Since the first disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray there’s been no
improvements on His suggestions for prayer. It’s called The
Lord’s Prayer, but I still get asked how to conduct a time of personal
devotions. The following teaching is my personal experience as well as
suggestions from many branches of Christianity.
I tell people they need a QUIET time and a
quiet TIME each day. What I mean is if you want to build a deep friendship
with God it will be
advantageous to commit to a regular appointment for devotions each day.
Start with 20 minutes for talking to and hearing from God. This happens
serendipitously in all our lives but for spiritual development you need the
discipline that a meeting time with God provides. Choose a time when
you are most "awake". By 10.30pm I get sleepy. After that prayer is
hopeless.
I can pray in the traffic too – in fact most
times I have to, even if its just for patience! To grow spiritually you need a
quiet spot, far
from the interruptions of daily living. You might have to rise before the rest
of your house awakes. Dedicate a particular place where you do this.
You need a table, a chair, a bible, a notebook and a pen. I met a pastor who did
it standing up at a small shelf he put in the corner of his
study. He was figuratively turning his back on all else but time with God.
Whatever space you choose must be uncluttered. You'll soon discover
why.
So now what? Start with a prayer spoken
softly, out loud. Come into God's presence with thanksgiving. Keep the prayer to
2 or 3 minutes. Even that might feel long when you are starting. Just calmly, in
everyday language speak gratitude. Now open your notebook. Enter the date plus
in
one-word entries the things for which you gave thanks. You might repeat some of
these the next day. No matter. Take 3 more minutes to practice
silent prayer. Ask for nothing, give thanks for nothing. Just "behold the
Father." consider His holiness, bask in His love or worship His
consistency. Let your soul reach out to God. If you are trying this as an
atheist you will find that the mental filters you've erected will make
the first few times feel foolish and then it will rock you as you begin to feel
spiritual "connectedness" that you've long believed impossible.
Turn now to the Bible. You will not be reading
for study, information or even background. Open to the passage after the one you
read yesterday. (The headings in the New International Version of the Bible are
helpful here.) Read only the verses under that heading. Write
down where you are reading. The Bible not like reading a book so don't start at
the beginning. It’s more like a mini library. If you are not
well acquainted with the Bible find the book of John’s Gospel (4th one in the
New Testament) and start there. Read the passage out loud (very
important) from start to finish without stopping to think about anything in the
text. Another prayer: Ask God to speak to you from the verses.
Go back to it now looking for a word of
encouragement, of instructions for something to do or even for a rebuke. Start
reading the
same passage slowly and silently. Turn each phrase in your mind until a verse
arrests your attention. Read NO further. In these 5 to 7 minutes
you have only one quest - to hear a word from the Lord. That’s right. I'm
saying that you too can experience what millions before you have found.
The Book becomes a conduit to heaven. You'll find that every few days a verse
will spring right out at you. You'll be amazed at its relevance.
Write that verse in your notebook. Record what
that verse is telling you to do, think, repent of, say or feel. If you think it
will
take a while to get that task done turn ahead in your notebook and pen a
reminder on that day's page so that by the time you get there you can see
if you have been obedient. Now its time to go to the back page of your notebook
and to list prayer requests. Leave place at the end of each
request to put the date that the prayer is answered. Do the whole thing again
tomorrow morning.