Saturday is, officially, a day off for me, but on most Saturdays I put finishing touches on my sermon, create a note sheet with applicational questions (they're stuffed in programs early Sunday morning by a faithful team of volunteers who commiserate about my procrastination), and design PowerPoint slides.  I think a lot about Sunday on Saturday.  That has been especially true today, because I have a vague sense that God is going to do something special tomorrow (if you're reading this after church, you know if I was right).

I'm going to be teaching on the subject of secret sin—escaping it, or better yet, avoiding it.  I said in my email to the church that I will share "seven practical strategies for winning private battles", but after I wrote that I shortened the list to six.  So, if you feel cheated, I'll share one more idea here.  It is more preventative than curative, and it comes from a great article by Randy Alcorn.  He says:

"Often those who fall into sexual sin can point back to lapses in their practices of meditation, worship, prayer, and the healthy self-examination such disciplines foster. All of us know this, but in the busyness of giving out, we can easily neglect the replenishing of our spiritual reservoirs. Daily disciplines are important, of course, but I've found that for me they're not enough. God gave Israel not merely one hour a day but one day a week, several weeks a year, and even one year every seven to break the pattern of life long enough to worship and reflect and take stock."

Spiritual disciplines are like Weed-N-Feed; they nourish us and protect us at the same time.  But, for me at least, keeping those disciplines, especially at a slow enough pace to really connect with God, is harder than ever. There are always emails to read, Twitters to send, Facebook friends to chat with, and blogs to post (that's convicting). What I've learned anew recently is that nothing satisfies like Jesus does—and nothing protects me from sin like lingering in His presence.

How and when do you spend unhurried time with the Lord—daily, weekly, and yearly?