Finding Your Quiet Place: The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.

(My current quiet place in our hotel room. Notice the blow up mattress against the wall :)

Ok, I know…my current quiet place is not glamorous but it is the best I can do right now. We recently moved to our new duty station and until we can move in our new home we are staying in an extended stay hotel. My options are this chair, the shower, or the bed which doubles as my son’s play area.  And since I can’t bring my Bible in the shower…the chair it is.

So let’s take a look at the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of a quiet place.

Who...needs a quiet place and quiet time? Everyone! Even Jesus went to his quiet place in the garden before his crucifixion. It says in Matthew 14:23 that after Jesus calmed the storm, He went up on the mountainside by himself to pray.

What…is a quiet place? An area where you purposefully go to to spend time with the Lord, to read His word, to hear what He has to say, to talk to Him, to spend time in solitude. To make the most of your time, try to have your quiet place prepped before you go. That way you can avoid excuses to not go.

When…should you go to your quiet place? Daily! There are multiple scriptures that mention to have quiet time in the morning, when you rise. In 1 Samuel 1:19 it says, “They rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord.” Mark 1:35 states, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” I have spent so many mornings arguing with myself why I don’t have time in the morning and that I would have my time in the evening after my son goes so sleep or during nap time. Well, that hardly ever works out. I make excuses then. Just do it in the morning and I promise, if you fill up with God in the morning you will be fully charged, ready to go for the whole day!

Where… should by quiet place be? A quiet place doesn’t have to be a garden or hilltop. It is simply a designated place where you can focus, distraction free, on the word of God and prayer. You make it a purpose to go to your quiet spot. It can be a breakfast table after the morning chaos is gone, a corner of your house with an oversized pillow, a picnic table in the sun, anything! As long as you can focus on God, it can be your quiet place.

Why… is it important to find your own quiet place? We go to our quiet place for a purpose. If you go into the bathroom you know you are going for a minimal number things. You are not going to make dinner, take a nap, or watch tv. Same goes for your quiet place. You go to your quiet place with a task in mind. It helps to detour you from distractions and helps you get the job done. "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is gone in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:6

How…do you find your own quiet place? Look around your home. Where do you spend most of your time? It’s best to try and not have your quiet place there. Before we moved, we have a small British home and I spent most of my time in the kitchen and the living room, cooking meals and playing with my son and then lounging in the evening. So naturally, I would want to get away from those areas for my quiet time. I would become too comfortable in the living room, the TV would be calling my name, I would see toys that need picked up. You get the picture. Find a place where you can ‘get away’ mentally. Those living spaces were not that for me. If you can change the mood of those spaces by lighting and music then by all means, make that your quiet place. But if you lack in self-control like me, then chose someplace else. Set up a chair somewhere, turn you dining table into your study area for your solitude time. If you need to go sit in your closet to get away then do it! It does not have to be anything fancy. Many times I have sat in my closet in prayer because it was a place I could get away. Choosing a place right by the telephone is probably is not a good idea or if you are a clean freak do not chose a spot by the broom or vacuum. J Experiment and find your own space.

I would love to hear about your quiet place and routines! Please leave a comment and let me know!