Each year during Lent Grace Point focuses on a common, Church-wide theme.  This focus has included our Sunday services and Life Groups, and this year it will also include our Thursday morning Band of Brothers gathering and the EPIC Student Ministries.  It is always a powerful 40-day journey together as a church, and we are excited to get started this Sunday!

During these next 40 days, we are continuing to focus on Jesus’ command to us to be on a "Mission to Multiply" by looking at living lives that overflow with God’s love.

Outflow: outward-focused living in a self-focused world. Here is a sneak peek at what Outflow is all about:

There are several ways you can make this Outflow focus a life-changing 40 days:

• Sunday mornings: For the next six Sundays, the morning messages and EPIC gatherings at Grace Point will be centered around a particular theme of Outflow.  If you miss a Sunday, remember that our Sunday messages are always available on iTunes (search for GPCC) or on our web site.

• Life Groups: We are encouraging everyone to try out a Life Group for this 40 day journey.  Our Life Groups will be reading and discussing an Outflow book that follows along the same themes as the Sunday morning messages.  We will have tables set-up this Sunday (3/1) so that our Life Groups can introduce themselves to you.  Take a few minutes and see if there is a Group that fits your family!

• On your own: If you can’t join a Life Group right now and Thursday mornings don’t work for you, you can still follow along in the Outflow book by picking up a copy at the Welcome Table after each service this Sunday (3/1).  The books are $11.

• Band of Brothers: Our regular Thursday morning Band of Brothers gatherings will focus on how men can be on a mission to multiply.  This would be a GREAT time to try us out.  We meet every Thursday morning from 6:30 to 7:30am.  We’ll have Outflow books available for $11.

• Via the web: By subscribing to this blog, you’ll receive regular emails that follow along the Outflow series with thoughts and challenges along the way.  Just fill out the "Subscribe to this Blog" section in the upper right-hand corner of the site.

We will be praying for this series to be a life-changing time for us all as we consider how to multiply our lives into the people around us!

This is the last post (for now, at least) about having a quiet time.  I hope the previous six posts have been helpful in even a small way.  I want to close with someone else’s experience with their quiet time.  This is just one look at how time spent with God can change our life.  I hope these words from a friend bless you as much as they did me!

…

The experience that happened to me in the summer of 2008 was one I have longed for and prayed for but I never really knew that it actually could or would happen.

First, let me describe my normal attempts at having daily devotionals with God. I have always fallen short in this area. I have great bursts of time when I am diligent to be in the Word (I read the whole Bible in a year a couple of years ago) and then I have these long periods of time when the only Bible reading I do is for my weekly preparation for my Life Group. My prayer is always that I will be excited to be in the Word and that I will eagerly anticipate that time of day. But, as many of us know, this does not usually happen on its own. Having a quiet time in the Word with God takes great discipline and sacrifice and it is an action not a feeling, just as love is. So, this past summer I was choosing daily to be in the Word and God truly blessed my time.

Let me also interject that the way that I usually feel God’s Holy Spirit is through praise to God through music. I have always been musical and so this has been a natural path for me to connect to God. So, what I will describe below is even more powerful because it is not the “normal” way that I connect with God.

My experience with God during my daily quiet times was going along in my normal fashion. I would read one or two chapters from the Old Testament and then one or two from the New. For the first couple of weeks, nothing out of the ordinary was happening during these times. I was enjoying my time with God and everything was good. Then, a wonderful thing started to happen. As I was reading in Proverbs, a recurrent theme kept jumping out at me and I thought that it was neat but I didn’t think much about it. Then, as I was reading in Matthew 6 (specifically 1-4) I was hit with a very powerful feeling that I can’t describe. For the next couple of weeks, everything I read in the Bible or thought about kept bringing me back to that passage and I was really troubled as to what to do with it. Since Matthew 6 is very specific in it’s command, I won’t go into detail, but some things started to happen that lead me to some actions that I felt were directly led by God through the words written in those scriptures. I don’t know if I will ever experience God talking to me directly through His Word again, but I pray that I will because it is a wonderful and powerful feeling and connection with our Creator.

To close, I wish I had some great words of wisdom as to how to make this happen again, but I don’t and I wish I could say that I was more diligent about being in the Word because of that experience, but I am not. I am a flawed human being, but the beautiful thing about our God is that He loves us more than we will ever be able to comprehend and He is eagerly waiting for each and every one of us to connect with Him.

Quiet times are so important and so effective.  But, let me warn you of a few things:

• It will take a while for the impact to become evident to you.  A close relationship with someone is not automatic, even if that someone is God Himself.
• There will be periods of time when you are greatly impacted by your quiet time, and times when you feel nothing at all.  Again, every relationship goes through highs and lows.  If you feel God is distant from you, remember that He is not the one that has moved…you have.  Ask Him to reveal the issue to you and continue to pursue Him the best way you know how.
• Like anything else, it will take a while before a regular quiet time feels “normal”.  But once it does, it will be something you long for in a way that also doesn’t feel normal!
• After you’ve gotten into a regular routine with God, don’t stick with that routine forever.  Mix things up a bit in order to allow God to give you a fresh perspective on Himself.

