I try to have quiet time with the Lord every day. I really do. I am the pastor’s wife and the adult Sunday school teacher, for heaven’s sake. I’m supposed to lead by example. But the devil just knows when those times are and if he does whatever he can to sabotage my time with God. It can be totally peaceful for an entire hour, but I guarantee the minute I sit down to read a devotion or pray, the tranquility shatters with one of the devil’s schemes.
1. The phone disrupts my quiet time
It doesn’t matter whether it is a telemarketer or my husband, who has the telepathy to always call at the worst possible time. Whenever I try to spiritually prepare myself, nothing takes me out of my “zone” faster than a telephone call—particularly if the call involves my having to do something right then and there. It’s hard to get back to a peaceful frame of mind when the world interrupts.
2. Life intrudes on my quiet time.
When trying to clear my mind, inevitably the devil reminds me of the laundry waiting to be folded, the cupcakes I’m supposed to bake for a class party, and the dog who desperately needs a bath.
I need to drop off that package at the post office. Oh, and what am I going to cook for dinner? Do I have everything, or do I need to make a trip to the store? Did I make that dentist’s appointment? I still need to write something for my weekly Patheos blog. What am I going to write about? Why am I wasting time just sitting here when there is so much to be done? Sometimes my brain goes in so many different directions, it’s like herding cats trying to take every thought captive to the Lord.
3. Sleepiness threatens to eliminate my quiet time altogether
Getting into the proper spiritual frame of mind often involves closing my eyes to the mess all around me that I really should be dealing with. But if I close my eyes for a few seconds to try to block out the world, I risk falling asleep. Come to think of it, a nap sounds really good right about now. The way to circumvent this possibility is to get down on my knees on the hardwood floor. That will keep me awake if for no other reason than my knees will remind me of how uncomfortable I am. However, the constant bombardment of pain tends to interfere with my spiritual mindset. Besides, if I get down on my knees, I risk not being able to get up off the floor.
4. Kids and quiet time? Not gonna happen
If the devil can’t make the phone ring, he stirs up the kids. He knows the minute I try to mentally prepare myself for quiet time with the Lord. That’s when the kids will start fighting, need something done right now, barge into my room without knocking to ask a question, or just want to hang out with me. (They never want to hang out with me any other time.)
5. No private place to have quiet time
I am reminded of the fact that when Jesus needed quiet time with His Father, he often got up early and went off by Himself to a private place to pray. Sure, easy for Him. He didn’t have kids, which brings me back to reason # 4. Besides the fact I am not a morning person and risk reason # 3, trying to get up before the kids is a virtual impossibility. They have an innate radar system that alerts them to when I get up. As far as a private place, I can’t even go to the bathroom by myself most of the time without someone yelling through the door. Although it sounds heavenly to be able to get up and go off somewhere all by myself, the child welfare services take a dim view of leaving children alone in the house while I have my quiet time. Then again, if the child welfare services took my kids away from me for maternal neglect during my quiet time, I might have all the quiet time I need! Hmm.
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