The Ghanaian Perspective: Opinion Articles on Current Issues

THAT special moment has been variously named. Some call it devotion, while others call it the quiet time. Some call it time with God, while others call it prayer time.  It doesn’t matter how we call it as long as we meet God at the appointed time and place.

“Quiet time” conveys a special emotion for the individual who makes time to be with the Lord.  It is an uncompromising habit of the Christian life. Failure to observe the quiet time reveals disloyalty to God and lack of commitment to him.

Whether we will be victorious or be defeated in the face of daunting temptations and trials depends on how much we are in tune with God on a daily basis.

Good habit

We learn this good habit of the quiet time from the Lord Jesus himself who, early in the morning, “a great while before day, departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35), spending quality time with his Father.

That was a sort of a “retreat” to meditate, commune with God, and take a rest in order to refresh himself and overcome stress and being burnt out.  

However, while a “retreat” takes a whole day or a weekend, the daily quiet time is relatively shorter, within an hour or so.  But that “sweet hour of prayer” is invigorating and rewarding.

Come aside

One day Jesus told his disciples, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31-32).  They were busy people, and Jesus was teaching them that the busier they were, the more needful it was for them to draw closer to God.  “For in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). 

Why did Jesus make the quiet time his regular habit?  It was to rededicate himself to God, receive fresh anointing for the day, seek God’s guidance, receive strength to soldier on, and relax in God’s presence. 

Like Daniel

Daniel met the Lord in prayer regularly.  “Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (Daniel 6:10).  Daniel faced both physical and spiritual enemies who eventually got him thrown into a lions’ den.

If we believe Peter’s warning that our “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8), we would take our time with the Lord as seriously as Daniel did, and as the Lord Jesus did.

Early in the morning when the dew is still hovering over the atmosphere and the dawn is cool, you arrive at the meeting place—a chair and a desk behind which you sit; a couch in your bedroom or study; a plastic chair in your porch or veranda.

Wherever the place and whatever the time, you know you are meeting the Almighty God, Creator of the Universe.

Your tools

There is your Bible, your devotional book, your notebook and pen for jotting down lessons you may receive in your divine engagement.  

Then there is your prepared heart, full of praise and gratitude to the Lord who watched over you and your family throughout the night. 

During the quietness of the moment, we hear God speak to us through reading and studying his Word, and through meditating on what we read.  God often speaks to us in a still small voice, hence the need to shroud the time in silence and focus. 

The quiet time is a moment of concentration, which is why the Lord said, “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6-7).

While we are in the presence of God, cultural sensitivity should inform our mannerism.  When we approach our village chief we do so respectfully, let alone being in the presence of the Almighty God.  

Gestures such as leg-crossing, hands in pocket, chewing gum, making phone calls, listening to radio, or watching TV do not portray respect!  Even unavoidable human interruptions must be minimised. 

You know your Lord is waiting for you, so you approach him with reverence and humility, not rushing.  Some believers even come into his presence singing halleluiah, agreeing with the psalmist that, “The heavens declare the glory of the Lord and the sky proclaims the works of his hand” (Psalm 19:1).

The quiet or devotional times are moments of refuelling oil in our lamps to keep us burning.  Rather than rush out to our daily pursuits, a quiet moment with God before then helps us to face the day.

Next week: The Lord willing, when we revisit this topic next week, we will explore specific contents of the quiet time to enhance our sweet fellowship with the Lord.