Hello! My name is Lily and it's a pleasure to be a guest on this blog today! A little about me… I am 20 years old, I've lived in Melbourne, Australia, all my life and most importantly, I call Jesus Christ my Saviour and Lord.

So what is quiet time?

At the very heart of it, quiet time is spending time with God. It is a habit you form and sometimes it is beautiful and revelationary and other times it is a struggle and feels fruitless. I am far from perfect or disciplined enough and there are many days when I don't feel like I do enough but the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) and so my hope lies in the Lord and his mercy, not in my own efforts.

Quiet time doesn't have to be quiet. It just must be youfocused on God.

Practically speaking, my quiet time varies slightly every day. At the very least I will read a chapter of the Bible (I'm reading through the New Testament at the moment) and bookend it with pray. Prayer is so important! I can't emphasise that enough because that is how you are changed by what you read. This is a habit I started 18 months ago when I decided to read through the Bible in a year. I'm also currently reading through Psalms, reading each chapter in a few different translations and journaling about that. I sadly don't manage to do that every day, I wish I did and am trying to make that a habit because I want to grow closer and closer to God.

I don't want what I read to go in one ear and out the other and so I ask myself a few questions about what I read, these help me to apply what I've read and to be transformed by God's Word.

- What is this chapter saying?

- What does this teach me about God?

- What do I need to do, feel or think more or less of in response to what I've just read?

I find it so interesting how we often think that getting up early and having quiet time in the morning somehow is more spiritual and makes us ‘better Christians’. This is so not true. What is important, however, is forming a habit of regularly seeking God. And what that looks like will depend on who you are and what season of life you are in. If getting up a few minutes earlier to read the Bible is something you can do, then that's great! If you choose to do it over breakfast, or in the car, or on the train, or after dinner, or just before you go to sleep, that is okay! Just keep doing what works best for you.

If you don't currently have a habit of regular communing with God, that's okay. It's what you choose to do now that matters. My challenge to you is to try and spend some time with God today. Read a chapter of your Bible. And pray about it. If it all feels overwhelming then just focus on today, you can think about tomorrow when it comes. And if you already have a regular quiet time, whatever that looks like, that is awesome! You are doing such a great job! Now don't stop, keep going!

When you look back in a little while to this time now, you will not find yourself unchanged. You will see that God has worked in your life and transformed your heart, mind and soul more and more into the image of Jesus Christ! He does all the heavy lifting; all you need to do is be obedient. Praise God!