Here is the ultimate warning, but the most amazing truth:

• If you are faithful to pursue God in this way, He will almost certainly reveal things to you that are unwanted, unexpected, uncomfortable and unconventional.  Are you really ready to hear from Him?  Are you really ready to have Him challenge you in places that you least expect?

I have one more post in this series.  It is the story of how a regular time with God impacted a dear friend at Grace Point last year.  Look for it in a couple of days…

Prior posts in this topic have included what a quiet time is, why you should have one, and how to have one.  This short post will include some examples of how to pray for yourself.  There are rich Biblical examples of people praying for themselves so that they might have lives that were pleasing to and effective for God.

Please keep in mind that the examples here are how I pray for myself, yours will likely be different.  The verses that are important to me have come from quiet times and reflecting on the Word.  They speak to me and my particular relationship with God.  Again, yours may be different.

Here are the topics I pray about and the verses I pray out loud:

• That I would truly be a child of God: Psalm 73:28, Psalm 86:11, Proverbs 23:26, John 14:15.
• That I would be a godly husband: Ephesians 5:25.
• That I would be a godly dad: Ephesians 6:4, John 4:42.
• That I would be an effective pastor for the right reasons: 1 Peter 5:1-4.
• That I would have courage: Exodus 14:14, 1 Chronicles 28:20.
• That I would be diligent to study, live and teach the Word: Ezra 7:10, 1 Timothy 4:15.
• That I would be pure in thought and deed: Proverbs 4:25-26.
• That I would be reasonable in eating, exercising, and resting: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Consider making your own list and regularly praying for yourself.  Want to really go out on a limb?  Ask someone else to regularly pray for you in a specific way.

How about you?  How do you pray on your behalf?  Do you pray on your behalf?

So maybe you buy into what a quiet time is and why you should have one.  But how in the world do you have one?  That is the subject of the latest in this multi-part post.  This post is longer than I wish it was…it makes the task seem complicated or cumbersome.  Be assured, the length of the post reflects my desire to be specific, not the complexity of the task!

How can you have an effective quiet time?

In general, I would suggest that you should:

1. Figure out a consistent time and place to meet with God.  Inconsistency is a huge killer in any relationship!  For me, if I don’t get up early to start my day with Him it generally doesn’t happen at all.
2. Use a Bible with as little commentary as possible so that you aren’t distracted by what someone else thinks about a verse.  Note that this generally requires staying in parts of the Bible that are “easy” for you to understand.
3. Have a plan in mind…don’t just read randomly.  If you aren’t sure where to start, consider one of these ideas:
   • Try the verses in the 5×5x5 reading plan.  This plan includes passages to read as well as suggestions for how to reflect on them.
   • Read the book of John to get a clearer picture of who Jesus is, why He came, and what His plans are for you.
   • Read the book of Philippians, Ephesians or James.
   • Read a chapter of Proverbs each day.  There are 31 chapters to pick from…one for every day of the month.
   • There are 150 Psalms to pick from, and every one is a song written by someone longing to know God better.
4. Have a piece of paper handy to write down any random “oh, I can’t forget to do this today” thoughts that will distract you during your quiet time.  Write them down and forget them.

OK, so you’ve got all that, what does the time actually look like?  First, let me way that there are as answers to this question as their are Christians in the world.  What I’m going to do in this and the next few posts is give some examples from my own time with God as well as some other peoples.  It is my hope that one or more of those examples may help you in your race for the prize.

Currently, my quiet time looks like this:

1. I say a quick prayer asking God to clear my mind, settle my spirit, and focus my attention on His Word.
2. I read a bit from Scripture.  Sometimes it is only a verse, sometimes it is a whole chapter.  I’m currently reading through the book of Luke, stopping whenever something in the Word hits me.  What do I mean by “hits me”?  When I’m having my quiet time, I read the Word like it was written to me and for me.  What does the passage I just read mean?  What is it’s point?  How does it speak to my current situation, heart or attitude?  This morning read Luke chapter 15, which is a pretty long passage for me to consider in one morning.  It gives three examples of people desperately searching for something they have lost, and describes the joy they have when they find it.  That hit me.  Am I desperate to find and affect lost people around me and am I overwhelmed with joy when they choose Christ?  That is a convicting question for me!
3. I write down one verse that hit me from the morning.  This morning it was Luke 15:7.  Then I write a few sentences about how that verse affected me, as well as any prayer I have as a result of it.  Why do I write it down?  Three reasons: it helps me focus my thoughts, it helps me discover ongoing themes that God is trying to teach me, and it is pretty amazing to look back at weeks, months or years later to see what God has done!
4. I spend some time praying.  For me, every morning includes praying for the following things.  I included some verse references here for some Scriptural examples of topics.
   • Conviction and confession of sin (Hebrews 4:12-13, 1 John 1:9, John 13:8)
   • Filling, leading of the Holy Spirit for me to have courage (1 Chronicles 28:20, clear direction and focus for the day (Psalm 32:8-9), and to be an effective witness (Colossians 4:2-6) and example (Philippians 2:14-15) to those around me.
   • My family, including any special stuff that might be going on with them.
   • The protection and challenge of our church family (John 17:11-21).
   • Members of our church family specifically, whether it be health, job or family related.
5. Then, each day I pray about a different slice of life.  Mondays I pray for specific lost people to find a saving faith in Christ.  Tuesdays are extended prayers for Michele, the boys and anyone else in my immediate or extended family that needs it.  Wednesdays include specific people that I have a D-Group relationship with, including one-on-one relationships with friends and our Band of Brothers group.  Thursdays are reserved for the Band of Brothers.  Fridays I pray for the Life Group that I’m in.  Saturdays I pray for myself specifically (more on that in another post).  Sunday’s prayers are focused around our church.

