Bored? Tired? 4 Tips for Better Quiet Time With God!
The perfect quiet time— what should it look like? Should we have a special tree in the shade outside where we can watch the sun rise? Should it be an old wooden bench by the waterfront? Does it need to be a desk worthy of an Instagram post?
Maybe your quiet time looks different. Maybe you read your bible at the kitchen table between half-empty cereal bowls and cups of orange juice. Maybe it’s at the corner of that old couch, with your dogs barking at the window nearby and your phone ringing.
Every quiet time place looks different. And how long should our quiet times be? Do we need a seven-minute study or 20-minutes of dedicated prayer time? What makes up the perfect quiet time?
The truth is there is no perfect quiet time. It doesn’t matter where you find a few moments to spend time with the Lord. God just wants us to meet with him daily.
Stop Everything
Most of our days spin with to-do lists and chores. Maybe mornings aren’t great for quiet time because you’re short on time then. Maybe your evenings are slower. Maybe you have 10 minutes at lunch where you usually check Facebook. Carve out a few moments to spend some time each day with God. Turn off the TV. Leave the phone in another room. Focus on just one thing: talking with God.
Your mind will want to wander. It will want to remind you that you need to put the laundry away or answer that email or call the vet. Slow down those distractions by prayerfully asking God to fill that time with conversation with him.
Find a Time
Find a regular time that is dedicated to being your quiet time and only your quiet time. Make that time a routine you can stick to. It may be hard at first. You may be sleepy because you had to wake up earlier or you may be tired at the end of a long day, but continue meeting with God. God calls us to meet with him because he loves us, and we need to give him daily praise and prayer. If you have to, let your husband and family know when your dedicated time is and get them involved in helping you keep to your daily quiet time.
Find Intention
What do you want from your quiet time? Spend some time in prayer for the first few days of your new routine and pray that God gives you a holy intention for your time together.
Maybe you want to start your day off with the mindset of God or maybe you want to know him better. Find an intentional purpose for your quiet time and you’ll find that it’s easier to meet daily with God if you’re purposeful. You’ll be motivated to learn more about God and his will for your life if you make your time with him intentional and not just a routine occurrence.
Look for a Relationship
It’s easy to make quiet time a routine that becomes just a daily routine, but doesn’t have any purpose. Instead, look for a relationship with God in your quiet time. Just as when you are becoming friends with someone or dating someone, you’re looking for a relationship with that person, not just someone to fill the time.
God is bigger than routine, and his love demands a relationship with him. Pray that your quiet time is about building that relationship with him and knowing him better. Be open in your prayers and praises and He will listen, and in turn, you will grow closer to Him.
