As a Christian, one thing that I know is incredibly important is having a daily quiet time with the Lord. One thing that I struggled with for years was a daily quiet time. I would do so well for a few days, but inevitably, I would drop it and feel an overwhelming sense of guilt all day, every day. I would still pray throughout the day, but I wasn’t taking that dedicated time with God that is so vital to our relationship.

A couple of years ago, our church hosted a women’s brunch, and the theme was “Abide.” I really loved this word and was struck by the concept of abiding in the Lord each day. So I used this as an opportunity to commit, creating my own acronym from the word, and I have used it to guide this precious time. I’m sharing it here so that it may help you in implementing a daily quiet time for yourself.

ABIDE

A: Alway have a plan. What are you reading? Where are you sitting? When are you meeting? Do you need paper, pen, coffee? For me, I thrive on routine. I start my morning with my quiet time. I get a daily devotional email, and I use that as a starting place. I wake at the same time, sit in the same spot, read the email, and this guides my first moments with Jesus.

B: Bring the gratitude. God does a lot of really good stuff, y’all. We get so caught up in complaining and asking for things. It’s important that we use part of our quiet time to thank Him for what He is doing in our lives.

I: Include the Bible. It’s important that we have the Bible close by during quiet time. You can use it to find helpful versus, to dive deeper into scriptures from your devotional, to use as the concrete word in your conversation.

D: Determine to receive. Pray and listen for God’s response. The key word is “Quiet” in quiet time, and that is important. For this to be effective, you have to be present, undistracted, and ready to hear what God has to say. Keeping in mind, it’s not always what you want to hear…

E: Express yourself. Look, God already knows what’s up, but TELL Him what’s in your head and heart, and ASK Him for what you need. He will provide in His perfect timing and ways, but it’s important that you tell Him how you’re feeling and what you’re wanting for your life.

Just like with any relationship, this takes time, commitment, and dedication. My ways aren’t perfect, but they’re working well for me. I would love to hear about your quiet time and how you’re meeting with the Lord each day.

XOXO,

Molly B.