There have been seasons in my life when I’ve not had consistent quiet times. However, over the past several years I have grown significantly in my time with God. A lot of this growth came from the aid, discipleship, and resources of Wholehearted Quiet Time. I’m grateful for the significant role Wholehearted has played in my relationship with the Lord.
Here are several ways in which my quiet time has impacted my life in 2021:
1. Having a quiet time has brought peace in the midst of chaos.
This year has been particularly stressful for me and my husband. We have been renovating a house which we are renting-to-own and will be closing on shortly. We changed jobs. My husband’s new job requires a lot of traveling which has been a big adjustment for both of us. The beauty of daily time with God is that His peace surpasses all of our understanding.
Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)
When we go to God regularly and with everything, THEN His peace will not only exceed our understanding, but it actually places a guard on our heart and mind! Hallelujah!
2. Having a quiet time has helped me to learn discipline in all areas of life.
I have come to notice consistent quiets time with God actually helps me to become more disciplined in other areas of my life. I believe this is because God asks for our first and best. When I am prioritizing Him above all else, it helps me to properly prioritize other areas of life. Ultimately, this dying to self elevates Him to His proper place!
“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” (John 3:30 NLT)
3. Having a quiet time binds my wandering heart to Him.
The old hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”, has some really powerful lyrics. When reflecting on what quiet time produces in my life, there is one line in this hymn which stands out the most: “bind my wandering heart to Thee.” I would encourage you to read the entire verse surrounding this line in the hymn. It reflects the perfect posture of heart we should bring to the Lord in quiet time.
“O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above."
4. Having a quiet time promotes repentance and obedience to God.
Without consistent, daily quiet time with God, it becomes very easy to forego the practice of repentance and obedience. In the seasons of my life when I did not make time with God a priority, I found myself making many compromises. However, as I have grown in my walk with God, and my commitment to a regular time with Him, I have come to find it much easier to live a lifestyle of repentance and obedience to Him.
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength… (Isaiah 30:15 NIV)
5. Having a quiet time motivates me to have fellowship with other Christians.
A gift I did not expect in 2021 was a deeper fellowship and unity with the Body of Christ. It has been a blessing to me. When we spend time with the Lord, we begin to love the things He loves. And other than the Father, there is nothing He loves more than the Body of Christ. The more I spend time with Him, the more I desire closeness with the Body!
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7 NIV)
Application Points:
- Make your own list of how having a quiet time has impacted your year.
- Make a list of how you would like to grow in your quiet time next year.
- Plan to succeed! Make a plan for your quiet time in 2022.
- Practice regular repentance, obedience to Scripture, and fellowship with the Body!
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About Tiffany: Lives in Alabama with her husband, Lex. She works at a local Credit Union and volunteers at her church, where she serves as a worship leader. |