God should have first place in our lives. We should begin the day with God and end the day with God. This means that sometime in our 24 hours we need to have some quiet time with God. How can we do this with busy schedules?

Quiet time with God was of great importance to Christ. Mark 1:35 says: “In the morning, rising up a great while before day…Jesus departed into a solitary place, and prayed.” Solitary means that He was alone. According to Luke 5:16: Jesus “withdrew himself into the wilderness” to pray. Especially notable is Luke 6:12, which says that Jesus “went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” If Jesus, the Son of God, needed so much quiet time with His Father, how about us?

What does “enter into thy closet” and “shut thy door” imply? It means finding a place alone and eliminating distractions as much as possible. In I Timothy 4:15, Paul wrote: “Meditate upon these things,” which means to ponder the word of God. May your quiet time with God inspire us to a closer walk with our Lord.

Private devotions afford spiritual renewal like the refreshing of a garden by a gentle rain.

(Min. Lois Brown if the founder of Prayer Faith and Healing Ministry.)