Time Alone with God

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May.04.06: Light for the Day - "Time Alone with God"

   +++ NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER +++

-- 2 Chronicles 7:14
   If My people, who are called by My Name, will Humble
   themselves and Pray and Seek My Face and Turn from their
   wicked ways, then will I Hear from Heaven and will Forgive
   their sin and will Heal their land.

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      No Christian is greater than his Prayer Life
     The secret of Praying is Praying in Secret

-- Matthew 6:6
   But when you Pray, Go away by yourself,
   Shut the door behind you, and Pray to your Father Secretly.
   Then your Father, Who Knows all secrets, will Reward you.

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-- Deuteronomy 4:7-9
7 For what great nation has their gods as near to them as
   the LORD our God is Near to us whenever we Pray to Him?
8 And what great nation has Laws and Regulations as Fair as
   this Body of Laws that I am giving you today?

9 But watch out! Be very Careful Never to Forget what you
   have Seen the LORD Do for you. Do not let These Things
   Escape from your mind as long as you live! And be Sure
   to Pass them on to your Children and Grandchildren.

-- Lamentations 3:25-26
25 The LORD is Good to those who Wait for Him,
     To the soul who Seeks Him.
26 It is Good that one should Hope and Wait Quietly
      For the Salvation of the LORD.

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The question remains, however: How do we come near to God?
Firs, Remember Two Important Truths. One, If you Know Christ,
you Have A Personal Relationship With God. God isn't a remote,
forbidding figure who doesn't want anything to do with you.
He is your loving Heavenly Father, and even now His Son is
Praying for you. Therefore, the Bible says, "let us draw near
to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith" (Hebrews
10:22). You can come near to God because He wants you to!

The Second Truth Is This: You Also Have A Personal
Relationship With Your Brothers And Sisters In Christ.
One of the ways we draw near to God is through our fellowship
with other Christians -- Praying together, worshipping together,
studying God's Word together, sharing our burdens,
and encouraging each other.

With these two truths in mind, How Shall we Come Near to God?
The Key Is To Spend Time With Him.
If I could give only one piece of advice to a new Christian,
it would be this:   Develop The Discipline Of Spending Time
Alone With God Every Day. Whether you call it your quiet time
or daily devotions or some other term, there is no substitute
for a daily time alone with God.

How can you develop this practice? First, Set Aside A Time.
Yes, it may seem impossible to find even ten extra minutes in
your busy day. But the real question is this:
How Important To you Is your Relationship With God?
You find time for meals and other things you think important.
Every day has exactly 1,4400 minutes; can't you find even
Ten of them to be with your Heavenly Father? Don't wait until
you have some spare time; you'll probably never have any!
Instead, set aside a regular time each day, a time when you are
fresh and won't be interrupted (even if it's only a few minutes
at first). Don't wait until you're too sleepy or too preoccupied.
Doesn't God deserve the best minutes of our day?

Second, Have A Pattern.
My daily Quiet Time always includes at least three things:
Bible Reading, Prayer and Reflection (or Meditation).
From time to time I may vary the order or spend more time on
one than another, but all three are important to me.

When we read the Bible, God speaks to us -- and we need to
hear His voice. One morning I was visiting a conference center
near our home and saw and old preacher reading his Bible.
I spoke to him, but he didn't reply. Later, I asked if I had
offended him somehow, and he said, "If I had been in Prayer,
talking to God, I would have spoken to you. But when I am
reading the Bible, He is speaking to me." He had a good point:
When God speaks to us, He should have our full attention.

Prayer and Reflection are likewise important.
When we Pray, we speak to God -- and we need to share
our deepest joys and burdens with Him. When we Reflect,
we meditate on God's Word, and we ask God to help apply
it to our lives. Some people keep a journal to record what
God is teaching them. Many also keep a Prayer list, so they
remember who needs their Prayers (and also can record
God's Answers).

Finally, Practice God's Presence All Day Long.
The psalmist said, "Oh, how I love Your Law! I meditate on it
all day long" (Psalm 119:97). The Bible tells us to
"Pray Continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).   When I talk with
someone, I often find myself Praying silently for them.
Frequently during the day a Bible verse I read that morning
will come into my mind. If something unexpected comes up,
I can commit it immediately to God and seek His wisdom.
The Bible says, "The LORD is near to all who call on Him"
(Psalm 145:18).   Learn to practice God's presence every
waking hour.

-- Billy Graham - "The Journey"

-- Psalms 119:164
   Seven times a day I Praise You for Your Righteous Laws.

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-- Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up,
Left the house and Went off to a Solitary Place, where He Prayed.

-- Luke 11:1
Jesus was Praying in a certain place, and after He had finished,
one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, Teach us to Pray, ...."

