Guard a Time and Space.

This is the sixth post in an eight-part series looking at the rhythm of going to ‘a quiet place.’ I hope and pray it’s a blessing for your life in Christ!

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Over the last few weeks we’ve been thinking about the practice from the life of Jesus of ‘withdrawing to lonely places’—going to the wilderness, or the ‘eremos’. It’s a rhythm we’ve called ‘a quiet place’.

Put simply, it’s a space that’s intentionally away from other people and distractions—not only physically but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually—for the sake of communing with God.

It’s a time to draw near to God in the quiet, be reminded of our identity in Christ amidst a noisy world, confess our sin and be honest about our need for healing and wholeness, to cast our anxieties upon God, and where we allow the Spirit to minister to us as we direct our hearts toward God.

But the question is—how do we do that in the chaos of life?

Here’s a starting point to get the ball rolling.

Guard a time.

I’d suggest starting with blocking out 30 minutes once a week, and defending it from other plans and priorities that might creep in. There’s no need to prescribe a set time, but at least thirty minutes is be a good place to start.

Choose a time when you might be least likely to have other responsibilities or demands pop up too. Put it in your diary, block it out, and guard it! 

Also, it’s important to remember that this is different to having a regular rhythm of reading your Bible and praying each day. There’s nothing to indicate Jesus did this every day, but we know he did it regularly and intentionally. Think of this practice as creating a space to intentionally pursue quiet, still, and uninterrupted time with God.

Guard a space.

There’s so much freedom with where you choose to practice this. It could be an armchair at home with a coffee in hand, a park down the road, a beach that you love, or sitting in your garden.

The point is to have a space where you feel at peace, and where you won’t be interrupted or tempted to do something else with your time. When you have a space—guard it from distractions that might encroach on your time. It might mean you need to finish uncompleted chores if you’re in your house, turning your phone off if you’re outside, or making sure you’re away from people.

You know what works for you and your space, so curate it in a way that is conducive to being with God, seeking him in prayer, and switching off from the world.

May you find a quiet place this week, and in doing so—find God.