Note the small size of book, evidenced by nub

My lovely, thoughtful sister in law and friend Kerry bought me two small leather books for Christmas. This one (a combo: Andrew Murray and Brother Lawrence) and all 3 parts of the Westminster Confession of Faith. I have been using the Andrew Murray book as a devotional periodically since Christmas (by periodically I mean about 7 times).

I struggle to have time alone with the LORD. Some call it a quiet time, others a devotional time, and at Riverside it is “Solitude with God” as a spiritual practice/reality. I need many kinds of devotionals apparently, I like an intellectual edge, and I hope for something really practical too.

Murray’s book, “With Christ in the School of Prayer” sounds anything but sexy on its own merit – but I want every one of those prepositions, I really do. And, the book is small and leather. Furthermore, I am leading a men’s study and Andrew Murray’s words resound with it in a way that really encourages my heart.  Specifically, he states that prayer must flow from a deep knowledge of the Father Heart of God.  “We thought of new and deeper insight into some of the mysteries of the prayer-world as what we should get in Christ’s school; He tells us the first is the highest lesson; we must learn to say well, ‘Abba, Father!’…  He that can say this is the key to all prayer.”

His book is based upon Jesus’ teachings on prayer (so I usually learn something).  His wording is funny (thee’s and such) which makes me focus.  And he prays at the end, so I am learning then learning by doing.  What about you?  I assume your solitude/quite time/devotional time has gone up and down (I actually assume this even if you are not a Christian – that your time alone is important, and that it has come and gone with varying seasons).  What has aided you?  What have you tried that has not ‘worked’ at all.