Quiet Time 101

A practical guide for your time with your Creator

In one of my early posts, I talked about the immense privilege we have to commune with the living Creator… the example Christ set for this when He was a man… and some practical tips to get started in this crucial discipline. I didn’t talk a lot about what to do during those times, though, and so I want to get very practical here.

One important point that I made in that first post worth reiterating – your time with God doesn’t have to be limited to just once a day. In fact, I think we benefit from having multiple “touchpoints” where we slow down for a bit and commune with our Creator.

So. Our time with our Lord involves communication just like communication we have with our spouse, child, friends, colleagues. It is two-way, involving both listening and talking. Sometimes it may involve just sitting in our loved one’s presence and thinking how much we enjoy their closeness. But most of it involves more active communication, back and forth. On this all relationships are built.

So let’s start with the listening part because just like in our human relationships, we should always strive to listen first.

Does God talk to us?

He certainly does. He speaks clearly to us via a beautiful piece of literature He wrote that we can take a lifetime to absorb, and in it He provides everything we need to live an abundant life. The Bible is God’s Word to us – the Holy Spirit (aka God) inspired the biblical authors to write the history, poetry, prophecy, letters, and revelation that He wanted to communicate to us.

So in our quest to strengthen our relationship with Him, the Word is the most important step – the step that should inform everything we do or say. But the Bible can seem like an overwhelming book. It’s long, and parts of it are difficult to understand, especially from our cultural viewpoint.

How to get into God’s Word

If you’re brand new to it, I suggest you begin by taking a few minutes for a big picture overview – here’s a perfect start (you can read or watch).

It’s a book, of course, so the most important step is simply to read it. You can open to the beginning and work your way through the whole thing! But there are also countless Bible reading plans to guide you through the Scripture. I like chronological plans – because although the Bible starts at the world’s beginning in Genesis and ends at the world’s end in Revelation, the Book itself is not entirely chronological. I enjoy plans that have you reading biblical history along with the poetry and prophecies written during that time. Other chronological plans put the books in order of when they were written. Needless to say, you have tons of choices here – this page is very helpful and even offers a “generate your own Bible reading plan” option. Bible Gateway offers another helpful Bible reading plan page.

Many plans are “read the Bible through in a year” – which is great if you want to do that. But there is nothing magical about reading through it in a year, especially if that pace keeps you skimming and not absorbing. Also, we need time to do more than just read, as well - we should also be both studying and memorizing Scripture. This past January I started a plan to read through the Bible in two years – and that’s given me enough margin to spend plenty of time in deeper Bible study, and in memorization. We each need to find that place where we’re not setting ourselves up for failure, but still challenging ourselves.

And regarding those Bible reading plans - I like this reminder from writer Jacob Crouch:

Too many people start getting behind on their reading plans and just throw up their hands and quit. Let me say this clearly: Just because you missed a day in your Bible reading plan doesn’t mean you should stop reading the Bible. The goal of reading the Bible is to hear the words of God and to delight in Him. If you stop reading the Bible because you missed a day, or you’ve gotten behind on the plan, then you’ve missed the point. God’s word is not an end in itself, rather it is a means to knowing and treasuring God. “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!” (Psalm 43:3). God’s word is to lead us to God Himself! So don’t stop coming to God’s word, even when you fall behind.

How to study the Bible

Studying the Word means focusing on a smaller piece of the Bible more deeply. It involves slowing down and considering important questions like – what does this tell me about God? What does it tell me about me? Is there anything I need to change based on this?

There’s plenty of help for this too, because there are even more Bible studies than there are Bible reading plans. First, your church should offer in-depth Bible studies, and you should definitely participate in that. This helps ensure the teaching is of sound doctrine, assuming your church is of sound doctrine!

I like to have my own personal study going too, when time allows. You can choose to study a book or some other section of the Bible, or a topic across the Bible. You can read and study online or buy a study guide (I highly recommend John MacArthur’s books of the Bible study guides – he has one for virtually every book or section of the Bible.)

Another helpful tip on Bible study is to go back and read the scriptures on which your pastor preached this week, noting what was taught about them as you meditate on the passages. If you have a Bible with study notes, read them. If you have questions, most pastors are delighted to engage in discussion about the Word, or seek out a mature believer to help.

How to meditate on the Word

Speaking of meditating – this too should be part of your daily routine. Let me quote author Tim Challies, on what meditation is, and what it is not:

Meditation is pondering the words of the Bible with the goal of better understanding and sharper application. Ideally, meditation leads us to understand the words we have read and to know how God may call us to work them out in our lives. It is one of the ways that we output wisdom after inputting knowledge. Most often we associate meditation with solitude and silence—sitting quietly and alone with an open Bible as we prayerfully ponder the words we are reading. This is not the mantra-repeating or mind-emptying meditation of Eastern religions, but the Scripture-pondering and mind-filling meditation of King David who wrote, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word” (Psalm 119:15-16). The goal is wisdom—wisdom that works itself out in the life of the Christian. Hence, we ponder biblical information—words, verses, chapters—and seek to gain wisdom—understanding, character, action. Meditation is a crucial bridge that spans the Word on the page and the Word written on the heart and acted out through the hands, feet, and lips.

He goes on to add that this is not a goal that can be achieved solely through silent solitude. Some find the meditate on the Word best when they do so pen and notebook in hand, recording their thoughts as it interacts with their hearts. Some accomplish the same with a keyboard (that’s me!). Some meditate best with others, chewing on passages and talking over the beauty and meaning therein.

