Some 50 years ago, A. W. Tozer wrote: “The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.” If that was true 50 years ago, the need today is exponentially greater. With the constant noise and the interruptions throughout the day from emails, text messages, tweets, FaceBook and Instagram notices, along with instant access from others to our cell phones, the need for solitude is greater than Tozer could have ever imagined when he wrote those words.

We need solitude. But we need the solitude of time alone with God each day. It’s our greatest necessity and our only avenue to know God as we should and to live lives that honor Him. I hope you were able to be in worship this past Sunday for the third message on “Developing a Heart of Worship.” From the life of Daniel we looked at the why, when and how for a time of personal worship each day – or a “Quiet Time”. I encourage you to go to the website (www.ambcaustin.org) to listen to the message for the first time, or to review it if you were present on Sunday. I ask you to do so, not from self-promotion, but because I believe a Quiet Time each day in personal worship is the most important element to spiritual growth and victorious living as a Christian. We never move past the need for time in God’s Word each day, along with a time of prayer for yourself and others.

A consistent and effective Quiet Time begins with an attitude of determination, desperation, and dedication. Find a plan for reading God’s Word in a systematic fashion. There are scores of plans available. Many can be found at www.youversion.com, which is the site where you can also find the sermon outlines each week for AMBC by looking under the “Live” tab and searching for Anderson Mill Baptist.

Then, you may find help in organizing your prayer time through a simple acrostic that has been around for many years:
A – Adoration (Give God praise for who He is)
C – Confession (Repent of those things the Holy Spirit brings to mind that need to be confessed and forgiven)
T – Thanksgiving (Thank God for His blessings and for answered prayer)
S – Supplication (Ask God for needs for your life and ministry as well as for the needs of others)

We have had a tremendous response from individuals in the church family who have made the commitment to begin a daily Quiet Time. I hope you will be part of that group, or among others who have been faithful for years in meeting God each day in personal worship.

Blessings,
Pastor Rod