This past Sunday, I spoke about the need for us to eliminate hurry from our lives in order to create some spiritual “breathing room” for Christ in our lives this fall. If you missed that message, I’d encourage you to listen to it here.
One of the next steps I provided in this message was to engage in the spiritual practice of “Solitude” and to create some quiet & reflective space for God to work on our hearts. Now, I realize that the word “solitude” may be intimidating for some, but I don’t think it needs to be. “Solitude” isn’t about becoming a super spiritual monk who lives in silence and prays all day, but simply about being intentional to create some space for us to wait on God. It doesn’t have to be anything big and dramatic.
So, with that in mind, here is a simple 10-minute (or so) exercise in Solitude that everyone of us can engage each and every day at the end of the day before we go to bed. It’s called, “Reflecting on Your Day With God” (which has been adapted from John Ortberg’s book, “The Life You’ve Always Wanted“).
STEP 1: Be still for a moment and quiet your mind
- In other words, don’t do this while you’re cleaning the house up before bed or watching TV etc…
- Before you go to bed, find some space to be still and quiet your heart and mind before the Lord.
STEP 2: Acknowledge that Jesus is present, and invite him to teach you.
- Jesus is always present and always ready to teach us, we just need to tune into him and acknowledge his presence.
STEP 3: Review your day with God
- Take some time to walk through your day with God, moving from scene to scene. What did you do? What happened? What conversations did you have?
- As you reflect on these scenes, take note of the scenes that fill you with joy & gratitude. Also take note of the scenes that cause you to feel regret & shame.
- Whatever you feel, speak directly to the Lord about these things…pray about these things… hand them over to him and ask God to show you how you have honoured him and how you can honour him even more tomorrow.
STEP 4: End with a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude
- Thank God for his grace and his love for you. No matter what your day looked like… thank him (because gratitude to God is a symptom of an unhurried soul!).
- As you close in prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to come and refresh you as you sleep.
