Sometimes my friends and siblings make fun of me for acting “like an old person.” I guess in a lot of ways they’re right. I like to do quiet, relaxing things. I would choose a nice walk in the park over a concert or game of ultimate Frisbee any day. Not because I don’t like those things. I would just rather do something quiet.
The other night I realized just how beneficial this can be. I made a fire in the fire pit, had a cup of Earl Grey and a pipe full of Sir Walter Raleigh aromatic. Josh Garrels and Balmorhea were taking turns playing from my laptop, and the cat had joined me on the rickety glider. Fireflies had just begun to arc around the yard, dodging hungry bats, and the stars were shining through the steamy summer air.
I spent time praying about some things that had been on my heart. Then I just sat there, listening to the music and the fire, enjoying the dark flavor of the pipe and watching a distant satellite move from one end of the sky to the other. Mars and Jupiter were both in the sky together, but it was too hazy to clearly make out any constellations. My mind began to wander from stars to planets to fireflies to sparks and back again. And I rediscovered the magnitude of belonging in the family of Jesus.
The Man who rules over every one of those points of light calls me “brother.” Our Father looks at me, not as the person I know I am, but as a child wearing His righteousness as my clothes. If I drew a circle ten feet around me and examined everything inside of it, I would not find one thing that did not come from Him. If I expanded that circle further for thousands of miles, it would be the same. He wants me to experience His love in every little thing He gave me the capability to experience.
If I had spent the evening playing games or watching a movie, I would have missed out on the reminders and reassurances that can only be found when listening to God speak through the stillness.
Personal worship and closet prayer have been an integral part of many Christians’ lives in the past. Christ Himself went off alone many times to pray and to meditate. As Millennial Christians, we live in a world of endless noise. We get up in the morning, check our phones, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, share this, like that, listen to our podcasts, and watch the news and funny videos on YouTube… We put ourselves in a constant stream of activity that doesn’t end until we fall asleep. It can be a challenge to clear away all the mental clutter and focus on any one thing. I would like to encourage everyone to make a habit of finding time for quiet meditation on and communion with God.
I’m no expert on how to do “quiet time.” It will be different for you than it is for me. But here are some tips I hope will be helpful.
1. Find a quiet place. This could be anything from a porch swing to the lonely sanctuary of a church on a weekday. I have two quiet places: the woods behind my house and the fire pit in the front yard. Habitually going to the same place for prayer and meditation is good for a couple of reasons. One, the place you choose will have a unique mood that signals, “It’s time to focus on praying.” Two, people will notice why you are there and will learn not to disturb you.
2. Develop a ritual. Wait don’t panic! I don’t mean a ritual like a cult would practice. I just mean certain things you do specifically for the purpose of getting your mind ready for prayer and meditation. My ritual typically includes gathering sticks and leaves, building a fire, making a cup of tea, listening to some quiet mellow music, and, occasionally, smoking a pipe. These are things that engage my senses. And because I’ve made them into a ritual, they ready my mind to set aside everything and focus on God. Rituals can be elaborate or simple, such as wrapping yourself in a quilt, but always keep in mind that the ritual itself has no spiritual significance other than enjoying the simple blessings of God.
3. Leave media behind. This can vary in degree. I still listen to music and sometimes a sermon or audio Bible. But I find that Facebook and texts can distract me far too easily. Leave anything that you know will be a distraction behind, and don’t make excuses for anything! If texting on a date is rude, how much more when you are supposed to be communing with God Himself?
4. Set time goals, not time limits. For prayer and meditation, both quality and quantity time are important. Pick a chapter of the Bible, or whatever devotional book you may be reading (but preferably the Bible), and see how slowly you can go through it. In your praying, see how long you can pray about one specific issue, or how long you can explore a certain characteristic of God with your mind. Your quiet times should be like gold mines. See if you can get every single speck of dust out of every single crevice.
