QUIET TIMES

[Christ's Free Servant]

My husband and I work with college-age adults. They struggle so much with temptation to conform to the patterns of this world. We are teaching them how to develop a close walk with God through personal time each day in prayer, in the word, and in putting their faith in action. We are teaching them that only through a close walk with God can we resist Satan and flee temptation. But, they seem to struggle so much to develop this close walk with God. They have trouble fitting God into their daily routine. We are sharing with them what works for us, but I think it would be helpful if we could share with them stories from people their age who have an effective quiet time with God each day. Are there any young adults on here that would be willing to share what works for them?

[J.C.]

I would suggest, right after you awake and right before your go to sleep. I does not have to be long, you can pray to God, or even a little Bible study. what is five minutes anyway, I mean you are about to go to sleep or you can get up five minutes earlier.

[Christ's Free Servant]

I would suggest, right after you awake and right before your go to sleep. I does not have to be long, you can pray to God, or even a little Bible study. what is five minutes anyway, I mean you are about to go to sleep or you can get up five minutes earlier. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks! I appreciate the input!!

[Constant]

When I want to fall into temptation, and believe me I do, I always talk to God and ask Him to help walk me through it. I pray alot too because it does help. I am a new christian and I can still taste all of my temptations that I fell into before I became saved. But, God always seems to help me through them!

[Botz]

I think if a person gets revelation of the great salvation that the L-rd has won for them and loves Jesus with all of their heart then it will not be a question of how little time they can get away with spending with Him and still 'feel' reasonably satisfied...it will be a lifestyle that is consumed with a godly passion that longs to fellowship every minute of the day.

Sometimes all the Bible-studies,quiet times and prayer times in the world will be no substitute for actually truely loving the L-rd...and knowing beyond any doubt that He is 100% for you and has a purpose and a destiny for you..it is a cry of hunger from the thirsty soul that desires to be in His courts more than anything else...it is the absolutely desperate longing to know Him and the power of His might..to be totally real and open before G-d.

There is no substitute for reading the Word of G-d and burying His truths in ones heart...nor of praying and studying...but all of these things are a natural response to wanting to know G-d more and to be effective and properly equipped for service in the Army of the Great King...

If the Gospel is preached effectively, powerfully, truthfully and uncompromisingly then when a person comes into the Kingdom they will usually hunger and thirst after righteousness and the Holy Ghost will not be so easily hindered. If the Gospel that people respond to is watered down and full of compromise then it will be hard for the Holy Ghost to have access to a persons heart and there will be a mixture and worldliness that causes problems until Jesus becomes their main attraction.

Psalm 40:1-4I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

[Christ's Free Servant]

When I want to fall into temptation, and believe me I do, I always talk to God and ask Him to help walk me through it.  I pray alot too because it does help.  I am a new christian and I can still taste all of my temptations that I fell into before I became saved.  But, God always seems to help me through them!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Constant,

Thank you so much for your honesty and for sharing your heart here. I think all of us can identify with what you are saying. Truly there are times when we want to fall into temptation. Sometimes I have just prayed, "help," and God helped me. The Bible says that God will provide a way out from under our temptation so that we can bear it. He does not always remove the temptation, but he provides a way to escape through it. We are to flee temptation and resist Satan if we truly want to get victory over sin in our lives, but some people don't flee and they don't resist and then they wonder why they are not getting victory. Keep on praying, keep resisting and fleeing, and keep on being honest.

I will pray for you today that God will help you in your struggle against sin. Thanks so much for sharing this with us today.

[Constant]

When I want to fall into temptation, and believe me I do, I always talk to God and ask Him to help walk me through it.

[Christ's Free Servant]

I think if a person gets revelation of the great salvation that the L-rd has won for them and loves Jesus with all of their heart then it will not be a question of how little time they can get away with spending with Him and still 'feel' reasonably satisfied...it will be a lifestyle that is consumed with a godly passion that longs to fellowship every minute of the day.

Sometimes all the Bible-studies,quiet times and prayer times in the world will be no substitute for actually truely loving the L-rd...and knowing beyond any doubt that He is 100% for you and has a purpose and a destiny for you..it is a cry of hunger from the thirsty soul that desires to be in His courts more than anything else...it is the absolutely desperate longing to know Him and the power of His might..to be totally real and open before G-d.

There is no substitute for reading the Word of G-d and burying His truths in ones heart...nor of praying and studying...but all of these things are a natural response to wanting to know G-d more and to be effective and properly equipped for service in the Army of the Great King...

If the Gospel is preached effectively, powerfully, truthfully and uncompromisingly then when a person comes into the Kingdom they will usually hunger and thirst after righteousness and the Holy Ghost will not be so easily hindered.  If the Gospel that people respond to is watered down and full of compromise then it will be hard for the Holy Ghost to have access to a persons heart and there will be a mixture and worldliness that causes problems until Jesus becomes their main attraction.

Psalm 40:1-4I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Botz,

Thank you so much for sharing this. This is so true!

[Guest Ulisa]

I'm a new Christian myself. I still struggle with the temptations and the doubt but whenever I feel like this is a fruitless struggle, God will help me out in some way. Sometimes, it's something very subtle like knowing that with God all I have to do is ask for help and God will somehow deliever it. I keep praying, to know God and Jesus and I know he is slowly showing me.

My close friend, who has been a Christian almost 10 years, has told me to think of it as being a baby. As a new Christian, she says, I'm like an infant. God will feed me the spirtual "feed" and such a little at a time. So, she says, trust in God. He knows what he;s doing. He'll increase what he feeds you as you can handle it. And she's right. I'm really starting to feel I know Jesus better. He's becoming less of a person I can't see and more of a friend and Father. Slowly but assuredly.

As for advice, I use worship music a lot. One of my favorite songs is called "Never Let You Go." One of my all time favorites though is "Pledge Allegience to the Lamb." I love that one! And I also find that Christian comedians can help a lot too. I love Mark Lowry! One of my all time favorites from him is a song called "Na-Na-Na-na-Na-Na (The Overcomer's Victory Song) It's funny but it also makes me feel really secure in my faith and knowing I have salvation. I can't list all the lyrics of course but here is one of my favorite courses:

"Now Satan is a liar, a destroyer and a thief. There's nothing that he'd rather do than give us gobs of grief. But there's a way to shut his mouth and make him leave the room: Just speak the name of JESUS! and sing this little tune- Na Na Na Na Na! Na. Everybody sing along-Na Na Na Na Na The overcomer's victory song."

Now, everytime I get the doubt, I tell it to leave in Jesus' name and mentally stick out my tongue like a little kid. Cause I know I'm protected by Jesus and guided by God so Satan no longer has authority. Nyah! *sticks out tongue again*

So in answer: I try to listen to worship whenever I get the chance and I pray while I do it usually. Usually, it's while I'm worpshiping that I really feel God's presense. I use a mix of worship and other songs when I go to the gym and I listen to worpship when I get dressed and ready for school in the morning. My school has a Christian club which I finally got up the nerve to join and it has helped a lot! It just helps to be with other believers who have a lot of the same questions as I do.

Ulisa:)

[Christ's Free Servant]

I'm a new Christian myself. I still struggle with the temptations and the doubt but whenever I feel like this is a fruitless struggle, God will help me out in some way. Sometimes, it's something very subtle like knowing that with God all I have to do is ask for help and God will somehow deliever it. I keep praying, to know God and Jesus and I know he is slowly showing me.

My close friend, who has been a Christian almost 10 years, has told me to think of it as being a baby. As a new Christian, she says, I'm like an infant. God will feed me the spirtual "feed" and such a little at a time. So, she says, trust in God. He knows what he;s doing. He'll increase what he feeds you as you can handle it. And she's right. I'm really starting to feel I know Jesus better. He's becoming less of a person I can't see and more of a friend and Father. Slowly but assuredly.

As for advice, I use worship music a lot. One of my favorite songs is called "Never Let You Go." One of my all time favorites though is "Pledge Allegience to the Lamb." I love that one! And I also find that Christian comedians can help a lot too. I love Mark Lowry! One of my all time favorites from him is a song called "Na-Na-Na-na-Na-Na (The Overcomer's Victory Song) It's funny but it also makes me feel really secure in my faith and knowing I have salvation. I can't list all the lyrics of course but here is one of my favorite courses:

"Now Satan is a liar, a destroyer and a thief. There's nothing that he'd rather do than give us gobs of grief. But there's a way to shut his mouth and make him leave the room: Just speak the name of JESUS! and sing this little tune- Na Na Na Na Na! Na. Everybody sing along-Na Na Na Na Na The overcomer's victory song."

Now, everytime I get the doubt, I tell it to leave in Jesus' name and mentally stick out my tongue like a little kid. Cause I know I'm protected by Jesus and guided by God so Satan no longer has authority. Nyah! *sticks out tongue again*

So in answer: I try to listen to worship whenever I get the chance and I pray while I do it usually. Usually, it's while I'm worpshiping that I really feel God's presense. I use a mix of worship and other songs when I go to the gym and I listen to worpship when I get dressed and ready for school in the morning. My school has a Christian club which I finally got up the nerve to join and it has helped a lot! It just helps to be with other believers who have a lot of the same questions as I do.

Ulisa:)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ulisa,

Thanks so much for sharing that! That was absolutely beautiful!! I especially loved the song. I'll have to get a copy of those lyrics. It reminded me of an older song I like to sing, which has the same idea: "Now Satan is a liar, and he wants to make us think that we are paupers when he knows himself we're children of the king. So lift up that mighty shield of faith for the battle must be won. We know that Jesus Christ is risen, so the work's already done. Praise the Lord! He can work through those who praise him, praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise, praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind me serve only to remind me that they drop POWERLESS behind me when I praise him!!!" And, it really works!!!