Simplifying Your Daily Time with God

Scrolling through Instagram, I am almost led to believe that in order to have a meaningful quiet time and grow my faith, I must relax in a cozy chair with a steaming latte and a pack of scented highlighters on my newly decorated back porch. While none of those things negates true growth, they certainly aren’t indicators of it.

The goal of a daily quiet time is to seek God through prayer and Bible study. Without those disciplines in a consistent manner, we would soon be operating out of the flesh and no longer growing a vibrant relationship with God. Prayer is how we talk to God; His Word is how He speaks to us.

For many women, finding uninterrupted hours to sip coffee and highlight Scriptures just isn’t a reality. Depending upon your season of life, you may celebrate if you get five minutes alone in the bathroom. How can you find quiet time to grow your faith?

Let’s look at the life of Jesus. He had three in His inner circle (Mark 5:37, 9:2-3, Matthew 26:36-38)); twelve disciples plus others, including women, who followed Him daily (Luke 8:1-3); and crowds who flocked around Him (Matthew 4:23-25), some looking for an opportunity to accuse him (Luke 19:47), some there for the miracles (John 6:26), and some who hung on His every word (Luke 19:48).

His time was spent teaching, preaching, healing, and traveling from place to place (Matthew 9:35). Yet even the Son of God often withdrew to quiet places to seek His Father. As I skimmed the gospels to find these accounts, I discovered something interesting.

If you have ever done a comparison of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), you know that Mark’s account is the most fast-paced and succinct of the narratives. He often uses words such as “immediately” or “at once” because his account emphasizes the actions of Jesus. Yet Mark’s version of events includes the most references to Jesus’ withdrawing from the crowds to find solitude with the Father.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
Mark 1:35, NIV

“Once again, Jesus went out beside the lake.”
Mark 2:13

“Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.”
Mark 3:7

“After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.”
Mark 6:46

My busy seasons of life don’t exempt me from the need for time at His feet–they require it. My full schedule is the very thing that demands my dependence upon Jesus. I can’t handle life without Him. My heart becomes frustrated, impatient, harsh, unforgiving, bitter, joyless, and lifeless apart from time in the Word and in prayer.

We can’t grow spiritually without time at His feet.

When my heart admits my need for Him, my mind is more open to the possibilities of finding the time and opportunity to seek Him. And when I release my expectations created by filtered images and curated content on social media and instead simply seek to know Him, I find that He will make a way for me to do so. It just requires intentionality.

Rather than waiting for an hour of uninterrupted time, we may need to look for small, quiet moments here and there. Maybe we can find five minutes to pray in the shower or on the way to pick up the kids. Perhaps we can listen to the Bible on audio while we prepare dinner or read a chapter during naptime. For morning people, getting up a few minutes earlier may afford us some quiet time with Jesus. How about having a family Bible study during dinner and studying the Word together?

Finding time for both prayer and Bible reading is essential to growing our faith. And this quiet time with Jesus is not about checking off a Bible reading list or going through outward religious rituals. It’s about growing our understanding of who God is and what pleases Him, responding to what we read and adjusting our lives to the truths of His Word.

Relationship with Jesus is the key.

Following Jesus is more than going to church and constantly feeling guilty because we don’t study the Bible as we should. Following the Lord means we have surrendered our lives to the One who created and called us to bring Him honor and glory in this world. We do that as we seek Him in the daily moments and spaces of life, just as the Son did.

So, let go of the guilt and the expectations. Growing your faith takes time. Maturity doesn’t happen overnight. But the more you seek Him, the more you will know Him. The more you know Him, the more you will love Him and desire to seek Him. And that desire will fuel your ability to find quiet moments alone with Him. You just have to start by admitting your need for Him.

That’s why I created this resource to help you overcome the challenges and take the steps to get started. It includes some simple ways to connect with God and questions to guide your Bible reading. Just click below to sign up for your quiet time guide.

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