John 15:4-7 — Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

I  was talking with Myra this morning as she drove me to work, and she said that the first thing she had to do when she got home was to do her quiet time.
Now I know my beloved wife. She abides in Jesus and He abides in her. She is talking to her Lord all the day long. So I knew what she meant. If it hadn’t been Myra, though, two words would have stood out — “had” and “do” — she “had” to “do” her quiet time. But to her it wasn’t a matter of duty, but of getting essential spiritual oxygen … But I have talked with so many to whom quiet time is a duty, just one more item on the “to do” list. That’s so sad …
So here’s the truth. You don’t have to have a quiet time. You won’t affect your salvation. But you will affect your spiritual health and happiness!
The Bible tells us to pray constantly — and so we should. We should constantly be seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Those are both excellent practices — but it’s a bit like chatting with somebody through the day, while you go about your daily activities. It’s not like sitting down with your best friend and sharing the most intimate thoughts and concerns from the bottom of your heart. That’s what quiet time is for. It’s a time to visit with the Holy Spirit, sharing what’s on your heart and listening for His guidance — it’s really not something you have to do, it’s something you get to do!
I know there are people who don’t have a quiet time because they don’t know how to and are worried they might do it wrong. Well, here’s the good news. There really isn’t a wrong way of having quiet time. There are some useful ideas though. Let me offer three:
First, find a time at which you will have your quiet time every day — unless providentially prevented! It will be hard to be reliable if you do it at random times, it will never become a good habit.
Second, pick a favorite spot and make it a comfortable retreat where you have a fair chance of being undisturbed.
Finally, have a process — I like to read a little scripture, spend some time meditating on it, and spend the good part of the time praying. There’s nothing sacred about my process, but it’s a good idea to have a plan.
That’s what works for me — but the important thing is to be there — if you show up, your best friend absolutely will.
Have a wonderful time!