3 Ways to Have Life-Changing Quiet Time With God
Last week, I spilled a handful of birdseed on the deck, and I’ve been watching cardinals and house sparrows clean it up for days. The scene is a daily reminder of one of Jesus’ parables, and I’ve been pondering it daily during my morning quiet time with God.
Here are Jesus’ words:
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:3-8, NIV).
I want my heart to be good soil where God’s Word can grow and multiply.
Sadly, I’m often so distracted that the shallow soil of my heart is much like the weathered boards of our deck. Just as the birds carry away my birdseed, God’s Word doesn’t sink in because I’m too distracted. My time with God lacks the focus I crave.
Tips for Your Quiet Time With God
Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you want to spend quiet time with God but struggle to stick with it.
Let’s look at three ways to make the most of our quiet time with God.
1. Aim to encounter God.
For many of us, a large part of the problem when it comes to our time with God is that we rush through it. It’s one more item on the day’s list of takes to accomplish.
I’ve heard writers say that when they sit down to write, they follow this rule: “Write or do nothing.”
In other words, when they sit down for a designated amount of time for writing, they can do one of two things: write or do nothing at all. They don’t allow themselves to get up to fold laundry, scroll through social media, or check the weather. They have two choices: writing or nothing.
In the same way, set apart a time of day in which you have two options: Interact with God or do nothing.
Don’t scroll through a social media feed. Refrain from working on your grocery list or clipping coupons. Don’t cut your time short. Set an amount of time before you sit down and stay there until the time is up.
You can choose how you will interact with God. You might read your Bible, worship in song, talk to him in prayer, practice silence and stillness, or soak in his love.
This kind of time opens your heart and mind to actually receive impressions from the Lord as you let his love wash over you.
2. Don’t let restlessness deter you.
Most of us have experienced an instance (or more) in which our quiet time felt boring (Read about my journey with this struggle here).
We get bored, and we conclude that God doesn’t have anything to say to us. We close our Bibles and move on to the remaining tasks of our days.
I have learned that when I stay through restlessness, breakthroughs often take place on the other side.
I might read a passage I’ve read a dozen times, and I stare at the words feeling disconnected. However, when I sit with the words and pray for them to come alive in my heart, God reveals himself in new ways.
Sometimes, I notice something I’ve never noticed before, and I spend the rest of my time studying the original language, journaling, or reading commentaries on the text.
Other times, I’m nudged to memorize a verse. I write it down and post it where I’ll see it.
Best of all, I often experience deep and life-changing encounters with Christ when I push through restlessness. He leads me to enter into the text, and I experience a healing touch in my soul. He leads me to authentic praise, worship, and communion with him.
3. Improve your quiet time with God by arriving hungry.
A five-course meal is deeply satisfying to a hungry body. However, when we show up at the table after filling ourselves with junk food, we don’t enjoy our meals. This is how it is with time with God.
Fill yourself up with all that this world offers for comfort, and your appetite will dwindle.
Instead, you will be hungry for God when you resist the urge to fill your days with worldly comforts. Resist the urge to find comfort through excessive online shopping, comfort eating, or overindulging in social media or TV.
Also, make it a point to pray for spiritual hunger. This is a prayer God will answer.
Here’s what it might look like to arrive hungry for God:
Open the pages of your Bible with a hunger to hear what God has to say to you every time you open it.
Worship God with a hungry heart, and he will meet with you.
Pour your heart out in prayer, and the Lord will minister to you.
Come hungry, and you will be fed.
Pour your heart out in prayer, and the Lord will minister to you. Come hungry, and you will be fed. #timewithGod #prayer #seekingGod Click To Tweet~~~
I don’t practice devotional time with God perfectly; however, I’ve learned that this time is not about performance.
I still catch myself making lists for the store and browsing online for new shoes for the kids. However, I am learning to keep coming back to the practices I shared today. This time with God is my fuel for the day and food for my soul.
A Free Devotional for Your Quiet Time With God
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