Salvation And Solitude Series

INVITATION - Baptism

II Meet WITH the Lord of the Dance

So where do I begin in dancing w/ the Savior. What is the first step in the spirit dance? While I could begin w/ worship or Bible study, I believe it begins in grasping the art of silence/solitude – it begins w/ a QT.

Be still and know that I am God… Ps. 46:10a

This is a daunting task for most of us. I’m not talking about recognizing God; I’m talking about being still.

A What is a QUIET TIME?

What do you think of when you hear the term “quiet time”? For many, a quiet time could refer to those precious moments after the kids are in bed or when we find ourselves at home alone after a long hard day. But for Christians, a time of solitude w/ God is an essential daily discipline to thrive in our spiritual journey.

When a person receives Christ as their Savior, they begin a new relationship w/ Him. According to John 1:12, once you believe and receive Christ as Savior you become one of His children. In this relationship, God enables you to have fellowship w/ Him on a daily basis. Mastering this relationship is central to experiencing the presence and guidance of God.

A QT (or devotion time) refers to our daily appointment w/ God, when we shut out as much outside interference as possible to enter into intimacy and transparency w/ our Creator.

It is a time to get alone w/ God to make Him central to our lives. A QT is a daily time of sincere and intentional contemplation of the Divine. It is when a believer quiets his life long enough to practice the presence of God. It is where a believer meets w/ God for the purpose of setting the priorities, details, and circumstances of their life in orbit around God. It is a time of focus upon the purposes of God and a time of surrender of your will to His will. And in time of solitude w/ God, we may sing praise songs, pray, read a daily devotion, meditate on God’s Word, or just simply be still and know that He is God. Ultimately, there’s but one objective – to meet w/ and hear from God.

We must remember that in its most basic form, the Christian life is about knowing God, hearing His voice and obeying His leading – it is about experiencing a personal and intimate relationship w/ the Creator and responding to His initiative in our lives.

One of the secrets of all growing, dynamic Christians is they consistently spend time alone w/ God. St. Clair

You might ask where this concept is derived. We get our lead from Jesus who often retreated from the rigors of life to focus on hearing from the Father.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mk. 1:35

This verse highlights (2) ideas – SILENCE and SOLITUDE. Silence is learning how to stop talking long enough to hear God while solitude focuses on w/drawing to a private place to meet w/ Him. Both are about ABIDING!

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing. Jn. 15:5