June 2017 Monthly Letter

Dear Reconciler Family,

Every once in a while I run across an article or a statement that pricks my interest so strongly that I want to share it with others.

I was given such an article by a good mentor and friend of mine. The article was written by well-known pastor and author Rick Warren. It’s about the value of quiet time and what it looks like.

Here’s what Rick wrote: “Having a quiet time is like many other activities you might do in life—in at least one respect. To be successful, it helps to have a plan.” The Bible says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Proverb 21:5 ESV).

If you have never had a quiet time before, you may not have a good, simple plan for creating one. Simplicity is
important with any plan you develop. If you make it complicated, you’re more likely to get off track. All you really need for an effective quiet time is a Bible, notebook, and some quiet music or a hymnal or songbook. So what does a daily quiet time look like?

First, be quiet before the Lord. The Bible calls it waiting on God. You start by simply sitting down and shutting up.

Second, pray briefly. Start off with a short opening prayer. Ask God to open your mind and guide you. Ask him to cleanse your mind.

Read a portion of scripture slowly. This is where your conversation with God begins. He starts speaking to you through his Word, and then you speak back to him through prayer. Read the Bible slowly. Don’t try to read too quickly or too much. The more slowly you read scripture, the more you’re forced to think about what you’re reading.

Meditate on the Word. Spend some time chewing on what God is saying. Chew on the word like cows chew on cud. Ponder and wrestle with it in your mind. There are lots of great methods of meditating on the Word. You can find specific ideas on how to meditate on God’s Word. You can find specific ideas on how to mediate on the Bible in the book “Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods.”

Write down what you discover. When God speaks to you in his Word, care enough about what he is saying to write it down. Writing enables us to remember what God has said and record our discoveries.

Pray again, be quiet. Ask God to show you his Word. Talk to God about what he has said to you.

Please receive Rick’s article as a tool that he uses. I realize that you may have your own effective way of praying and you might be satisfied with it, knowing that prayer is communication with God. That’s the key! Blessings and peace as you pray for us at ORM and others. Thank you for your every prayer.

My prayer for you is asking God to bless and always keep you in His loving care.