As busy moms and women in general, it is hard to find time to ourselves to enjoy a quiet moment with God. Although this may start of as a difficult task, carving out quiet time to read the word, pray and praise God is essential to strengthening your relationship with him. Not only that, it is also a wonderful way to begin and/ or end your day because it is such a great grounding activity.
In order to optimize our quiet time with the Lord it is important that we take key steps and are properly equipped supply wise, each time we come to learn from God.
Quiet Time Supplies
There are a few things that you need while studying the word. It’s similar to being properly prepared for school because after all we are coming to God for life lessons and information for spiritual growth. You don’t want to be ill equipped when God is teaching.
1) Journal
This is essential for having your notes all in one place. You can jot down important and inspirational scriptures that you come across and important lessons that you learn from different stories in the Bible. I recommend having at least two journals. I use one for taking notes and the other as a personal journal where I write prayers and requests and personal spiritual growth goals. Amazon has a ton of cute journals you can choose from or even your local dollar store!
2) Stationary (Pens and Highlighters)
Of course if you are taking notes you’ll need to have something to write with. Use this opportunity to pick a really cute pen to use specifically for your quiet time. (Am I the only one who is more motivated to take notes when I have a cute pen? lol) And the highlighters come in handy for highlighting important passages.
3) Bible and Bible Study Plan
If you have access to a smart phone and App Store then this part is as simple as downloading The Bible App. This app is so amazing because it gives you access to the full text of the Bible in multiple translations and has tons of Bible plans to choose from! There are plans for every stage of life and range of emotion. I definitely recommend using a Bible plan to break God’s word down into more digestible pieces. The Bible can be intimidating to read and having a specific plan to guide you makes it much easier.
I definitely don’t want to leave out the option of getting a physical Bible as well. Again, you can order one from Amazon or pick one up at your local book store. I’ve had a physical Bible the majority of my life and know that there is something about feeling the tangible weight of the word that definitely grounds you. I recommend the NLT or CEB translations of the Bible because they are definitely easier to understand in my opinion. As far as Bible plans, if you’re looking for printable versions there are a ton of free online plans that you can access just by doing a quick Google search.
4) A Christian Book
This is more of a bonus supply item because you don’t need a book to read every time you have quiet time, however I highly recommend incorporating reading a Christian book into your daily routine. It’s definitely a welcomed activity to break the cycle of scrolling through social media for hours. It also aids in renewing your mind and shifting your perspective to a more biblical one. (If you’d like a post on my recommendations for Christian books let me know).
Key Points To Hit During Quiet Time
Spending quiet time in the word can seem like a daunting task but even spending a short portion of your day meditating on the word daily can aid in your spiritual growth. There are three key things that I like to do every time I come before God and read his word and I find that getting into the habit of doing these has helped my time with God not seem so overwhelming. And it is something I look forward to each day.
1) Begin Each Meeting With Prayer
I love making sure I pray during my time with God because it allows me to articulate things that are laying on my heart, directly to him. I start my prayers by giving thanks then go on to asking him to bless the reading of his word and my ability to retain any lesson he has for me. Lastly I make him aware of what’s on my heart. Whether I’m venting , expressing gratitude or just saying hi, I enjoy speaking to him directly. Sometimes I write down my prayers because I like to reference them later or just feel like brain dumping in a letter form to God. You’ll find what works best for you over time.
2) Reading The Bible And Taking Notes
Class is in session. This is where you decide on the Bible plan that you’re going to work through and begin taking notes. Usually, in the Bible App, these plans begin with a devotional portion where the author of the Bible plan will give you information and advice on how to approach certain obstacles in life. (This should always be backed by scripture.) After reading through this portion of the plan you’ll move on to God’s word, the scripture. There will be key passages that go directly with the devotional portion that you can copy down and mediate on.
Eventually, when you feel more comfortable, you can move onto reading the full passages to understand the verse in context . This is where you start to dive into the amazing stories of the Bible and you get a more intimate look into the lives of Biblical figures who have faced the same issues that we face today. As my grandma always says, “There ain’t nothing new under the sun.” Whatever you’re facing, there’s a scripture for that.
In a printable Bible Study or Bible Plan they may begin with a devotional portion but often they get right to the scripture. These studies break down books of the Bible and give detailed explanations of what was going on during that time period and background information of Bible figures. These plans usually answer the questions that often come to mind when you’re reading the scripture.
3) Ending Your Quiet Time With Praise And Worship
This is the part where your quiet time with God gets a lot less quiet and is admittedly my favorite part! I love praising God, especially through music. There is something about gospel music that speaks directly to my spirit and I love hearing it and singing to it. This gets me in a mood to start my day off intentionally and sets the bar for how I need to move throughout my day.
If listening to gospel music isn’t your thing, you can develop a way to praise God in your own way. We were all given special talents and interests that we can use to glorify God in some way. Whether it be singing, writing, drawing, dancing or whatever! You can express your joy and gratitude in your own way.
Well, I hope that you found these tips helpful and that they bless you in approaching your quiet time with God. Let’s all start and/ or end our days intentionally so that we can show up as our best selves for our loved ones and ourselves ❤️.
Winging It 