How often do you feel like you have lost control of your busy life? I am dealing with that right now and trying to get my priorities straightened back out. The enemy will do his best to keep us from our calling in life but we have to fight back. One way God has been emphasizing for me is to slow down my quiet time with God.
Why Slow Down Your Quiet Time With God?
God is always there, listening, speaking, and moving. If you are having a quiet time with God, why should it matter how fast or slow you take it?
I don’t know how long you’ve been walking with Jesus as a Christian, but the newness wears off fast. When the new wears off, it’s easy to slip into a routine that loses all the powerful relationship parts of our faith.
Don’t think I’m judging, nope, this post comes amidst a time where I’ve done just that. All too often my relationship with God is fizzled down to a checklist of things I “have to do” every day.
- Read my Bible
- Pray
- Give
- Serve
- Be thankful
If you’ve fallen into a similar pattern I suggest a season of slowing down that time with God.
Questions About Faith
Maybe you know there is something missing. Maybe you feel that dryness. Have you been asking questions mentally but been too afraid to voice them to someone? No worries, these are some questions I get regularly from readers about faith.
- How do you give yourself quiet time with God?
- What does the Bible say about quiet time?
- Why is quiet time with God so important?
- How long should your quiet time be?
- Will I ever feel that fire again?
Don’t feel bad for asking questions! We serve a big God and He loves answering our questions!
How To Have a Quiet Time With God
We all go through seasons of Spiritually dryness. We all allow our priorities to get wonky and out of order. It’s hard, but in those times I have to go back to basics.
Maybe you think you already know what a quiet time is and how to have one, but a review always helps me put first things first.
It is easiest to explain by leaving out the word, “A”. Let’s reword this section.
Related Post: 27 Fasting and Prayer Scriptures for Spiritual Breakthrough
Do you feel Spiritually dry, like you are running on empty in your soul? Slow down your quiet time with God to find rest. Share on XHow To Have Quiet Time With God
Don’t think of it as “a quiet time”, but just quiet time.
This time of your day is really, most importantly about making time to spend with God.
Do you set aside time to be quiet with God every day?
This is not a guilt trip kind of question. I want you to examine your calendar and answer this one with God.
Who do you spend time with each day?
- Your spouse
- Children
- Co-workers
- Neighbors
- Housework
- Meal Prep
- Exercise
- Social Media
- TV
- YouTube
- Candy Crush
Be really honest.
Know the Importance of Having a Quiet Time with God
Why is it so easy to justify spending time doing everything else under the sun?
God is invisible. He doesn’t speak audibly often. It is so much easier to prioritize the things we can see and hear and touch and God doesn’t often fit those physical things.
Yet, we know that God is real. We know it! And we know HE is faithful and trustworthy and worthy of our time! We know it!!!!!
The difference between spending time with God daily and not is the difference between peace, Spiritual freshness, growth, and… not those things.
The benefits of quiet time with God are too many to name but include; peace, love, joy, hope, patience, kindness, faithfulness, a godly marriage, etc. The biggest benefit of a quality quiet time for me in this season is that it is teaching my children how to do the same. My biggest priority is to pass on my faith to my children!
Time with God is everything for a thriving Christian life. Time with God means time in the Bible!
Verses About Quiet Time With God
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8 ESV
Of course, there are Bible verses about quiet time with God. Of course. The Bible backs up the importance of time with God in amazing ways.
People ask me where to start reading in the Bible when they feel dry and too busy. There are so many Bible verses about the importance of spending time with God. I would start there! Here is a list of quiet time with God verses from the Open Bible site?
The issue with having a quality quiet time with God is not usually why you read in the Bible, but how you read it. That is especially true if you are trying to raise children to who love time with God. So this is my list of tips for quiet time with God that lasts a lifetime!
Creative Ways to Slow Down Your Quiet Time With God
Quiet time with God ideas or tips for quiet time with God is so important to pass on. My children are watching me. Even if you don’t have children, someone is watching your walk with God and they will imitate it whether you realize it or not.
There are many ways I slow down my quiet time with God – many ways.
- Read slowly
- Think it through (asking questions as I go)
- Write it out
- Pray about it
- Verse or focus on a topic
- Work through ways to respond to it
- Color or Bible Journal
The fact is, sometimes I need all of those things to slow down enough to hear God in the midst of all the chaos of my life! Can you relate?
Why don’t we look at these tips one by one?
Read Slowly
Think slow to get past the “to-do list” mindset of quiet time. It is all too tempting to push myself to read a lot really fast and just get through my quiet time. It’s tempting to read the Bible in a year or join a dozen U Version Bible reading plans just to say we did it.
So to switch this, delete, “quiet time with God devotional” from your list of things to find and think about meditation instead.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.:” Joshua 1:8 NASB
Meditating on Scripture is about reading it slowly and thinking about it through the day.
