Make A Quiet Moment

A friend of mine worked on a busy factory floor, but had a habit of putting his head down on his workbench for a five minute nap to refresh himself during breaks. Pick one of these little tidbits to ponder, find a time and place to sit quietly for 5 minutes, perhaps closing your eyes, and refresh your soul.

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27 NASB95) Part of the essence of being human is that we have a spirit, some inner part of our nature that is independent of this physical universe. We are spiritual beings temporarily inhabiting a body that cannot leave here.  Even in the “next life” we will have bodies. But God is pure spirit. The Spirit of God knows us at the spiritual level, He knows our spirits and thus knows our inner cares, frustrations and loves better than we do. Sometimes we need to simply quiet ourselves – stop using language in our inner conversation – and simply let our inner desires and concerns just be there while we take great comfort that the Spirit of God doesn’t need language to read our hearts. He not only understands us, but makes requests to the Father on our behalf that are always in line with God’s will for us. We also need to listen, listen for an inner conviction and perhaps a verbal thought that will instruct us. I find it’s good to have the Scripture handy, because sometimes in these moments I get an urge to read a certain part of it that often leads me to an important insight about myself or my situation. God will always direct us to His Word because He will never lead us to do something contrary to what He has already written.

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27 NASB95) It’s humbling and comforting to realize I need, and have, someone to intercede between me an God because I don’t always know how to pray for His will. Sure I can fire off my pleadings that God will do what I think His will should be in my situation. But part of prayer time is being quiet and listening to the inner voice that is using the Word of God we have read or heard to convict and prompt and encourage us then to instruct us what to pray for ourselves and others. How much God must want us to know Him that He would send the Spirit to intercede for us.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”(Romans 8:31 NASB95) Song: He didn’t bring us this far to leave us Chorus: He didn’t bring us this far to leave us, He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown He didn’t build His home in us to move away, He didn’t lift us up to let us down There are some promises in a letter, Written a long, long time ago They’re not getting older, they’re getting better, Because He still wants us to know Chorus I read those promises in His letter, And now I claim them for my own Filling my heart and making life better, And I just wanted you to know Chorus Never use the word defeat, Claim His promises, every one of them And every spoken word He’ll hear, Because we’re everything to Him Chorus He didn’t lift us up to let us down

” As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” …. And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.” ^[1]Matthew 20:29-34 NASB95 ““Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”” ^[2]Matthew 15:14 NASB95 Seeing truth in what goes on around us takes more than functional eyeballs. Here are two things you can pray about your own sight:

• “Lord enlighten the eyes of my heart, so that I will know what is the hope of your calling, what are the riches of the glory of your inheritance in the saints,” ^[3]Ephesians 1:18 NASB95

• “Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain. Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity ^[4]vanity refers to things that are not healthy in the long run, And revive me in Your ways. Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.” ^[5]Psalm 119:36-38 NASB95

Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit – John 15:8 What a possibility, what an inspiration, that we can enhance the glory of “our Father!” Our hearts leap at the thought. How can this be done? By bearing “leaves”—a profession of love for Him? No. By bearing some fruit? No. “That ye bear much fruit.” In the abundance of the yield is the joy, the glory of the husbandman. We should, therefore, aim to be extraordinary, “hundred-fold” Christians, satisfied with none but the largest yield. Our lives should be packed with good deeds. Then at harvest time we can say, “Father, I have glorified Thee on the earth!” -W. Jennings ^[6]Thoughts for the Quiet Hour, January 13

The Lord is my … song Ps. 118:14 Let us think of God Himself becoming our song. This is the fullness and perfection of knowing, God: so to know Him that He Himself becomes our delight; so to know Him that praise is sweetest, and fullest, and freshest, and gladdest, when we sing of Him. He who has learned this blessed secret carries the golden key of Heaven—nay, he hath fetched Heaven down to earth, and need not envy the angels now. – Mark Guy Pearse ^[7] Thoughts for the Quiet Hour, January 5

He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much  – Luke 16:10 The least action of life can be as surely done from the loftiest motive as the highest and noblest. Faithfulness measures acts as God measures them. True conscientiousness deals with our duties as God deals with them. Duty is duty, conscience is conscience, right is right, and wrong is wrong, whatever sized type they be printed in. “Large” and “small” are not words for the vocabulary of conscience. It knows only two words—right and wrong.  – Alexander Maclaren  ^[8]Thoughts for the Quiet Hour, January 9

Dost thou want nothing? Then I fear thou dost not know thy poverty. Hast thou no mercy to ask of God? Then may the Lord’s mercy show thee thy misery. A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. – Spurgeon ^[9]Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour, Originally published: Chicago: Revell, c1990., Feb 1 (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1998, c1997, c1994, … Continue reading