I was sitting around the table with a group of moms after giving a talk about making the most of our time. We were talking about how hard it is to make time for ourselves and time to sit and read the Bible. I shared my struggle to. I shared my solution that I started having my youngest down to watch a t.v. show after the older ones went to school. Then I would sit at the table and do Bible study. Another mom shared that she had kept trying to get quiet time and for her the solution was finding a devotional that would fit her kids too. Then she would sit and spend time with God and them.
This was the perfect example of how we aren’t cookie cutter people. A reason why one on one coaching is so perfect. Making time to sit and read the Bible is something I have worked with clients on. There is no one perfect solution. The key is to take some ideas and figure out the best way to make time for relationship with the Lord. This is my 3rd post in a series on time hacks for getting the things done that we really want. Check my other posts on learning and adding sparkle to your marriage.
Today, I am sharing hacks for spending meaningful quiet time. I know different people are energized by other kinds of quiet time, but today I am specifically tackling spending time with the Lord. It is easy to let guilt creep in or the desire to find just the perfect chunk of quiet before we sit and read the Bible. But the Lord really just desires time with us. And that’s what we need too. Here are ways to get that time with Him in the midst of a busy schedule.
1)Just Do It!
Do you ever feel guilt or shame about not spending time with God? It’s easy to spend more time feeling bad about it. Instead the instant you think of it, do it. The Lord desires time with us. His love for us is great.
2)Use What You Have
I don’t know what your phase of life is. Maybe you are awakened and needed right away in the day by the big people or little people you take care of. This can make it hard to find a time to sit and read the Bible. Instead of fighting this, work with it. Bring those little ones into bed with you and read a devotional. I have a friend that keeps her morning devotional book in the bathroom. She reads it in the bathroom just as her day is beginning.
Car Time Sermons:
I have lots of time in the car. You may too. I listen to podcasts in the car and when I run. Some of the podcasts I listen to are sermons (Willow Creek Community Church, Timothy Keller Sermons, Lower Manhattan Community Church,…) and other podcasts (That Sounds Fun) for thinking about how I live my life for God.
Pray In the Unexpected Places:
I wake up often during the night. I also wake up before my alarm. Sometimes I spend this time in prayer before I get out of bed. I either pray using the A.C.T.S. framework, Spending time praying Adoring God, Confessing My Sin, Thanking God, and Supplicating God (asking for help), or I use the prayer book, Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Spiritual Growth. It has paraphrased scripture and prompts for how to pray. Using the book helps my ever wandering mind to stay on track. A friend shared with me that she has found it so good to pray for others while out and about in the car. I have definitely used the car to cry out to the Lord and share my heart with him.
Family Devotional Time:
Read a devotional or sit and read the Bible passage with your family at breakfast or another mealtime. Or have a contest together of memorizing scripture.
Can’t Miss the Verse:
Write scripture that is meaningful, for where you are at, on your bathroom mirror, so you can see it every morning. Listen to a devotional or scripture reading on your phone while you get ready in the morning. Bible Gateway is one of my favorite apps and websites for reading or listening to scripture.
Praise and Worship with the Radio:
Let’s face it radio and music at home and out and about can provide rich worship. Turn up the radio and belt it out. Praise the Lord.
Scripture Memorization on the Go:
In high school and during different parts of my adult life I have kept cards with scripture on them in my pocket to read and memorize throughout the day. It’s not only important to sit and read the Bible, but to also memorize it.This has such an impact having scripture infused and made alive moment to moment in my life.
3) Carve Out the Time:
Make the time in your day to be quiet before the Lord. Figure out that time in your day where there is wiggle room. I know many get up a little before the rest of their house to read or pray, take a few moments during your child’s rest time, or late at night when everyone else is in bed. Then stick to a schedule.
4)Partner with Someone Else:
Find someone who is where you are at. Partner with them so that you can hold each other accountable and challenge each other to keep pursuing the Lord. Another option, is to find someone that is a spiritual mentor to you. Meet regularly with them, to hold you accountable and challenge you.
Try out some of these times hacks for making time to sit and read the Bible. It may take some different tries to figure out what fits just right for you. Don’t give up.
