Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko
Morning Quiet Time
“Rise and Shine!” Oh, it is hard
to face another day—
My pillow’s like a lonely friend
who beckons me to stay.
“Do not rise!” My eyes complain,
while fighting to stay shut.
My covers make a warm cocoon,
my bed, a comfortable rut.
Slippered feet—my only help,
they shuffle toward the door;
Past the clock, to my robe,
they help me win the war.
To the light, now the sink,
wash those eyes, then go
To the room where Jesus waits,
His love for me, to show.
Secrets that He longs to share
and treasures rich and sweet,
Greet me in His Holy Book,
when My Lord, I meet.
“Help me Jesus,” this I pray,
“to overcome my flesh.”
Every day I must be strong
and feed my spirit afresh.
© 2015 gratefulsue
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If you’re new to the idea of having a daily time with God, also called “a quiet time” or “daily devotions,” I’d like to recommend establishing that habit. I think it helps to have a regular time and place for reading the Bible and praying every day. Your bed, a soft chair, the kitchen table, a porch, all are valid. It doesn’t matter where that place is, as long as it’s quiet enough to think about what you’re reading. Some people like to have a journal to write in, next to their Bible, and/or a list of people for whom you wish to pray regularly.
Read one or more of the four Gospels first. Gospel means “good news.” That word refers to the four biographies written about the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus Christ. They are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the first four books in the beginning of the New Testament. Get to know Jesus’ words and miracles in context, instead of in bits and pieces (like on social media or TV). While the four gospels contain many of the same events, they are told by different authors, each one shedding a different light on the person of Jesus.