“Quiet Time” Is a Misnomer
Posted by Daniel C. Wilson on Jan 5th, 2010 in Bible Reading & Quiet Time
The only quiet thing about my quiet time is that I can’t hear anyone or anything else…besides me.
I talk out loud, read out loud, pray out loud…shout, cry, sing, pound the desk, and ruffle pages as if in a Sunday School sword drill.
I don’t see a reason to hold back. God’s Word is alive, and we should engage it as such. We should engage God as a relationship person, not a lifeless book. Not irreverently, but not without emotion either.
Maybe I should start calling it my “morning devotions” since “quiet time” sounds like a misnomer.
What do you call your morning time in God’s Word?
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- Weekend Resource: Guide to the quiet time
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I am a habitual talker myself! I’ve been known to pause in the middle of cooking a meal and hold a lengthy discourse on a Biblical insight that just occurred to me…with only my napping one-year-old daughter as company. I just plain can’t keep thoughts to myself well, I have to get them out even if no-one else is listening–or at least, no mere mortal humans! It helps me keep my growing faith on track, and it is so reassuring to know that God listens to me as I patter on…
Great to see you here.
A lengthy discourse on a Biblical insight in the middle of cooking…You’ve got a lively kitchen! And connecting that to Demian’s last post, I’d say that is how you subdue part of your world for Christ’s glory.
A godly husband with a genuine desire to lead his household in a Christ-like way, a smarter-than-average hyperactive 7-year-old boy, and a charming one-year-old little girl with a smile that could melt the heart of King Ahab, all under the same roof as me? I would say that without a doubt, our family is as lively as they come! And that’s not including the trips in the car!
I’m glad I came here! I’ve really enjoyed your comments at Demian’s, and I’m very impressed with your Christian wisdom and insight. I can see it in spades at your site! Don’t expect me to be a stranger in your comments section from now on, brother!
I look forward to it!
I agree my times with God are not always quiet, as I talk to my Father or read His Word aloud or sing to Him/us or when I just need to unabashedely cry knowing He’s there with me …but sometimes they are quiet times, when I am feeling thoughtful and talk in my mind instead of out loud or when I am enjoying the charged silences outside on clear moonlit nights when He seems so near and I have no words to say that could add to the peaceful moment. Whatever the dynamics, it’s just good to be there with Him.
“Whatever the dynamics, it’s just good to be there with Him.”
Amen!
Hey buddy, I think this is one of my most favorite posts of yours. . . . you get charismatic! Ha! I love it.
Don’t get me wrong, I do too. I actually preach to myself sometimes. And since you’ve heard me preach now, you would never think that I sometimes get going and sound a bit like a black evangelical Pentecostal preacher.
Truth is, I don’t like any of the traditional “names” such as quiet time or devotions– they seem to imply a religiosity that is not me and which I prefer to keep that way.
Morning, or whenever else it occurs, it is simply my time with God. Even that sounds weak, because it is truly not my time, but His.
Because I take several medications for various conditions, my time with God is sometimes extremely quiet– so much so that I fall asleep & have to resume later when I am more cognizant. In a less “drugged” condition, I am often quite verbal.
Whatever the case, it carries over into the rest of my life, as my running dialogue with the Lord does not end when I exit the prayer closet.
I highly recommend the little book, “Practicing the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence as an encouragement toward prayer without ceasing.
I have an electronic copy of that but have never read it.
I’ve loosened up quite a bit over the past few years.
You? Preach to yourself? I hope you are in the choir then.
“…my running dialogue with the Lord does not end when I exit the prayer closet.” – There’s a good example of your comments that bring grace and insight to readers. I’ve missed seeing you around.
I believe you’re in for a treat when you do…
I could explain my absence, but it would sound like an excuse (which it is not). I do stop by to read more often than I indicate by commenting. I’ll try to do better, the Lord willing…