The next post will be some thoughts on how to pray for yourself, and then I’ll talk about some dangers you’ll face as you try to have a consistent quiet time.

From scienceclarified.com:

The Earth’s crust, the surface layer of the planet, is not solid and unbroken. The forces that rage inside the planet have fractured this brittle layer. Some of these fractures, called faults, lie beneath the surface of the crust. Other faults, however, have ruptured the surface, cracking the crust into various-sized blocks of rock. These blocks dip and rise along faults in response to pressure underground.

Movement of crustal blocks along faults may be regular and slow or sporadic and sudden. When two blocks are forced to move against each other but are locked into position, stress builds up. When that stress becomes greater than the forces holding the blocks together, the blocks are forced to move suddenly and violently. The ground vibrations accompanying that release of energy are better known as an earthquake.

From God’s Word:

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. – Proverbs 17:9.

With Proverbs 17:9 in mind, allow me to rewrite the article from scienceclarified.com:

Human beings are not solid and unbroken. The forces that rage inside people have fractured their brittle layers. Some of these fractures, called faults, lie beneath the surface of people. Other faults, however, have ruptured the surface, cracking people into various-sized blocks of pain. These blocks dip and rise along faults in response to pressure underground.

Movement of blocks along faults may be regular and slow or sporadic and sudden. When two blocks are forced to move against each other but are locked into position, stress builds up. When that stress becomes greater than the forces holding the blocks together, the blocks are forced to move suddenly and violently. The disasters accompanying that release of energy are better known as relational earthquakes.

Who among us is without a fault or two?  Which of us have not had some of our pain rupture the surface?  Has any one of us not caused a relational earthquake?

Whose fault are you dwelling on?  Which person’s pain has in turn inflicted pain on you?  Who do you need to forgive?  Why are you waiting?

Who have you caused an earthquake with?  Who have you inflicted pain upon?  Who do you need to ask forgiveness from?  Why are you waiting?

Call them, write them or have lunch with them.  Allow love to prosper instead of pain.

Do you long for a transformed life?  Do you lament the "slow road" you seem to be on with God?  Do you wonder why some Christians seem to take huge leaps in their faith, while you seem to struggle just to stay interested?  There is no single solution to these dilemmas, but there is one essential component: a faithful "quiet time".  In a previous post, I gave a very simple answer to the question "what is a quiet time".  Today, we’ll look at a second question I’m asked a lot:

Why should we have a quiet time?

First, let me list of poor reasons to have a quiet time.  Don’t have a quiet time because I said you should.  Don’t do it to check-off a spiritual "check-box".  Don’t do it because you think it is the right thing to do.  Don’t do it because you think it will help you feel better about yourself or about God.  These things might motivate you to have a quiet time for a little while, but they are not the reason to have one.

So why should we have a quiet time?

A quiet time is the clearest way to develop a deeper relationship with Christ while becoming more like Him. 

The prize of the Christian life is the character of Christ and intimacy with Him.  It is to be more like Him and to know Him more.  There are many places in Scripture that speak of its power to transform us.  Here is a favorite one of many that is a prayer in and of itself:

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. - Psalm 19:7-14

What are the results of spending time in the Word of God?  A revived soul, wisdom, joy, insight, reverence for God, and more!

The book of Hebrews is also clear about the power of the living Word of God to change us from the inside out:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13

As we spend time in the Bible and in prayer, we are literally transformed from the inside out as we know and understand God more completely.  Conversely, we are able to know and understand Him more completely as our character becomes more reflective of Him.  It is a great mystery and a great truth.  We cannot grow and mature as followers of Jesus Christ without consistently spending time with Him and His Word.

A quiet time is the clearest way to develop a deeper relationship with Christ while becoming more like Him. 

That is why we do it.  Stay tuned for some thoughts on how to have a quiet time, including what to do, when to do it and some pitfalls you may encounter.