Challies also wrote this practical help to meditating on Scripture that I think is excellent.

Memorization as meditation

I also find that one of the most effective ways to meditate on Scripture is to memorize Scripture. A great way to get started with this discipline is noting, as you read, study, and meditate on the Word, the passages that speak to you especially strongly. Those are good candidates for memorization!

But, as with reading plans and Bible study guides, there is no shortage of memorization plans. The Navigators organization offers an excellent version that will give you 60 key doctrinal passages to memorize, but there are many more plans, both in print and free online. (And for your kids – find an Awana program for them to join. Awana is a ton of fun and they’ll memorize scripture early and often – as will you as you help them work on their verses.)

My best memorization tip is to read the passage for understanding (and context) first, and keep that meaning in mind as you meditate on the precise wording. Writing out the passage and reading it aloud numerous times a day is helpful, as well as going back to passages already learned and reviewing them on a regular basis.

If you need more encouragement to begin a Bible memory program, read this.

Regularly looking on the face of God

One of the most valuable spiritual disciplines I’ve practiced is mindfully working my way through the names and attributes of God. Spending time daily thinking about a specific aspect of His character has revolutionized my perspective on His greatness.

As with all of the above practices, this one too comes with a wealth of resources. Several classic books will take you through God’s attributes – A.W. Tozer has a two volume set on the subject, and A.W. Pink offers another classic treatment of the subject. The online Blue Letter Bible has a webpage on the subject, as does biblestudytools.com. You could spend the rest of your life working your way through different (good) teachers’ takes on this – and you should. I’ve worked my way through several of these already and my spiritual eyes have been opened time and again.

You can’t have too much Bible

No time in the Word is wasted. Focusing on the Bible, minus other distractions, helps put you in a quiet place where the Holy Spirit will help you see Him more clearly and see how the Word applies to your life. When you are actively seeking God through His Word is when you are most likely to understand the Spirit’s guidance the most clearly. In fact, when you are actively seeking God is likely the only time you will sense the Spirit’s guidance. He does not force His way in when we are too busy to give Him time.

Talking to God

We’ve covered some practical help in learning how to listen to God through His Word. But God wants a full two-way relationship with us, so He also grants us the privilege to speak to Him, and welcomes us into His presence at any time. This of course is what’s called prayer, and it too can be thought of as a daily spiritual “discipline” – we certainly need to set aside time to come to Him in gratitude and praise, as well as bring our petitions for ourselves, our loved ones, and the lost in the world.

I don’t think there’s any way to do this effectively without writing things down. I actually use my online project management software for this! I make tasks for each person or prayer need, then I can work my way through them. Some I pray daily, some I circle around to weekly; sometimes some big need takes precedence and I focus on that during my dedicated prayer time.

But I also think of prayer as more like breathing, or something we do continually throughout each day as the Spirit brings to mind people or events we need to bring to Him. This topic of prayer is woven throughout the Bible, and encourages us to be in regular if not constant communion with Him:

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. — Jeremiah 29:12

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. — Philippians 4:6

Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words… — Romans 8:26

Did you catch that last one? The Spirit Himself prays for us. The Trinity is a mystery to our human minds, but somehow God is both listening to us and interceding for us. It’s mind-boggling.

Practicing gratitude in His presence

And sometimes we’re not explicitly listening or talking. Sometimes, we are just being with Him in awareness of His presence. I find this happens in more natural settings (although it can happen anywhere He is – which is everywhere, after all). As for me, there’s no place I feel closer to God than at the edge of the ocean. The vastness of the sea has always turned my mind to the vastness of the Creator, my own smallness and shortcomings, and my gratitude to Him for reaching out to save me. But just getting outside in the sunlight helps me get to that place where I am thinking about the wondrousness of the God who made everything.

Others find that listening to worship music puts their mind in the right place. It’s certainly true that our senses play a key role in bringing us to those quiet, grateful moments. The beauty of a Rembrandt, the magnificence of Beethoven’s Ninth, the soft fur of a kitten, the sweet taste of a ripe cherry, the aroma of sizzling steak. These are all gifts from the Creator that should turn our minds to Him.

In a way this is similar to when a married couple sits in companionable silence, enjoying each other’s company without directly interacting. The difference is – He is always there, and we can sit in silence and gratitude with Him whenever we choose. This is such an unimaginable honor, when you think about it, isn’t it? I like to turn my mind to this thought before I go to sleep: He is here, and I am His.

The checklist

So – practically speaking, how do we pack all this into our days? As I said here, it’s important to have a schedule and a plan. It’s also helpful to tie these disciplines to another already-established routine, such as mealtimes, exercise time, drive time, etc. So here are five things to work toward incorporating into your daily routine, along with some suggestions as to “how”:

1. Read the Bible

This is a good one for first thing in the morning, but whatever works for you! Audio Bibles are helpful if you’re an auditory learner. For me, I just end up going back and reading it with my eyes to get full comprehension. Know thyself 😊

2. Work on memorizing Scripture

If you write your current passage out and put it next to your computer, might that help? How about letting your family quiz you on the passage at dinner? (BONUS - Everyone will learn it.)

3. Meditate on God’s Word, His attributes, His creation

Can you pair this with a walk outside, or maybe listen to worship music while running errands?

4. Study the Bible

Can you pair this with a lunch break?

5. Dedicated prayer time

Every day without fail!

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If you belong to Him – spend a moment pondering this incredible truth today: The God of all that exists loves you, desires to be with you, and desires you to grow in closeness to Him.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. — James 4:8