6 Ways to Have a Good Quiet Time (even when you don’t feel like it)
Growing up in the church, there is a buzz phrase that gets tossed around a lot: quiet time. We are told that we ought to have a quiet time, but there really isn’t much emphasis placed on what a quiet time is or how to have one.
First, let’s start with what quiet time actually is.
A quiet time is the part of your day that is intentionally set aside to spend time with God. Now, that all sounds great, but how do we actually go about having a quiet time? What does this look like in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of this hamster wheel called life?
Well, sis, that’s where this blog comes into play!
I’ve had a daily quiet time since my freshman year in college, which was when I really started walking with the Lord. I’ve had ten years now to find a rhythm with my quiet time and, while I’m no expert, I have six tried and true ways that have helped me to have a quiet time — even on the days when I don’t feel like it.
Ready? Let’s roll.
1. Start Small
First things first, walking with the Lord is a marathon and not a sprint. Habits are hard to break and they’re hard to build. It’s the same way with relationships and that’s really what the Christian faith is: a relationship with our Savior and our Maker.
A full quiet time is likely going to consist of Bible reading, prayer, and journaling. To incorporate all three of these can feel very daunting at first. That’s why the best way to build the daily habit of having a quiet time is to start small.
Start out by setting aside 5–10 minutes each day that you can consistently show up and have your quiet time. Say hello to the Lord through prayer, hear from Him by reading a few passages of scripture (maybe go chapter by chapter through a book of the Bible), and then journal out your thoughts, questions, convictions, etc…
By breaking your quiet time down into a short (yet intentional) time, you are showing yourself that this is actually a habit that you can keep.
2. Stay Consistent
There are seven days in each week and they have a way of crashing into each other and before we know it, a week has gone by — for better or for worse. If you start small and get really intentional about setting aside the same time each and every day, this will help lock in the habit of having a daily quiet time.
Personally, I like to have my quiet time first thing when I wake up. Others like to have it right before bed or even during lunch. It doesn’t matter what time you choose, it only matters that you are consistent.
Life ebbs and flows and it’s only natural that your quiet time is going to do the same. Some days you might be able to sit with the Lord for an hour whereas other days you might only be able to spare a few minutes. I want to encourage you to show up for those few minutes the same way you would for the hour. God is worth it.
If you show up consistently at the same time every single day, pretty soon you’ll realize that if you do miss your quiet time for whatever reason, you really feel it in your spirit.
3. Worship
There are some days that sitting in the still and quiet is just not what we want to do. For whatever reason, our thoughts are flying every which way, and sitting and reading the Bible or even praying is going to be a difficult feat from a focus standpoint.
On days where my focus is all over the place, I’ve found that putting on a worship playlist and dancing around in worship helps to get some of my stir-crazy energy out of the way in order to make space for the quiet and stillness.
Even if your focus isn’t fully there, at least you are still moving your spirit and your soul to worship the King. Sometimes we just need a good worship session and, while it may not be quiet, it is still time spent with the Lord and that is time well spent.
4. Journal
On the opposite end of the inability to focus, some days we just feel sluggish and don’t want to take up space and energy to sit with the Lord. It’s on these days that it’s good to remember that we worship a God who sees and hears us. He is more than willing to sit in the quiet with us on the days that we need it.
I like to open my journal first on the days when I don’t feel like spending time with the Lord and just start writing. The act of meeting the pen to the paper feels like I’m dusting off cobwebs that have crept in around my heart and getting the thoughts out onto paper helps me to find center again.
There is usually a fear, regret, anger, or some other deep emotion that I’m holding onto that is keeping me from worshiping the Lord and once it is out on the paper, I find that I am ready to listen to what God has to say about it.
5. Remember Your Why
At the end of the day, Christianity is a relationship between you and Jesus. Relationships need quality time spent together in order to thrive.
The “why” behind having a quiet time is to get to know this God who created the universe and everything in it, came down in the form of a man to do life with us on earth and then willingly gave His life on the cross on our behalf.
This God is worth getting to know and He literally died and rose from the dead in order to have a relationship with you.
Sometimes having a solid reminder of the gospel and who God is helps us to get back into the zone and have a good quiet time.
This is another reason why having a journal is great — I love to flip through the pages and be reminded of prayers that God has answered and times that He has remained faithful throughout my life.
6. Get an Accountability Partner
When God made the earth, He said that everything He created was good, except for one thing: it is not good for man to be alone. Whether you have a partner through marriage or just a really strong friendship, we are not meant to be alone.
Having an accountability partner who is willing and able to ask you hard questions and keep you accountable is invaluable. Find a friend who will ask you, “how is your quiet time going?” And be that friend for them, too. It is so important to remember that we are not alone in this journey. Also, the sheer fact that you know someone is going to ask about it will help to encourage you to keep up the habit of having a quiet time each and every day.
So, there you have it! Six ways to have a good quiet time — even when you don’t feel like it. I hope these tips help you to have a daily quiet time with the Lord. I also put together a 21-Day Journal & Pray Challenge which includes daily scripture readings, prayers, and journal prompts. Using this challenge is a great way to get started with having a daily quiet time. You can join the challenge here.
Love you, friend!
