31. Finding Time For a Quiet Time
Episode 31
Just because we are older, it doesn't mean it is any easier now to spend time in God's Word. Busyness and demands make it just as difficult now. But the Bible is mandatory in order for us to maintain a vital spiritual life our whole lives! Want some ideas to figure out how to make it happen? Come listen!
Show Notes
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16 (NASB, emphasis mine)
Here’s a reality: I never find time to eat. I make it happen because hunger drives me.
Being with Jesus and in the life-giving truth of the word should develop that same appetite.
Another reality: time is gobbled up. So here’s suggestions for how to FIND time.
We spend time on what matters. If this matters to me I make it happen.
When There’s No Time:
Get up earlier.
Even I hate this suggestion.
But the truth is if my days are too full of STUFF, I must wake up before the needs do.
If I set my alarm 15 minutes earlier than I need to in order to wake up and get out the door, I have 15 minutes to have a quiet time.
I realize this is not the suggestion you are probably looking for. But, it actually works. And it lines up with the Scripture to “seek first the kingdom of God.”
If it sounds impossible, here’s some suggestions for getting started:
Start small. You don’t need to wake up a whole hour before you normally would. Start with 10 minutes. Then increase to 15. Then 20.
Ask the Lord to help you get up earlier. He wants to meet with us so He willingly wakes us up.
Have an accountability partner. (Julie) When I was struggling to wake up before my kids did, a friend and I committed to calling each other at 6:30 every morning to make sure we were awake. It didn’t take very long until we no longer need to call. It established the habit.
Use Audio
In very busy seasons I listen to the Word more than read it. My favorite is when both methods are in use. I mentally receive things differently audio than I do visually.
This is easier today than ever, with so many options for inputting the Word through our ears into our hearts.
Suggestions:
YouVersion
This free app offers multiple Bible versions so you can listen to your preference. And did I mention it is FREE? Well, it’s worth saying again.
Dwell
This paid app takes listening to Scripture to a whole new level. You can choose the reader. My favorite is Felix, whose African accent and impassioned reading breathes new life into familiar passages. There is daily suggestions and different plans to choose from.
This isn’t FREE, but if I have one night a year we don’t go out to eat, I can afford it.
You can listen to the same passage in different versions, which is a great aide in understanding. Think of the deep understanding you could gain by listening to the same passage five days in a row, but a different version each time.
When you have a longer period of time, such as a drive or while exercising, listen to a whole book (obviously a short one.) I listened to James several times in a row in the same week as I ran. I heard different things than had stood out while I read. And listening to a whole book at a time revealed a new understanding.
Tag With Activity (Get In The Habit)
To establish a good habit, tie one activity to another. This is a general principle that works well with the Quiet Time habit. Have your Quiet Time at a time you would be sitting down anyway (such as mealtime). Once the habit is formed you’ll have time in the Bible without having to make the decision to do so. The power of habit!
Look up:
James Clear: Atomic Habits
Habit stacking
Suggestions:
Meal time: when you sit down for breakfast or lunch, have your Bible and journal next to you. It is greatly preferable to have a drip or spaghetti sauce or drop or salad dressing on a well-read Bible, than to have a pristine Bible that’s not read.
Before TV: make it a rule that before you can turn on a show, you must have spent 15 minutes in the Word. I realize this take a lot of self discipline to abide by this rule, but if we can spend three hours binge watching The Crown, certainly 15 minutes first spent in the Word is totally reasonable.
Before Bed: Full disclosure: I’d sleep through my Quiet Time if I tried to do it in bed. But many people find this perfect so they can sleep with the Word filtering through their mind. Spending the last 15 quiet minutes of your day with Jesus is a great way to end the day.
In the Car: Disclaimer: Audio Only!(Just in case that is not TOTALLY obvious.) If you have a 20-30 minute commute you could pop the Dwell or YouVersion app on and listen on your way to work.
FOR ME: WITH COFFEE. Now coffee doesn’t taste as good in the morning without my Bible beside me.
Too Busy For Jesus?
I must beware a false sense of a meaningful life just because I’m busy. We’re all busy. In our world of convenience and automation we’re still careening through our days. Too much to do. Too little time.
THAT’S WHY making time with Jesus and His Truth a priority is more important than ever. So many things compete with it. Isn’t our Enemy clever?
Think about it— every time we choose Jesus over the world’s call, we spit in the Enemy’s eye.
I’ve never needed Jesus more.
My mind has never needed truth more.
My heart has never needed protection more.
My soul has never needed comfort more.
And the place I find it? Every morning, sitting on my sofa, coffee in hand, and Bible open. Because if I don’t have time for Jesus, I will fail at everything else.