How to Have Quiet Time with God

Do you long to have a dedicated time with God, but no idea where to start? Have you tried to read your Bible and pray, but found yourself more distracted and frustrated than when you started? If so, this article is for you!

Read below for step-by-step instructions for your time with God including how to get rid of distraction.

Before you begin do the following steps:

Prepare by gathering supplies. You will need a Bible whether a hard copy or digital copy and a way to write down your thoughts. I love to hand write in a binder or journal, but you may prefer your phone or computer. It’s completely up to you.

Decide where in the Bible you will begin. If you are new to reading the Bible I recommend starting with John.  If not new to the Bible, but new to this type of focused time start with Romans, Colossians, or Ephesians.

Find a quiet space, preferably alone or with earphones to block noise. I usually have my time at home alone, but I also enjoy being at coffee shops where I use my airpods to cancel the noise or play music in the background.

Determine what time of day is best suited for you and how much time you can give to begin with. I recommend you start with 15 minutes. My preference for time of day is early morning. It’s usually quiet at my house during that time and I don’t have to be anywhere right away. You may prefer mid-morning after the kids have gone to school and chores are started or on your lunch break at work or even at night. Whatever time you choose be sure to block it out and set a reminder on your phone. It is easy for the day to get away from us and that time be pushed aside.

Now that you have your Bible, a way to take notes, a location, time of day, and how much time you will allot, let’s look at a schedule for your time.  I have found without a plan I can somehow find myself on Instagram and 15 minutes gone! Using the schedule I have set up (below) will keep you focused and on track for your 15 – 30 minutes.

Schedule for your 15 minutes of time with God:

In your first 5 minutes you need to get your heart and mind focused on God.

If you have a lot of worries and concerns on your heart start by writing them all down, get them off your heart and out of your mind for a little while. Ask God to take them so you can focus on Him. I also keep my calendar with my to do list nearby. Sometimes when I get quiet my list of to do’s start running through my mind. Instead of letting them distract me I write them down so I don’t think of them again during this time.

If you don’t have a lot of thoughts swirling, you can go straight to spend these 5 minutes thanking God for who He is not necessarily for what He’s done for you. This puts the focus on Him instead of you.

Some examples are He is our Creator, He is holy, He is perfect, He is worthy of praise, He is love, He is the beginning and the end, etc…

You may want to focus on only one of His attributes the entire 5 minutes. It’s completely up to you.

The next 5 – 20 minutes (depending on how much time you are devoting overall) will be your study time.

First, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you, reveal God’s wisdom and understanding, and guide you as you study. Jesus tells us in John 14:26 the Holy Spirit is our teacher.   

Read one or two verses from the book of the Bible you have chosen.

Then choose one of the following study options to apply to the scripture you just read.

(Blue Letter Bible is a great resource for researching original meanings and comparing various translations and versions.  You can visit their website or download their app.)

Study Options

1.  Re-write the passage using your own words. This sounds simple and it is! It is also a great way for us to gain understanding and memorize God’s word. Putting something in your own words forces you to pay attention to all the words to discern the meaning. 

2.  Look up the original meanings of words. Does this change your understanding of this scripture passage?

3.  Compare different translations. Sometimes seeing something written a different way helps you to understand better or see the scripture in a different light. Note similarities and differences. Does it bother you that the text seems different? If so, when you have more time, you may want to look up the original meaning of some of the words.

4.  Look up the author and who he was writing to. Does the historical and cultural context change the meaning of the scripture for you?

5.  Write down the main characters and what they are doing. How does this apply to you?

6.  Draw a picture of what is happening. Even if you are not artistic, this is a great way to help with understanding. You can also focus on one or two words when drawing and use them in your last 5 minutes.

The last 5 minutes you will end in prayer.

Thank Him for His love, His truth, and His blessings.

Ask God what He wants you to know and/or do based on what you just read and learned. 

Pray for others.

Pray for yourself.

I am praying for your time with God and that He will richly bless you as you draw near to Him!

Kim