As we evaluate our lives, create our vision boards, and write down our goals, I want to bring something to your attention that I believe needs to be at the top of your list: Spending time with God. Our quiet time with God is something that can get pushed away if we’re not intentional. Here are ways you can make your quiet time a priority in your life again!
Spending Time with God
If you’re in a time of re-evaluating your goals and how you spend your daily time, this is the perfect time to talk about one of the most important things. As Christians, we know it’s the most important thing, but sometimes it gets pushed down the list of our daily lives.
Before we know it, days or even weeks have gone by without us doing it…
Spending quality time with Jesus.
I don’t know why, but it seems like this is one of the things that often gets pushed aside. I know for me personally, I strive to do it on a daily basis, but I fall short a lot of the time. I know many of you probably feel the same way.
You know it’s important, and when you do it, you feel so good. But for some reason, it gets pushed down the list.
That’s why spending intentional time with Jesus needs to be at the very top of our priority list.
As we re-evaluate our lives and routines, we need to ensure we’re making quiet time with Jesus a priority. That lack of time doesn’t become an excuse to keep us from spending time with Jesus on a regular basis.
In this post, I want to talk about ways we can make spending time with God a priority in this new year. We’ll go through…
>>Why it’s important to have a daily quiet time
>>Some tactical steps you can take to make it a priority in your life
>>Different ways you can set yourself up for success so you can spend time with Jesus every day
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Why is a quiet time so important?
The first thing I want to talk about is the importance of quiet time. Why is this so important? Why does it need to be a priority in our lives?
Jesus made it a priority.
The number one reason we should do it and make it a priority is because Jesus, when He was here on Earth, made it a priority.
He often slipped away to a solitary place by Himself to spend time with his Heavenly Father. And this was Jesus – straight from Heaven, the Son of God. Even He made time to slip away and spend time with His Father.
If Jesus, who left Heaven and was one with the Father, still realized the importance of one-on-one time with Him, then that should be the number one reason it’s important for us too. It makes it incredibly clear to me that if it was essential for Jesus, it’s absolutely essential for us.
Spending time with God is life-giving. If you’re feeling anxiety, stress, or worry, the best thing I can suggest is to slip away, just like Jesus did. Go into a quiet room, close your eyes, and connect your mind and spirit with Jesus. The peace that comes from doing that is amazing. He can take every worry and burden that feels so heavy and replace it with His peace.
If you’re feeling stressed about something in your life, or if you’re just plain having a hard time, take a minute to pause and connect with Him.
He is so faithful. He will be there every time with his steadfast love, ready to take those burdens from you.
We were created for a relationship with God.
Another important reason for quiet time is that we were created for a relationship with God.
That’s why we were created. There is a part of us that is always longing for something, and that something is Him.
He created us to have a relationship with Him. When we cultivate that relationship and spend time with Him, we are fulfilling one of our deepest desires because that’s what we were created to do.
So that’s the “why.” Why do we need to spend time with Jesus? What’s so important about quiet time?
Now that we’ve laid that foundation, I want to talk to you about some practical things that can help you make the habit of spending time with Jesus more consistent in your everyday life.
Step One: Pick out a time
The first thing I want to talk to you about is picking a time to spend with Jesus – a specific time of day that works for you. Now, if you want to be as specific as saying, “7:00 every morning,” then go for it! Especially if that’s the way your brain works.
But you could also choose a more general time, like, “In the morning, when I wake up and drink my coffee, I’ll spend time with Jesus.”
Most people tend to gravitate toward the morning because it helps start the day by connecting with Him. However, it doesn’t have to be in the morning.
Here are a few ideas of times that could work for you:
>> The end of the day. You could choose the end of the day, like before you go to bed. Once you’ve gotten ready for bed, brushed your teeth, and the kids are asleep, you can open your Bible to read and pray.
>> During naptime. If you have young kids who take naps during the day, that could be a great time for quiet time. While they’re napping, you could make an afternoon cup of coffee, open your Bible, and pause in the middle of the day to connect with Jesus.
>> Your lunch break. If you work and mornings are hectic with getting yourself ready and the kids off to school, you could use your lunch break for quiet time. You could eat your lunch, bring your Bible with you, and read while you eat. Afterward, you can pray or even slip out to your car for some uninterrupted time.
The morning time doesn’t have to be the only way, and it can change with different seasons of life.
For example, if you have a newborn who’s up frequently at night, mornings might not be the best time because you need to sleep while the baby sleeps. In that season, quiet time could be during a nap or right before bed. When your kids get older and start sleeping through the night, you might switch back to mornings.
The important thing is not when you do it… but that you JUST DO IT.
Find a time that works in your current season and try to stick with it every single day. Quiet time doesn’t need to follow a hard and fast rule. It just needs to happen in a way that fits your life right now.
Step Two: Pick out what you’ll be doing
Okay, so you’ve picked your time, now what will you be doing during your quiet time?
There are so many different ways to study the Bible, and I’ll share a few ideas:
Daily Devotions
You can purchase a devotional book, maybe from Amazon or a local bookstore. A physical book to guide you through different Bible verses, provide journaling questions, and allow you to write out your thoughts to help you grow in your personal relationship with Jesus.
This can be a great option if you like the tactile experience of writing things down.
Devotional App
Another option is downloading a devotional app. Apps like She Reads Truth or First 5 are great and offer different devotions or Bible reading plans. Many of these apps are topic-based, so if there’s something specific you’re struggling with or want to learn about, you can choose a plan tailored to that. Which can be a very helpful tool!
