How to Have a Meaningful Quiet Time

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How to Have a Meaningful Quiet Time

Psalm 119:97

April 30, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Psalm 119:97

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Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Psalm 119:97

Psalm 119:97 says, “O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” Because it is Jesus Christ Himself who makes us more like Him, it is crucial to spend quality time with Him and in His Word, and there are five factors that go into having a meaningful quiet time.

First, it must be early in the day, at our most optimal time, when we are preparing for the day.

We must:

-Be physically alert, so we can think clearly.

-Be morally pure and clean, so we can blamelessly bow before a holy God.

-Be mentally aware, so we can be receptive to what He has to say.

We should have our quiet time in an isolated place; somewhere we can shut the door on the world, to avoid distractions. Adrian Rogers says, “What you are when you’re alone is what you are. The mark of your prayer life is not how well you pray in public, but in private. Your Father who sees you in secret will reward you openly.”

We also need the right tools: a Bible we can read and understand, a journal to record your time with God, and a second journal to record prayers. Practically, it’s also good to have a notepad to write down your spiritual instructions for the day.

Having prepared for a meaningful quiet time, how should we proceed?

1. Get quiet; take a deep breath and focus your thoughts on the Lord.

2. Get into the Word of God; read the Bible before praying.

3. Meditate on it; reading for quality, not quantity.

4. Record what God has given you through His Word in your journal.

5. Record instructions, goals, and decisions revealed from your time with God.

6. Pray; pour out your soul to God with reverence and honesty. Tell Him everything; He already knows.

7. Share what you’ve learned. We ought to be in the habit of exhorting and encouraging one another.

8. Obey what God tells you. Our spiritual lives run on revelation and obedience. One does not run without the other.

Apply it to your life

Is your quiet time with God meaningful to you? Have you properly prepared and set yourself up for a fruitful time with the Lord? Consider these steps today, and talk to God.

The Magnificence of Mercy

May 16, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 5:7

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:7 Matthew 5:7 says, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Mercy is not just softness or mere sentiment; it is compassion in action. And the magnificence of mercy is that those who have received it will show it. Mercy is a godly characteristic, one that resides in the hearts and minds of those who have accepted salvation from Jesus Christ. And it actively reveals itself as compassion for others. First, consider the beauty of mercy: it is godlike. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness.” Every morning, we get to wake up and greet the mercy of God, which is faithful and fails not. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan and reveals the symbolism of salvation. When others passed by us in our despair and need, Jesus rescued us, healed and cleansed us, and covered our debts. After He told this story, Jesus called us to do the same for our neighbors. He explained that when we are merciful, we are godlike. (Luke 10:37) Second, consider the basis of mercy: truth. Psalm 85:10 says, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." To show mercy is not to minimize sin. There can be no mercy without truth, which is that the justice of God says our sins must be punished. When we show mercy, we withhold judgment; when we withhold judgment, it implies judgment was deserved. But thank God that He doesn’t give us what we deserve! Adrian Rogers says, “God doesn't deal with us on the basis of fairness; God deals with us on the basis of mercy.” We are not forgiven because we show mercy; rather, we show mercy because we are forgiven. This is the magnificence of mercy: The more mercy we show, the more mercy we get. Apply it to your life Do you have a heart full of compassion in action? If God has forgiven us, how much more should we forgive one another? Remember this beatitude, today: Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

The Secret of Satisfaction

May 15, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 5:6

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:6 The word “blessed” means to be satisfied. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed the secret of satisfaction. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Many of us think of righteousness as something to do. But in the Bible, righteousness is wrapped up in a person, and His name is Jesus. When we hunger and thirst after righteousness, we are actually hungering and thirsting after Jesus Christ. Jesus is Our Spiritual Sustenance In the material realm, food and water are necessities, not luxuries; if we don’t eat or drink, we will die. And so it is in the spiritual realm: Jesus Christ is not some luxury; He is a necessity. Without Him, our spirits will die. We should desire Jesus preeminently, above all other things. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Jesus will not work in second place. A lack of joy, peace, or fulfillment is a symptom of unrighteousness. When we hunger and thirst after Jesus, we are blessed, but it is crucial to remember that the blessings are just a by-product. Jesus is the cure; not the joy, peace, and fulfillment that comes with Him. Adrian Rogers says, “You’ll never go beyond Jesus: you may only go deeper and deeper into Jesus.” We should seek Jesus passionately—with a huge appetite. A hungry man is interested in one thing: food. If he is hungry enough, he will go anywhere, do almost anything, and pay any price. Likewise, our quest for Jesus Christ should be marked by deliberation, determination, and desperation. Jesus Satisfies the Strongest Appetite Finally, we should enjoy Jesus perpetually. Adrian Rogers says, “I don’t know how much of God you have, but you have all you want. Shallow thirst equals shallow satisfaction; small hunger equals small satisfaction.” Contrary to popular belief, we don’t lose the good things of life when we come to Jesus. In fact, we enjoy things more in the context of righteousness. In Jesus, we are completely, continually, and certainly satisfied. Apply it to your life A person who is hungry and thirsty for righteousness is on a deliberate, determined, desperate quest for Jesus Christ. Do you seek Jesus Christ as a starving man would seek food?

The Mighty Meek

May 13, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 5:5

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:5 Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed that it is not the mighty men who are blessed; it is the mighty meek. Meekness is not weakness. Jesus was meek, yet He was a strong man. To be meek means to be yielded, to have a compliant spirit. Meekness is strength under control. When we were created, God put certain drives, instincts, and ambitions into our very natures. These are not evil in themselves, but they must yield to the Holy Spirit so that we may bring Him glory and honor. While some believe releasing or restraining our strength will lead to control, true meekness comes after we see ourselves as poor in spirit. Once we are broken over our condition, we can develop strength under control. Step One: Submit to the Son of God. Matthew 11:28-30 says: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Jesus offers our wild spirits rest and invites us to submit to His lordship and learn true strength from Him. Step Two: Receive the Word of God. We cannot snatch pieces of the Bible to feed our pride or our opinions. Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible is not meant to be interesting; it’s meant to be disturbing.” We must welcome the Word into our lives with humility, reaching out to Jesus Christ with both hands, letting Scripture be our bridle and bit. Step Three: Be Filled with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God produces meekness in us; we simply bear the fruit of it. When we are meek, we will receive our inheritance. This dynamic is explained in 2 Corinthians 6:10, which says, “...as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” Apply it to your life Have you yielded to the Holy Spirit and developed a meek spirit? Take these steps today: submit to God, receive His Word, and be filled with His Spirit.