Quiet.   Solitude.   Calm.   

In a world that vies for our attention from hundreds of directions,
these ideas can feel rare and hard to find. 
Yet, creating rhythms of quiet time and personal reflection can be
some of the most important and centering moments of your day and week.
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In the evangelical Christian world, many refer to these moments as having a Quiet Time. Others call it ‘doing devotions.’  Regardless of what it is called, making space in your day to quiet your soul and connect with your Creator is one of the most important parts of having SPEM Health.  Spiritual.  Physical.  Emotional.  Mental.  These 4 aspects of a healthy life are held together by our spiritual health, rooted in the center of our soul, forming the seat of a balanced life. Making time daily to connect with our Maker is perhaps the most important way for a person to begin their day.
 

If you are reading this article and haven’t yet developed your own personal rhythm of time with God, allow me to suggest three essential components. The first essential component of time with God is spending time reading His Word.  Through Jesus Christ, we can enter a restored relationship with our Father in Heaven. Through faith in Christ and because of his sacrifice on the cross, our sins can be forgiven and we can begin a relationship with God.  One of the best ways to grow in any relationship is by getting to know someone.  In the same way, reading God’s Word is the best way to get to know Him.  He has revealed Himself to mankind through the Bible and has invited us to know him through His Word.  In Jesus’ owns words from John 17:3, “3 Now this is eternal life: that they KNOW you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” When we make time to encounter God in his Word every day, we get to know Him better and grow closer to Him in the process.
 

The second essential component of a healthy Spiritual rhythm is spending time daily in prayer. Throughout the bible, God speaks in terms of relationship. In fact, through Christ we are in covenant relationship with God. Just like in any human relationship, we spend time talking with each other. The same is true of our relationship with God. We can spend time talking to Him each day. I believe this should include dedicated time of active prayer and listening, as well as being reminded that God is with us all day.  In 1 Thess 5:16 Paul invites us to ‘pray continually.’ We are invited to enjoy open dialogue with God every day, all day.  He is always listening, and often ready to speak to us as well. In order to be healthy spiritually, we must learn how to embrace devoted pray times during the day, and prayerfulness throughout the day.
 

The final essential component that I’ll comment on with this brief article is the component of worship. This may be a much less obvious idea for some readers. I believe in active times of worship, both in the church community on Sunday mornings, as well as at home or in the car.  Actively using our voices to give praise and worship to the Lord in music should be a daily practice. It can also be a daily atmosphere that we can create for ourselves just by having worshipful music playing ‘in the background’ of life. We may not be actively singing along, or even actively listening to the lyrics being sung, but just by virtue of having worship music playing in our homes can create an atmosphere that fills our homes and our hearts.  I have found this to have a very meaningful affect on my Spiritual Health, and those, the other aspects of a healthy life.  Nearly every morning, while I am conducting my normal breakfast routine in the kitchen, listening to worship music fills the atmosphere of our home, and of my heart!! It starts my day in the right direction, reminding me that today I live for God’s glory.
 

A final word about these times with the Lord. My recommendation would be do start your day with this!  Some may find that have your quiet time at some other time in the day is meaningful, but I have always felt strongly that a quiet time is best done first thing in the morning. What better way to start your day than to devote time to quieting your soul and spending time alone with your Maker.
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