The often-used term Quiet Time has long been used by Christians to describe a specific time set aside to read the Bible and commune with God. For most of us, the literal term Quiet Time is a misnomer because these precious moments of silence are scarce. When I mention what I do, which is to create Bible studies for Quiet Time, I often hear a forlorn cry, “I just don’t have time for Quiet Time.”
Well, I am here to say — I hear ya sister!
Been there, done that, and felt the exact same way. We know that as believers we should be having a Quiet Time but as we scan the minutes, hours, and days of our lives there appears to be little margin to perform this daily ritual correctly! Let’s take a deep breath and pause a moment to look at three strategies to simplify Quiet Time.
Throw Away Misconceptions
So many of us have bought into and subscribed to the imaginary rules of Quiet Time. They tend to sound like, I have to do Quiet Time in this particular way in order for it to be a success. (Please, fill in the blanks because I don’t want to give any roadblocks you haven’t been thought of before.) But seriously, I am not sure where your personal fictitious guidelines came from but my collection came from comparing myself to godly women whom I admired. I tried to use their pattern to create my own moments in the Word. After a while, I gathered so many that didn’t work for me I too thought, “I just don’t have time for Quiet Time.” This technique produced fallacies and cultivated outright lies from the enemy which prevents me from developing a Quiet Time of my own. I discovered “One Size” does not fit all!
Maybe it is the same for you?
I hate to admit it but my #1 misconception was that Quiet Time had to be, well, quiet. It goes without saying, quiet is one of the most difficult things to accomplish in a busy home! While the sweetness of silence isn’t always available, moments can still be snatched here or there to read the Word. Often, I would have a few minutes while my children were down for naps to glance at a chapter. Or last thing at night, right before sleep. One technique that helped was to have my Bible above little hands reach but easily accessible and open to where I was reading so I could easily devour it when the opportunity presented itself.
There is an old adage about food and sleep while one travels, “Get it when you can.” This same principle applies to us. Rest and feast on the Word when you can! Consume it when you can throughout your day and sleep on it at night. “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” Psalm 107:9
Craft a Plan
How often, I wonder, have I resolved to be in the Word more, be faithful, not be lazy, and get up in the morning, to study the Bible? My clothes would be laid out, coffee ready, alarm set, and I would wake up to create a Quiet Time before the kids got up, and yet, often as I approached the Bible, I felt as if I was still foggy about what to do. Because I didn’t have a concrete plan for being in the Word. Benjamin Franklin said it all when he stated, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Plans are a funny thing. On one hand, when executed properly, they help us accomplish our goals. Yet, on the other hand, when we place too much emphasis on the plan it can become a rigid structure, we feel claustrophobic, bored, and trapped. My suggestion is simply to create a plan, ask the Lord to show you, start walking in it, but hold it loosely. And girl, give yourself grace when the days don’t go the way you thought. “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9
If you have a longer stretch or would like to do a more in-depth study try one of my Selah studies. The Selah Method concentrates on one portion of Scripture each week. Every day, for five days, you will be taking the passage apart to understand it better in a journal format and learn how to apply it to your life.
Adjust Your Attitude
Over the years, my mentor would gently correct me when I said, “I have to do…” She would remind me of my joy depended upon my attitude and encouraged me to morph the phrase from “I have to” into “I get to”.
The way in which we look at a situation has so much to do with how it will turn out. While I am sure you know this when it comes to performing a job, nurturing children, loving husbands, or even helping a friend out, it also applies to the time spent with the Lord in His Word.
Ladies, our brief stint as Mama’s with children under one roof is so incredibly short and so incredibly draining. We are constantly giving, nurturing, tending, watching, and loving those in our care and it can drain our joy tanks dry. But in light of a lifetime, these days are brief. That is why during these dry, depleting days of Motherhood we desperately need to draw deeply from a Well of Joy and I have found only one place to obtain it. Psalm 119:162 TPT puts it this way, “Your promises are the source of my bubbling joy; the revelation of your word thrills me like one who has discovered hidden treasure.”
Time in the Word yields eternal rewards and endless refreshment! Let me leave one final thought by Henry Drummond, “Ten minutes spent in the presence of Christ every day, aye, two minutes, will make the whole day different.”
Takeaways-
Throw Away Misconceptions
Consider your idea of Quiet Time. Is it your own? Is it scriptural? Is it working for you?
Contemplate your own personal ideal Quiet Time. What would it consist of? How would you feel after you completed it? When would work to have a Quiet Time?
Craft a Plan
Plan what will you do during this time. Here are some ideas for you to consider.
Read a Psalm or a Proverb a day
Daily read a chapter in James and dwell on God’s steadfast love
Do one of our Selah Studies and learn how to linger with God
Adjust Your Attitude
If time in the Word is a “have to” rather than a “get to” ask the Lord to create a holy hunger in your soul that only time with Him can satisfy. (Psalm 107:9)