I have found that it is very difficult to study the Bible and hear from My Creator without intentionally creating space for study and quiet.
I have learned to slow down my body first and then I can slow my soul. But, I have made so many mistakes! I’ve steamrolled over so many situations, loved ones, conversations, and life lessons.
We have to slow down on the outside first and then we can slow down on the inside.
How do I slow down in a world that does not stop?
I have 4 tips for you. 😁
These are all ways that have been effective for me. I hope that you can pick something you can apply this week.
#1 – Create Routines, Habits & Rhythms
- I choose a place and create a routine to follow. That way I can keep making progress and returning to this centering practice even when I don’t “feel like it”.
- Here is a free resource: Life-Giving Routines – Printable Guide
- Little steps make up a good life. Small changes over time change the trajectory of our lives. We are all capable of making small changes.
What can you do right now that would deepen your relationship with God?
How can you take time to intentionally create space for study and quiet?
#2 – Clearly communicate boundaries with those in your home
(and then keep them)
You are teaching your kids how to be obedient and consistent with your actions, not your words. Set time aside for Quiet Time with God. When I had younger kids I had to be very creative and had to strategically put that first. It was tricky but worth it.
Set aside that time and then make the most of it when you get it. Your children do not come first, God does. Give Him the Throne and they will appreciate that in the long run. Even if they do not understand right now.
When do you plan to have a Quiet Time to intentionally be with God?
Who will be in your home & who do you need to set boundaries with?
How can you explain, ahead of time, what you need?
#3 – I allow for change & variety in my week
- My Bible study time looks different throughout the week, and that is okay.
- Even though I create a routine to follow, how much time and energy I have each day changes.
I have a few different ways to study the Bible and connect with God. If the only way that I spent time in the Word was a full 2 hours of deep intellectual study then I would probably skip it most of the time. There are days when I am sleep deprived, cranky, constantly interrupted by kids, or just feeling discouraged.
I want to have realistic options during my Quiet Time. What I do is less important than intentionally spending time with God. I am building a relationship, not checking of tasks on a To-Do List.
What this looks like for me:
- One type of Deep Bible Study that I work on for that season (spring, summer, fall..)
- Word Study
- choose a theme that you want to know about or work on
- Use a bible dictionary or concordance and then find all the verses for that word
- “abide”, “patience”, “wisdom”, “trust”, “names of God”
- Chronological Bibles
- What it is and why that matters.
- Offers a new perspective in areas like the OT prophets and the NT gospels
- using commentaries and doing expository reading
- Daily Reading Plans
- Let it take 2 years. That is okay.
- Keep going when you drop the ball. Just pick back up where you stopped and keep reading.
- Seeing the Old and New Testament side by side is fascinating.
- When it gets boring highlight key pieces of information. (like finding specific phrases)
- Word Study
- A devotional with a topic that I enjoy.
- Quality devotionals are a great a place to start when you are tiered or feeling unmotivated.
- Choose a theme that speaks to you.
- example: Embraced by Lysa TerKeurst or The Weekly Prayer Project
- I use these books as a place to begin my prayer time with God. Sometimes all I do is spend 15 minutes reading, writing, and in prayer. Other times it leads to deeper study, looking up corresponding verses, or making connections to other topics. Both situations are good.
- One easy (minimum) option – for difficult days.
- a Bible-based podcast. (Kelly Grace – Divine Connections)
- listening to a video devotional while I get ready. (Sun Valley Devotionals)
- or simply singing worship music and praying in my car in the cracks of my day (Elevation Worship)
I try not to overcomplicate my Quiet Time. If I have more than 3 options or studies I am working through then the decision fatigue hits me and I waste my time overthinking it. So I make my short list and then just do something.🙂
#4 – Different Resources for Different Seasons
I allow for change in my routine for the busy seasons, family schedules, and holidays. My Quiet Time also changes in different seasons of the year.
Some seasons naturally dictate certain types of activities.
Here is my general rhythm as an example.
[I encourage you to reflect on what works for you in your home.]
- Fall – The sun comes up early and we are in the midst of back to school season.
- This looks like: me getting up before my kids and reading my Bible on the couch or journaling in my office. It also often leads into listing out my To-Do List for the day and then giving it to God, praying for my kids, praying for self-control, reading a devotional, or going for a morning walk with a Bible-based podcast. (Kelly Grace – Divine Connections) I give myself a lot of grace in this season. Life is very full and demanding and God is compassionate and understanding with me.
- Winter – It stays darker longer and I want to celebrate Thanksgiving and Advent with intentional action.
- This looks like: sleeping in longer. I usually do my Quiet Time time at the kitchen table with hot coffee and baked goods. I often find a devotional with the theme of gratefulness, gratitude, the Christmas season, or advent readings. (I really enjoy Emily P. Freeman’s audio devotional.) I also enjoy singing Christmas Hymns with my kids at breakfast. (here is a great resource – Hymns At Home)
- In January, I shift into studying the Names of God, God’s character, or Word studies. It goes along with choosing a word of the year and my goal setting.
- Spring – It is beautiful outside and I am often anxious to go for a morning walk or time to sit on the front porch.
- This looks like: letting my energy level and time guide what I do that morning. I may go for a walk without my phone and just pray aloud, read my Bible and study on the front porch, do some journaling and hold my frustrations with open hands, or listen to a video devotional while I get ready. (Sun Valley Devotionals)
- Usually in-depth study is something I enjoy later in the afternoons after PE class or before I make dinner.
- Summer – It is hot, unbearably hot, and we are stuck inside most of the day. How much time I have alone in the morning depends on the schedule for the day and if I have to drive kids to activities. Summer is full of unpredictable schedules and extra events (like church camps & art classes). But I also have days without plans and relaxed mornings at home.
- This looks like: going with the flow of the day. Each week I plan out when I will do my Quiet Times, get some exercise, and get household chores done. I schedule it in based on what is happening. Usually my Quiet Time is simple and encouraging during this season. I spend large chunks of my summer time writing so lots of journaling does not work in the summer mornings. Often I will enjoy a non-fiction book that points me back to Biblical Truth and to God as a companion to my New Testament daily reading.
- Here are a few of my summer favorites:
How does your Quiet Time change in different seasons?
Where do you live? What is the climate you are in? How does that change your lifestyle?
Is is fall, winter, spring or summer?
What did you do for Bible Study during this season last year?
What I do is less important than intentionally spending time with God. Little steps make up a good life. Small changes over time change the trajectory of our lives. Having a plan in place helps me return to this centering practice even when I don’t “feel like it”. We are all capable of making small changes. I am building a relationship, not checking of tasks on a To-Do List. I have learned to slow down my body first and then I can slow my soul.
I hope my examples and ideas help you in this process. I challenge you to spend some time thinking about what would work for you in each season. Journal and talk with God about how you can meet Him right now in this busy life. He is compassionate and kind. I am confident that you can find a Quiet Time rhythm that can work for you.
📖🍵Happy Study & Quiet Time! – April
Photos by Sixteen Miles Out and others on Unsplash