These plans typically include a passage of scripture, a short devotional, and a closing prayer, making them a very convenient and easy way to enter into God’s presence.
The Bible App
The Bible App is another excellent resource. One feature I love is the “Verse of the Day.” You can click on it, and it’s like an interactive Instagram story, guiding you through content related to that verse. It includes spoken devotions, questions to reflect on, written devotions, and a prayer. It’s a well-rounded experience centered on one scripture that can easily become part of your daily routine.
A newer feature in the Bible App is their “Guided Prayer.” It takes you through prompts to help structure your prayer time.
1 – It begins by honoring God, giving you different parts of the character of God to reflect on, like “God is love.” There’s often a scripture that ties into the prompt, encouraging you to think about what that characteristic means to you.
2 – The next section focuses on your concerns, helping you reflect on a related Bible verse and talk to God about what’s on your heart.
3 – After that, it prompts you to pray for others, bringing specific requests to God.
4 – It wraps up with a pre-written prayer you can recite.
This feature is fantastic, especially for new Christians or those unsure how to pray, as it provides structure and guidance in a meaningful way to help you express gratitude to God and grow in a deeper relationship with him.
The SOAP Method
Another approach is reading the Bible and using a method like SOAP (or SOAK). This is a structured way to study God’s word.
SOAP stands for:
1. S – Scripture: Read a chapter of the Bible (books like John, Corinthians, or Romans are great to start with). Write down any verse that stands out to you.
2. O – Observation: Reflect on the context of the verse. What was the author’s intent? What’s happening in the passage? Why did this verse stand out to you?
3. A – Application: Consider how the verse applies to your life. What lessons can you take from it and use in your day-to-day?
4. P – Prayer: Write a prayer based on the verse, applying what you’ve learned and asking for God’s guidance.
This method is simple and powerful. It allows the Holy Spirit to reveal things to you as you dig into the Word of God. You only need a Bible, some paper, or even the notes app on your phone to get started.
I have a free SOAP printable that you can use during your quiet time. You can download it here.
I also include a SOAP page with my free monthly BIble reading plans. Here is one all about new beginnings or you can browse all the free reading plans I have here.
As you can see, there are many ways to study the Bible. Some cost money, and others are completely free. If you’re interested in what I like to do during my time, here is my easy 3 step quiet time routine.
Whether you prefer devotionals, apps, or a simple study method like SOAP, there’s an option for everyone. With all these resources available, there’s really no excuse not to spend time in the Word!
Step Three: Set yourself up for success
The last thing I want to talk about is setting yourself up for success. By now…
+You understand why quiet time is important.
+You’ve picked the time of day for your quiet time
+You’ve decided what you’re going to do during that time
Great! You’ve got it all planned out.
But how are you going to stay consistent?
The number one thing is discipline. I know, it’s not fun to hear. I wish I had some secret formula to make it easy, but honestly, it just comes down to being disciplined and doing it.
You’ve picked your time and your plan. Now you just have to show up and do it consistently.
That doesn’t mean everything has to be perfect.
For example, if you’ve planned for morning quiet time and your child gets sick during the night, it’s okay to adjust and pick another time that day. But for the majority of the time, you know your plan. Whether it’s while you drink your coffee in the morning or during your kids’ nap time, you just have to commit to doing it.
If you’re a calendar or planner person, schedule it like an appointment. Something you wouldn’t miss, like a doctor’s appointment. Honor that time you’ve set aside to be with Jesus.
Prepare Ahead of Time
One tactical step to help is preparing ahead of time. If you plan to do your quiet time in the morning, get your things ready the night before. Lay out your Bible, devotional, pens, highlighters, or anything else you need.
A great way to do this is to create a Bible basket. Here’s a step by step on how you can create your own Bible basket (plus a peak into mine!)
That way, in the morning, you’re not scrambling to find things, which could become a stumbling block. If you can’t find what you need, you might be tempted to skip it and say, “I’ll try tomorrow.”
Set yourself up for success by having everything ready.
Remember it’s a priority
We need to make quiet time a priority. There’s a quote I love that says, “You make time for things that are important to you.” It’s so true. It all comes down to realizing its importance, like we talked about earlier, and making it a priority.
Don’t give up
If you miss a day, a week, or even longer, it’s okay! I’m right there with you. There have been times when days go by, things happen, and I don’t spend time with Jesus. But I always come back to it. After a certain amount of time, I can feel my heart longing for that time with Him.
When I finally open my Bible and start reading the Word and praying, it’s so refreshing to my soul. It’s like water on parched ground. Spending time with Jesus restores me. So, don’t give up.
Don’t think, “It’s been too long, so what’s the point?” That’s not true. Just pick up your Bible, grab your devotional, and get back to it.
You’ve set yourself up for success, and you can do this. Don’t give up.
So, what’s one thing you can do right now? You’ve read all of this, and you might be feeling the nudging of the Holy Spirit on your heart, calling you to get back to consistent quiet times with Jesus.
So, what can you do right now?
Pick a time.
That’s it. That’s all I want you to do. Say, “Okay, tonight before I go to bed, it’s happening,” or “Tomorrow when I wake up, it’s happening.”
You don’t have to do anything super fancy. Just simply open your Bible or Bible app, and begin. You can always add to your quiet time later.
Right now, the goal is simple: just start.
And watch how your life will start to change.
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