A successful daily time with God will require a plan. The Bible says, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5). A simple plan will help keep you on-track, tune-in your heart to hear from God, and cultivate your relationship with Him. Here’s what you’ll need: a quiet place free from interruption, a Bible, a highlighter, a pen, and possibly a notebook. So what does a daily time with God look like?
Be quiet before God. Simply sit down and be quiet. The Psalmist wrote: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). As you are still before God, you’ll feel yourself starting to settle down and resting your heart and your mind before God.
Pray briefly. Ask God to open your mind and heart and to guide you. Ask Him to cleanse your mind. Tell Him you are willing to receive and apply whatever He reveals to you through His Word.
Read your Bible. From your Bible Reading Plan read the passage for the day. This is where your conversation with God begins. He starts speaking to you through his Word, and then you speak to Him through prayer. Read deliberately and thoughtfully.
Write down what you are learning. Be an active reader. Highlight words or verses that are meaningful to you. Write notes in the margins or in your notebook about what you’re learning and want to apply to your life.
Meditate on what you’ve learned. Spend some time mentally chewing on what God is saying. Ponder and wrestle with it in your mind.
Pray again. Talk to God about what you have heard Him say. Ask Him to empower you to take your next step by putting what you’ve learned from Him into practice. Talk to Him about anything else that’s on your mind.
