Time Well Spent: how to have a meaningful quiet time

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Quiet Time

That elusive desire of most moms.

Time to be still, soak up the Word, pray.

Time to repent, renew, reflect.

Time well spent.

Are you wondering why is it so hard to take the time for a daily dose of fellowship with the One who loves us most? Me, too. And I have a few answers (for me).

I’m often too busy.

I’m often too distracted.

I’m often too lazy.

Sometimes, I just don’t know where to begin. But when I am struggling, He is so good to remind me of what I’ve done in the past that has helped me get back into His word and in fellowship with Him. Here are a few ideas that may help you on your way to a more meaningful quiet time as well.

Are you struggling in your quiet time? He is so good to remind me of what I've done in the past that has helped me get back into His word and in fellowship with Him. Here are a few ideas that may help you on your way to a more meaningful quiet time as well.

Remember why you want a quiet time.

Your quiet time is your time of fellowship with the living God! It’s important for one simple reason — love. You love Him, because He first loved you. Communicating with those we love, including our heavenly Father, is imperative to a close relationship. Making time for quiet time can be a challenge for the busy wife and mom. But it’s a must for all of us. And while I don’t believe that this time has to be rife with legalism, I do think it’s important to plan ahead for it — schedule it, pen it on the planner, make it known, do whatever you need to do to make it happen.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. ~Psalm 145:18

Choose a time that will be uninterrupted

For most of us, planning to have quiet time first thing in the morning is best. It’s just a great way to get your day started, and if you’re able to rise before the rest of your family, you’ll have less chance for interruptions and distractions. The bonus is that once you’ve started your days in this manner for awhile, you’ll realize how much better things go. You’ll have something to chew on all day long. You will see Him working in your life. And that just spills over into the lives of the rest of your family.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. ~Psalm 5:3

Gather your study materials in a convenient location

For me, I want my Bible, devotional, a journal, and my favorite pens handy and placed on the table next to my favorite chair. Do what works for you, but be sure you have a way to jot down your thoughts and teachings, and place them where you will have your quiet time. God will teach you something every day. Write it down when he does. Meditate on it throughout the day.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. ~2 Timothy 3:16-17

I love that some of my friends have an actual closet or room they go to for prayer time. I pray in the same spot where I study. Anywhere you are comfortable can be your “prayer closet”. Sometimes, on really bad days, my car is my prayer closet. Really. I have the loudest, fiercest conversations with God while driving down the road.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ~Matthew 6:6

Time well spent

You’re awake early, you’re in your prayer closet, ready with your Bible and journal. What now? How do you begin? I don’t think there is an exactness to this. Some enjoy using some kind of Bible study or devotional. Others just randomly dive into the scripture and begin reading. I do a little of both. I actually begin my day with the She Reads Truth phone app before I even crawl out of bed. I read a devotion for the day, then get up and head to my chair for some time in the Word and prayer. If I’m crunched for time or oversleep, at least I’ve had a quick word

Remember quality over quantity. This isn’t a Bible-reading marathon you’re having. It’s time for conversation with your Father. If you read one verse and it begins speaking to your right away, then stop there and meditate on that for awhile. Perhaps you’ll read an entire chapter or even book! Whatever it takes for you to begin receiving a Word from God — do that. Think about what God is trying to teach you. Is He revealing a sin you need to confess or avoid? Is He giving you a promise or a new tool to use for the day? What Truth is He revealing to you? Whatever it is, write it down.

Pray after your time in the Word

You may have been praying while in the Word. I often do. But I also like to take some time to pray for needs I’ve recorded in my prayer journal. As long as my family is still sleeping, I pray out loud right there in my chair. If they’re up by now, I might go to my room or even hop in the shower. I enjoy praying out loud, but if you prefer praying silently, do that. I get distracted too easily. Just remember that this isn’t a time to be shy. Pour out your heart. Praise Him for what’s He’s just taught you. Thank Him for His many blessings. Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness. Lay your petitions out before Him. Tell Him how you feel. He wants to hear from you!

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. ~Psalm 100

Are you spending quiet time with Jesus every day? Or is it a struggle. It is my prayer that these simple tools will bless you as you seek after Him.

She Reads Truth Bible

I was given this Bible to review for B&H Publishing by FrontGate Media. While I was given the Bible for free, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

While I have your attention and we’re talking about quiet time, I want to share with you about a new Bible I received recently. I mentioned above that I start almost every day with the iPhone app from She Reads Truth. Just recently the She Reads Truth team published a gorgeous Bible, and they sent one to me to review for them. I am in love and quickly added it to my daily quiet time.

Here are the details you want to know about the She Reads Truth Bible, and I’ll also share what I love most about it.

The She Reads Truth Bible features the following:

Nearly 200 devotionals
66 artist-designed key verses
35 full-color timelines
20 full-color maps
11 full-color charts
Reading plans for every book of the Bible
One-year Bible reading plan
Detailed book introductions
Key verse list,
Carefully curated topical index
Smyth-sewn binding
Two colored ribbon markers
Wide margins for journaling and note-taking
Christian Standard translation

To share how much I love this Bible, I have to start with the beauty. The claim of She Reads Truth is that it displays the “beauty, goodness, and truth of Scripture”. That it does. I think my favorite part is the stunning illustrations of Scripture meant to draw the eye to key verses. Don’t mistake it for a “coloring” Bible though. The illustrations are already in full color. If I were a Bible journaling fanatic, I would enjoy the wide margins that leave room for that activity. I like journaling in a journal more, but I have found myself jotting down a few notes and dates in those margins, which is just as meaningful for me.

I also love that this Bible combines the full Bible, reading plans, and devotionals into one book, since I’ve been using all of those activities for a long time. I still like to read my devotional on the app when I first wake up, but since seem to be different, I find my eyes drawn to the ones in the Bible as well.

The homeschool mom in me enjoys that there is a timeline to show where things happen in the history of the Bible. You probably know that the Bible is not ordered chronologically, which can make it confusing to know what happened first. Having a timeline helps clear that up.

I want to talk about the translation for a minute, because I was not familiar with the term “Christian Standard” before receiving my copy of the She Reads Truth Bible. I quickly discovered it is a revision of the Holman Christian Standard, of which I was slightly familiar. I am usually an ESV girl, but I enjoy comparing several translations often. I did do some reading about this one to make sure it’s one I would be comfortable including and was quite impressed with the team who wrote it and painstaking work they did to ensure it is as accurate a Bible translation as possible. You can read about that yourself on the Christian Standard website. There is also a 2-page explanation of the translation, who wrote it, and all kinds of technical information about it in the Bible itself.

The Bible comes in several different styles and colors (mine is a pretty poppy linen, but you’ll find regular hardcovers and leather as well), tucked inside a lovely protective box, perfect for gift-giving (or just keeping your Bible safe from bumped corners).