Related Post: Verse Mapping For Beginners
Think it Through
Thinking through what you read in the Bible is a fresh way. As you read, slowly, ask lots of questions to help you think through what you are reading.
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2 ESV
Ask things like:
- What does this teach about God?
- Does this have a practical application to my life today?
- Are there words I didn’t understand?
Then answer those questions and talk to God while you do.
Write It Out
Writing the Word is a whole movement. There is such a connection between what we physically write and what we remember that people have made a culture about this.
To make writing the Word meaningful to your life, Google Bible verses about issues you are struggling with. Find ones in context and then make this a part of your time with God each day.
Pray About It
If you’ve been around HopeJoyinChrist for a while you may have noticed a theme of prayer. I believe prayer is the single most important tool in a Christian’s tool belt. Prayer lets us talk to God, anytime, anywhere, about anything. It is powerful!
Why not make prayer a part of your quiet time? Not sure how?
Turn the passage you read into a prayer to help you internalize it.
For example, we walked through a series about joy a while back and saw what it meant to rejoice in persecution through Luke 6:22-23. After reading it, thinking about it, and writing it out, why not pray it through?
Father God, help me to remember that I am blessed when people hate me and when they leave me out or insult me. When they scorn my name I am counted like Jesus. Remind me to show joy no matter what. Amen.
Related Post: How To Cling to The Joy of The Lord Every Day
Take Scripture Verse by Verse or Focus On a Topic
Sometimes what I need to do is slow down even more. Often I feel like more is better, but then I read a whole chapter of the Bible and don’t remember any of it. So then I read one verse a day or I go topical and just stay with one until I feel fresh.
Respond To It
The Bible is a living book. When I read it, I imagine Jesus sitting across from me in the living room. We are talking. The Scripture is Him talking. How can I respond to what He says?
- Is there something I should do?
- Maybe there is someone I should call or text?
- Is there a sin I should confess?
- Has he asked me to step out in faith somewhere?
At times the response is a prayer, other times it’s a song of worship, and still other times I get up to do what He asked me. The point is, He is talking and we must respond.
Related Post: 32 Important Bible Verses About Helping Others
Bible Journal
I am so excited that Bible Journaling has recently become Popular! Popularity makes it public, allowing people to share how-to’s and offer tips and encouragement. That means more people in their Bile trying to apply it to their life! Such a win-win!
Bible Journaling is a way to respond but also a way to just slow down. The thing is, it is a big topic so I’m going to give it its own section.
What is Bible Journaling?
To ‘Journal’ is to “ record experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use”.
So Bible Journaling is a way to experience and reflects on the Bible. This is not about a to-do list, but an experience. It is not about religion, but a relationship.
What I love about Bible Journaling is that it forces me to slow down my quiet time.
What does Bible Journaling look like?
This is by far the best part, Bible journaling looks different for everyone.
- I enjoy writing letters to God talking with Him about what I read.
- My oldest little blessing likes colored pencils, bubble letters, and washi tape.
- What is washi tape you ask???? A fun crafty tape that is easy to use to make the artsy stuff pop.
- My youngest little blessing prefers stickers, crayons, or mommy’s colored pens and highlighters.
We each spend time alone with God. Each of us experiences the LORD through the Bible in a unique way. We then reflect on the ideas we learned and respond in our own unique way. It is such a beautiful thing!
Bible Journaling Teaches Discipleship
My goal is to teach my children how to pursue true Discipleship.
It is important to me that they own their own faith rather than depending on mine or my husband’s. One day our children will stand face to face with Jesus. I want them to know Him, to recognize His voice because they have heard it personally through studying their Bibles.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
And You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NASB
Problems with Bible Journaling
If I am very honest, even though Bible journaling is one of the most powerful ways my children connect with God, it is not natural for me. I have many many problems making Bible journaling or creative faith an everyday part of my life.
- I am not artistic.
- My kids are far more creative.
- Bible journaling is expensive
Trust in The Lord with Bible Journaling
Teaching my kids to Bible journal in a more artistic way means I have to learn it myself. I am a complete beginner, but I found a great how-to that is walking me through it step by step from TheHolyMess – check it out here.
Which Tip To Slow Down Your Quiet Time With God Will You Use?
We all flounder into seasons of Spiritual dryness. Mixed-up priorities are the norm in life. It is critical to slow down our quiet time with God to get back to a healthy faith walk! Which of these tips for an intentional quiet time will you try today?
- Read slowly
- Think it through
- Write it out
- Pray about it
- Take Scripture verse by verse or focus on a topic
- Respond to it
- Bible Journal
Are there other ways that have helped you in the past? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
in HIS love,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
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