2014 MARCH WEEK THREE LESSON

LESSON FIVE

ESTABLISHING AN

EFFECTIVE QUIET TIME

 

Memory Verse

 

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got

up and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." Mark 1:35

This lesson has been designed to help you develop the habit of communing with God on a daily basis. This habit called “Quiet Time” is the period of time one deliberately set aside to pray and commune alone with God and study the word of God. It is set aside by an individual child of God to speak with heavenly Father. It is an opportunity for every child to daily meet with His heavenly Father. Often times we read in the Bible that Jesus Christ went to a place solitarily to pray. He would go to a quiet, lonely place to pray and commune with God. He saw the need to daily go to the Father alone before encountering men. On some occasions He would even send His disciples away so that He could be left alone to have a quiet time to commune alone with God.

Many Christians enjoy corporate prayer, fellowship and Bible Study, but struggle to spend quality time alone with God daily. It is necessary to build a personal relationship with God and grow in intimacy with Him, because that was the way Jesus lived here on earth. A victorious Christian life is built on the foundation of constant quiet time where one spends quality time alone with God in prayer, meditation and studies. Enjoy the discussion below.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.    What is quiet time and is it relevant today?

2.    When did Jesus wake up to pray? Mark 1:35

3.    What did Jesus have to sacrifice to have a quiet time? Mark 1:35,36

4.    What benefit did Jesus derive from His quiet time? Mark 1:39

5.    What is the benefit of spending quality time with God? Psalm 91:1-2

6.    Why do many Christians forgo their quiet time?

7.    What happens to Christians who fail to do their quiet time? Matthew 17:15-16

8.    What practical steps will you take to maintain an effective quiet time?

Practically, quiet time involve the following;

a.   Select a time and a place that will be quiet and most able for you to be alone with God.

b.   Enter God’s presence with thanksgiving, praise and worship-Ps 100:1-5; Ps 103:1-5.

c.    Read a portion of scripture (it is better to follow a devotional plan). In the event of using a guide, please read the scripture thoroughly before reading the commentary.

d.   Meditate on the Word and let the Lord speak to you through His Word.

e.   Pray, making your requests known to God- 1 Tim 2:1-3. (Pray for yourself, family or dear ones, your Church, leaders in the nation and the Church, those who are vulnerable among others.)

f.     If you cannot read, you can get together with somebody who can read or meditate on the scriptures or sermons you have heard.

Spend quality time alone with the Lord and He would grant you fresh strength, grace, direction and anointing. Every other thing can be cancelled, but not Quiet Time. Make it a delight.

 

Conclusion

God desire that we fellowship with Him even as individuals. Men like Moses, Joshua, David and others communed with God consistently. They set out times daily and regularly to pray and receive instructions from the Lord, spending a “Quiet Time” in God’s presence. Women like Deborah and Anna did likewise. No wonder then that such men and women became great in God’s hand in their own times as they tapped the resources of heaven to meet the challenges facing them there on earth. The Lord Jesus Christ also made Himself an example to us in this respect that may follow in His steps.