“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.” Luke 22:39 (NIV)
A quiet time with God doesn’t need to be complicated or elaborate. But taking care of a few details can help you be consistent and get the most out of your time with the Lord. One of those details is finding the right location for your quiet time.
The Bible indicates that Abraham had a regular place where he met with God: “Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD” (Genesis 19:27 NIV).
Jesus had a custom of praying in the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him” (Luke 22:39 NIV).
You may not have a mountain or a garden where you can meet with God, but your place ought to be relatively secluded. This is a place where you can be alone, where it’s quiet, and where you will not be disturbed or interrupted. In today’s noisy world, this may take some ingenuity, but it is necessary.
This should be a place where you can pray aloud without disturbing others. Make sure you have good lighting for reading. And choose a place where you are comfortable—but not too comfortable. In other words, your bed is not the right choice for a quiet time!
Wherever you decide to meet with the Lord, make it a special place for you and him. As the days go by, that place will come to mean a lot to you because of the wonderful times you have there with Jesus.
In fact, your place will become a sacred place, because it’s where you meet with the living God. Where you meet the Lord can be just as holy as the place where Abraham met God. You don’t have to be in a church building. People have quiet times in their cars parked in a quiet place, in an empty closet at home, in their backyard, and even in a baseball dugout. Each of these places has become sacred to them.
Find a quiet place close to you, and start making it sacred by spending time there with God today.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
What place—past or present—has become sacred because of time you spend there with God?
Where are some quiet places in your home or nearby that could be a good space for you to spend time with God?
What do you need to do to that space to make it a good place to meet with God? (You might need to add a lamp, place a comfortable pillow on a chair, or pack a Bible, pen, and paper to take with you to an outdoor space.)
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
To get the most out of your quiet time, you need to pick the right place to spend time with God consistently. Learn how any space can become a sacred space in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
40 Days in the Word – 2023, God’s Word, Bible Study, Knowing God, Choices, Spiritual Growth, Christian Living, Genesis 19, Luke 22
Broadcast Series: 40 Days in the Word – 2023
Sermon Series: 40 Days in the Word (2012)
Sermon:
This article was adapted from Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Chariot Victor Books) © Copyright 1989 by Rick Warren. Used by permission. All right
