with God. I talk to Him and I seek to hear Him speak to me through His Word and prayer. Although I do learn many things about God as I read His Word, my quiet time is separate from my Bible study time.

Usually I begin by praising God and asking Him to speak to me. As I read His Word I interact with God in prayer. I really want to have a two-way conversation. I ask Him questions and “listen” for His answers. I write down what God teaches me about Himself as well as anything I need to follow up on later.

My prayers include confession and repentance, praise, thanksgiving, and petition (asking God for things for myself and others). Some days my prayers include all of these. But from day to day, my quiet time will reflect what’s going on in my relationship with God at the time. If I’ve wronged God by sinning, then my time with Him needs to concentrate on repentance and getting things right with Him. If I’m struggling with a decision then I will spend more time seeking God’s wisdom and guidance.

Although there is no set formula for my time with God, it always includes both hearing from God through His Word and speaking to God through prayer. I try to let the specifics of how much time in each and in what order flow naturally out of my interaction with Him.

May God bless your time with Him!      Kathy

Daily Time in the Word: A Recap

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We’ve covered a lot of ground over the past three weeks.  Here is a brief summary of all our posts on this topic of developing and maintaining a daily time in the Bible.

Reading God’s Word:  In this introductory post, Stephanie gave us some great questions to ask ourselves as we begin the pursuit of spending time every day in God’s Word.

Why Should We Read the Bible Anyway? Kathy reminded us of the many characteristics of the Bible and, that the bottom line is, “The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself and His ways to mankind – the very words of God ‘breathed’through divinely inspired humans (2 Timothy 3:16).”

What’s Your Goal? Breaking down five different methods of interaction with Scripture, Teri Lynne gave a descriptions of study, devotional reading, meditation, memorization, and action … as well as the goal and significance of each.

Time to Mull, Ponder, Meditate:  Kathy’s excellent explanation of meditation also offered specific ideas about how to incorporate this spiritual discipline into our lives.

How Much Time is Enough? “When it comes to the time we spend in God’s Word, there is no such thing as ‘too much’ – there is no such thing as ‘too little.'” Great encouragement from Stephanie about the value of all time spent in Scripture.

Do I HAVE to Memorize? For many of us, memorizing Scripture seems out of reach and far too difficult to even attempt.  Teri Lynne explains the benefits of investing time in “hiding the Word in our hearts.”

What?  Me Memorize Scripture? Kathy offers some specific methods of memorization and the ways doing so benefits us in our Christian life.

How do I fit it in?  part 1 Julie gives wise suggestions about making the Word of God easily accessible.    Many seasons of life are particularly difficult and Julie’s practical ideas about “easy access” are very encouraging.

How do I fit it in?  part 2 Julie offers more Godly counsel on the nature of our time spent in the Word.  This post challenges us to consider the amount of Scripture we consume and the accountability that can help us stay on track, especially during busy times of life.

The Buddy System in Bible Study Teri Lynne looks at Proverbs 27:17 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 for guidelines in developing accountability relationships.

You can check out more resource suggestions on the Time in the Word page under Resources and References tab in the right sidebar!


Over the next few days we will be sharing about our own personal Bible study times.   We will have an ongoing feature “My Time to Dig” … and we’d love for you to share with us what your quiet time involves.  If you are interested, please email us at scripturedig {at} comcast {dot} net and ask for the guidelines.

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