Quiet Time

Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8 NAS)

I wake up at about 5:30 a.m. every weekday so as to reach my workplace before 9:00 a.m. Between these times is when I wash up, do some stretching exercises, eat my breakfast and travel to work. All these daily routines are important to me, but the most precious of all is the time before breakfast when I spend quiet time with God. This is the time when I read a daily devotional, pray, praise, worship, and study the word of God. A regular prayer I pray at the start of each day is this—"Dear Lord, may your name be glorified through me in all I do this day."

Starting each day with God, to me, has many advantages. It sets within me a spirit that puts God first before all else and allows me to draw strength for the day. Many a times when I read God's word in the morning, I would receive new insights about certain things in the Bible or something concerning the faith, or some Christian principles I can put into practice. On other days, I may receive a warning or a teaching that spurs me on to want to know God better. In times like these, I often feel overwhelmed with God’s love and cannot help but to praise God from the heart for He has lifted up my soul. What a joy it is to experience God and know His lovingkindness at the start of each day!

The psalmist said, "Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul" (Psalm 143:8 NAS). Like the meals we eat everyday to sustain physical health, time with God is essential food for us to sustain our spiritual health. Spending time with God daily is important, and it is good to start it right from the beginning of a day. Like the meals we eat that sustain our physical health, time with God is essential food for us to sustain our spiritual health.

According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus left the house on an early morning while it was still dark and went away to a secluded place to pray (Mark 1:35). In our context today, a secluded or quiet place may be difficult to find, but we can agree with our family members to leave us alone during a specific time of the day to spend time with God. This of course may not be easy for some, especially for the ones who have to take care of the children’s needs first and prepare the breakfast for the one who is spending time alone with God. Regardless the timing that best suits the individual, however, we must all find time daily to be with God.

Dear God, forgive us for neglecting our quiet time with You. Help us understand deep within our hearts that spending time with You is the best thing we can have. Still our hearts Lord to desire to spend quiet time with You daily. We want to experience Your lovingkindness Lord for in You we trust. Teach us the way in which we should walk Lord that our souls may be lifted up each day.