-- Matthew 26:41
   Watch and Pray so that you will not Fall into Temptation.
   The Spirit is Willing, but the Flesh is Weak.

-- Romans 8:26
   In the same way, the Spirit Helps us in our weakness. We do
   not know what we Ought to Pray for, but the Spirit Himself
   Intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

-- Jude 1:20
   But you, dear friends, Build yourselves up in
   your most Holy Faith and Pray in the Holy Spirit.

-- Ephesians 6:18
   Pray at all times and on every occasion in the Power of
   the Holy Spirit. Stay Alert and be Persistent in your Prayers
   for all Christians everywhere.

-- Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be Anxious about anything, but in everything,
   by Prayer and Petition, with Thanksgiving,
   Present your Requests to God.
7 And the Peace of God, which Surpasses all understanding,
   will Guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

-- Colossians 4:2-4
2 Devote yourselves to Prayer with an Alert Mind
   and a Thankful Heart.
3 And Pray for us, too, that God would Open to us a door
   for the Word, to Proclaim the Mystery of Christ,
   for which I am also in chains.
4 Pray that I may Proclaim it as Clearly as I should.

-- 2 Thessalonians 3:1
   Finally, brothers and sisters, Pray for us, so that the Word
   of the Lord may Spread Rapidly and be Honored and
   Glorified everywhere, just as it is among you.

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-- Ephesians 3:14-15
14 When I think of the Wisdom and Scope of God’s Plan,
      I Fall to my knees and Pray to the Father,
15 The Creator of everything in Heaven and on earth.

-- Colossians 1:3-6, 10
3 We Always Thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
   when we Pray for you,
4 because we have heard of your Faith in Christ Jesus
   and of the Love you have for all God's people --
5 You do this because you are Looking Forward to the Joys
   of Heaven -- as you have been ever since you First Heard
   the Truth of the Good News.
6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over
   the world. It is Changing lives everywhere, just as It Changed
   yours that very first day you Heard and Understood
   the Truth about God’s Grace to sinners.

10 And we Pray this in order that you may Live a Life Worthy
    of the Lord and may Please Him in every way: Bearing Fruit
    in every Good Work, Growing in the Knowledge of God.

-- 3 John 1:2-3
2 Dear friend, I Pray that you may Enjoy Good Health and
   that all may Go Well with you, even as your Soul is Getting
   Along Well.
3 It gave me Great Joy to have some brothers come and tell
   about your Faithfulness to the Truth and how you Continue
   to Walk in the Truth.

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-- Psalms 5:3
   In the morning, O LORD, You Hear my voice;
   In the morning I Lay my Requests before you
   And Wait in Expectation.

-- Psalms 130:5-6
5 I Wait for the LORD, my soul Waits,
   And in His Word I put my Hope.
6 My soul Waits for the Lord
   More than those who Watch for the morning --
   Yes, more than those who Watch for the morning.

-- Psalms 119:105
   Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light for my path.

-- Psalms 69:13
   But I Pray to You, O LORD, in the Time of Your Favor;
   in Your Great Love, O God,
   Answer me with Your Sure Salvation.

-- Psalms 50:15
   Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
   I will Deliver you, and you will Honor Me.

-- Psalms 91:15
   When they call on Me, I will Answer;
   I will Be with them in trouble.
   I will Rescue them and Honor them.

-- Psalms 69:16
   Answer my Prayers, O LORD,
   For your Unfailing Love is Wonderful.
Turn and Take Care of me, for Your Mercy is so Plentiful.

-- Psalms 116:1
   I love the LORD because He Hears and Answers my Prayers.

-- Psalm 37:7
   Rest in the LORD, and Wait Patiently for Him;
   Do not Fret because of those who prosper in their way,
   Because of those who bring wicked schemes to pass.

-- Jeremiah 42:3
   Pray that the LORD your God will Tell us
   Where we should Go and What we should Do.

-- Isaiah 32:16-18
16 Then Justice will dwell in the wilderness,
     And Righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17 The Fruit of Righteousness will be Peace,
     And the Effect of Righteousness, Quietness
     and Assurance forever.
18 My people will Dwell in a Peaceful habitation,
     In Secure Dwellings, and in Quiet Resting Places.

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-- Hebrews 4:16
   Let us then Approach the Throne of Grace with Confidence,
   so that we may Receive Mercy
   and Find Grace to Help us in our time of need.

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National Day of Prayer - Links:

www.nationaldayofprayer.org
Official site with information on the event held annually on the first Thursday in May.

www.nationalprayer.org
Includes prayer news, resources, organizations, calendar of prayer events, and more.

www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/ndop
With information, online prayer, e-cards, and links.

www.concertofprayer.org
Planned for the evening on the National Day of Prayer - Nationally Broadcast Concert of Prayer .