From the book Equilibrium: 31 Ways to Stay Balanced on Life’s Uneven Surfaces.
If you have lost the value of alone time, of prayer, of quiet time with God, of noisy songs of praise, of silent reverence, of desperate petitions, pray that your Leader will teach you to pray. Do not delay. Slowly, honestly, and by choice, begin today. See it not as a forced or required assignment. See it not as an action where you’ll be graded on the value of your performance.
It is awe.
It is delight.
But how?
That might mean to rest while we hurry, to be silent while we’re noisy, and to be consistent though unpredictable. That might mean taking a day off when you normally overwork, leaving for a Sabbath week, or taking a day alone with the God you serve.
Here are some suggestions:
* Turn off the television and the computer.
* Don’t answer the phone.
* Don’t hurry or rush.
* Hush the noise.
* Push the to-do list aside and be still by His side.
* Set up an appointment with God.
* Let nothing rob Him of your time.
* Think about God: His love, His acceptance, His forgiveness.
* Sing.
* Smile.
* Walk and talk.
* Listen.
* Take a verse of Scripture and pray it aloud.
* Stare at busy people and pray for the crowd.
* Think of one person and change their future with your requests.
* Think of the person you are, the person you long to become, the person God has created you to be, and pray with faith choosing to see yourself as new.
* Voice your mistakes to the Forgiver.
* Request miracles from the Surpriser.
* Remember Christ’s crucifixion; rejoice in Christ’s resurrection.
* Bow before God the Ruler; jog through your yard with God your Father.
* Choose to spend time alone. Imagine Jesus beside you.
* Journal the conversation you have with Him. (Imagine several friends walking up to engage in that dialogue. Picture Jesus smiling at you, then at your friends. Who do you hope arrives? Journal what the conversation might be like.)
This is a great reminder because it allows us to slow down and see Christ in our lives . We sometimes get so caught up in the world we lose sight of joy and Christ and this happens easily. When we slow down our minds we can be more thankful for the joy and peace
What I got from the poem is that time for solitude with God is important because it allows us to connect with their spiritual side and seek a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. In today’s fast-paced world, we often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, which can lead to stress, anxiety, and a sense of disconnection from ourselves and our values. Taking time to be alone with God can provide a sense of peace, clarity, and renewed purpose. Solitude with God allows individuals to disconnect from the fast-paced world by creating a space for them to slow down and focus on what truly matters. It provides an opportunity to reflect on our life, values, and goals, and to gain perspective on the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. By stepping away from the distractions and demands of daily life, we can gain fresh air and find renewed energy and motivation to tackle whatever comes our way. I believe if we take the time for solitude with God we can feel more grateful and appreciative of life. By connecting with God and focusing on spiritual growth, we can gain a deeper sense of meaning and purpose, which can lead to a greater appreciation for the beauty and richness of life.
This blog was pretty cool. I remember I think it was last semester, but it might have been last year, I heard somebody speak about 5 things to do to find time with Jesus, that would annoy most people. A few of them were to never drive over the speed limit, and only drive in the right lane in traffic. As someone who likes to get where I’m going fast, this was pretty hard for me, but it was beneficial as I took that extra time to be patient. Another one was to show up to all obligations 15 minutes early without a phone or device of any kind and just sit there and wait. Alone time with God is easy, if you truly focus on making that time, but it’s also incredibly easy to not make the time to be alone with God.
I think this blog is a good reminder that life is not in fast forward. Personally, I have been attempting to slow down. Enjoy moments. Be intentional. It is so easy to get caught up in the “what next” life and become forgetful of the simple beauties. Being alone with God is a simple reminder of everything good.
This poem spoke to me when talking about finding silence during the noise. I lead a very chaotic life right now, juggling my athletic responsibilities, my academic responsibilities, and my home life responsibilities. It can be difficult to find those quiet moments to sit, reflect, and prey. I need to do a better job at making time to be at peace and focus on my connection with God.
I really liked this blog. It reminded me that there are so many ways to spend time with God even when you feel busy. I always feel like I don’t have enough time in the day to spend a lot of time with God, so this helped me realize that there are so many ways I can be present with God throughout my busy days. I need to start focusing more on embracing God in everything that I’m doing rather than just the set time I spend with Him everyday.
Silence. It can be positive in some cases and negative in others. For me too much silence is something I have always struggled with. When I am left in silence, for too long my anxious thoughts seem to take over This blog is a good reminder that silence and spending time with Jesus in silence can be good and can help slow down our super fast paced lives.
I think that this blog really spoke to me today. I think that I am guilty of putting my to-do list before my time with God. I am going to be intentional about making time for solitude. This is not something that is comfortable for me because I am a social person. I am going to have to be strict about this but it is going to be good. I am going to work hard to stay off of my phone and limit my communication to only conversations between me and God.
I think these little things are soo important to remember. God doesn’t call us to a spirit of business and rushing around but to stop and experience the world that he has created for us and the environment he has placed us in, and we can often forget that and ignore those things around us because we are so caught up in our to do lists.
I think it is important to remember to slow down. In this day and age, we are constantly busy and looking at our phones. This makes it hard for us to be present with ourselves and listen to ourselves and see what we need from ourselves. This also makes it hard to have conversations with God as we are too busy drowning out the noise with electronics to have space to talk to God throughout our days.
One thing that I have always struggled with is pausing, taking a break, a sabbath. I grew up always going, moving from one thing to the next; all I knew was a packed schedule. I thought it was good, but it was not. Satan does not need physical things to distract you from God. If we pause and spend time with God, it becomes easier to appreciate Him and His creation.