How I structure my quiet time with God.
How do you spend your quiet time with God?
This is one of the most common questions I get asked by people on a daily basis.
Today I am sharing my personal method for how I structure my quiet time. Keep in mind: this is an ongoing process that is always evolving. When I first began studying the Bible there was absolutely no way my time with God would be this elaborate. I have built up the discipline of being in the Word of God and I’ve built a structure to fit my needs. All that to say: no “method” is a one-size-fits-all method.
Why start off by saying that? Because, what works for me may not work for you. You might need less structure. You might need more structure. What matters, at the core of this, is that we figure out the obstacles standing between us and a regular meeting time with God and we unblock those obstacles.
It might seem quirky but I set up my quiet time like a workout. I thrive when there is structure to a workout and so the same is true when there is structure to my quiet time. I’ll take you through the different “parts” of my quiet time so you can see how I move from moment to moment.
STRETCHING
This is the beginning of the quiet time and, as is recommended before any good workout, it’s good to stretch and prep for what’s ahead. In order to do that, I pull out my notebook and I just journal for a few moments. There’s no rules to this time. It’s just a chance for me to clear my head and get it all out there.
I will write down my worries and my thoughts for that day. I will write down what I think is distracting me or making me distant from God. I will get it all out of my head and onto the paper so I can work with a clean slate and be able to receive whatever God has for me.
People often ask me, what kind of notebook do you use for quiet time? I can promise you this— it’s nothing fancy. Right now, I am using this guy which will make you ache with nostalgia of those high school days. I like that there are 5 sections since there are 5 parts to my quiet time. Like I always say, I’m not fancy. I will opt for structure over fancy any day.
THE WARM-UP
To limber me up and get me ready for the “main workout,” I like to start off with reading a simple devotional. These devotionals always put me in the right headspace and get the wheels turning in my brain. Some days I read one and think to myself, “Wow, that is exactly what I needed!” Other days, I don’t really feel like the content for me BUT it’s a perfect excuse to write down a few lines and send them to someone who I know might need them later in the day. I always say: don’t be so quick to think that just because you read something and it doesn’t fit you for the moment you’re in that the words can’t be used by God. This might mean you are meant to pass on the words of wisdom to someone else.
I jot down any lines that really stick with me in this section of my notebook and sometimes I pray into the devotionals to see if there is anything God wants me to see that I’m missing in the moment. Y’all— I love opening my time with God with these pre-written devotionals because it is w-i-l-d how the devotional content relates to the area I am studying on most days. I truly believe God loves to parallel things.
THE STRENGTH TRAINING
We’ve reached the middle and the main part of my quiet time— the strength training. This is where I get into the Bible and I stay there until I’ve had my fill. Sometimes I am doing a particular Bible Study and other days I am simply reading from the Chronological Reading Plan. Again, it’s not fancy and you can access these resources from anywhere. I use all kinds of Bibles when I am studying but I am linking the main ones below. I like to read from the Chronological Reading Plan because it sets up the reading by the dates of when it was written. It goes in order and it helps you see the story as a longer, sequential narrative. It really helps me see the whole picture of the Bible.
I will often read my portion for the day and spend some time digging into the commentary for the reading. If I don’t understand something then I know that’s an invitation not to skip over it but to dig deeper. It’s always there that God really shows off. I encourage you to press in deeper when you don’t understand because God will meet you there.
I would say this is the largest section of my quiet time with God. I don’t rush through the reading and if I am honestly feeling rushed for time or not feeling it, I will just read 1-2 chapters and then pick up in the same spot the next day. I don’t like to be legalistic with my quiet time. I want to spend time with God and going where he leads me and so I have to be careful not to assign myself all sorts of rules.
THE CARDIO
This is the time where I dialogue with God. It’s the moment where I open to a fresh page and I just listen. I ask questions and I listen for what I hear. I want to preface this by saying that you need to test everything. Just because I hear something doesn’t mean it isn’t possible that it’s my own self talking to myself. So I write everything down but I test everything as well.
this is the prayer journal i love using!
This is an essential part of my quiet time because it gets the blood pumping and it’s also the space where I am able to pray for others. I ask God who he wants me to think about. I ask God: Who do you want me to reach out to? Who do you need me to encourage? How can I make sure I don’t miss what matters most in this day?
I am asked by people a lot how I am able to set goals but still keep God in mind. Simple. I invite him into the goals. I let him tell me what I need to focus on. And believe me, some days the things I want to focus on do not match up with the things God draws out of right field for me to accomplish. But I’ll tell you this: by asking God to help me make the most of my day, I’ve never been steered wrong. Never, ever.
I close this time with prayer. Nothing fancy. I love going through my prayer journal by Val Woerner. It’s how I document all God is up to in my life. Sometimes I sit down at my computer and I type out a letter to God if I feel there is a lot of things I want to check back on in the future. I’ll print out the letter and hang it up in my prayer closet after I close my quiet time.
THE COOL DOWN
I am a reader. At any given time, I am reading three kinds of books: one for pleasure, one for development, and one for spirituality. To close out my quiet time and transition into my workload or whatever is on the list, I will read a chapter in the book I am currently reading on spirituality. Just one chapter. I find that if I can pair a chapter a day with each of my quiet times then I can finish a book across the span of 10-20 days.
I keep notes in my 5-subject notebook and I jot down important quotes I really want to remember.
Current books on spirituality that I am digging into:
