O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek You. - Psalm 63:1 NIV

Once you have won "the battle of the blankets" and "the battle of the blahs," you'll have to fight "the battle of the brain." Your mind will wander off in 101 directions during your quiet time. The devil will make sure it does. You'll find yourself distracted by noises, lack of sleep, tensions with others, work, and things you 'just can't forget.'

So here are some helpful suggestions: (1) Be sure you're thoroughly awake. Take a shower, splash cold water on your face, or do some exercise. Get the adrenalin flowing! The Psalmist writes, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God" (Ps 42:1 NIV). A deer being pursued by a hunter has only one thing in mind; getting to the stream where its wounds can be healed, its thirst quenched, and its strength renewed. (2) Use a memo pad. When you decide to spend time with God you'll suddenly 'remember' everything you have to do, or have left undone. So write things down as they come to you, then tell yourself, "I'll get to that later," and go back to prayer. (3) Walk while you're praying. You won't fall asleep while standing up, so move around. (4) Personalise the Scriptures. Pray them back to God. Since God's Word is always in line with God's will, your prayers will get answered. For example, use Psalm 23: "Lord, You are my Shepherd, therefore I shall not want for anything. Thank You for leading me in paths that are right when I don't know which way to go." This simple technique can transform your quiet time.