Building Your Quiet Time in the Word
Getting quiet in the word can seem intimidating. It can sometimes seem impossible if you have little ones in the house, work at home, work outside of home, or when you have to much on your to-do list.
Though it may seem impossible, it very much is possible to do.
It isn’t a cliche or even a picture perfect instagram worthy scene. It is a place of you and Him.
Though I will be honest. Some days are not “quiet”. Some days my husband wakes up earlier than I, my kids wake up when my alarm goes off, or sometimes I do wake up a bit later. AND THAT IS OKAY FRIEND. But when this happens, we don’t have to say “okay I don’t have time for the Word since everyone is awake and it isn’t quiet.” Building our quiet time is actually getting your soul quiet. Getting your mind quiet and soaked into the Word and prayer. This is what it truly means. It doesn’t necessarily mean to have no sound no noise no nothing. Though there are times He does tell us to do this, we must also be trained in quieting our minds and souls even in the loudness. This is where spiritual strength falls into place. Spiritual discipline and spiritual discerning.
I struggled with having a quiet time. I thought it needed to be this perfect place as so many I have seen on Pinterest and instagram pointed it as.
My soul was thirsty. It was dry. It was craving for more. It was searching. It was longing. My soul wanted something that would fill me up and I would be satisfied, but I could never find it here in this world.
I would read the bible with distractions surrounding me. It came to the point that I wouldn’t soak in anything I read. It was as if it went in one ear and out the other. Has this ever happened to you? Maybe you have read it only to find yourself trying to read it again and then say “what did I just read I didn’t grasp not one word.”
How can we read and understand what we read when there’s so much going on around us?
Phones ringing. Facebook notifications dinging. Instagram sounds going off. Emails swoosh sound. TV on loud. Tasks and to-do lists pacing through the mind. So much surrounded me.
I was there friend. I prayed asking for a better time with Him. I prayed wanting more of Him and less of me. I prayed wanting His presence more than the sounds and noise of this world.
Then suddenly, I felt a prompting in my Spirit to clear out the clutter where I will be sitting with the Lord in.
I first started in my closet and removed all what I needed too. I placed a chair inside, notepads, pen, highlighter, bible and journal. This helped me to be ready for when I am with the Lord in silence.
The Lord helped me create that space in that season as we lived in an apartment. It was an extra “book” closet or linen closet that was massively huge. Immediately I thought of the movie War Room and began my own prayer closet.
It worked. For that season.
Then the season changed. We added more children, we moved, and it seemed impossible to clear a closet out where we were at. Even to have an empty space… what is empty space anyway with four children, a husband and two dogs?
Then I heard from the Lord. A soft and gentle nudge. A whisper that spoke so gentle and full of love.
It didn’t have to be this perfect spot, this fancy or Pinterest worthy picture place. It was something for me and Him. A sacred place. A place to look forward to each and every day. A place that would be hard to leave because it is so intimate.
Our breakfast table was one place I could sit and hear. I would find myself to wake up each morning around 5:30am to spend time with Him before anyone else in the house woke up. I could take a look outside, see our Hill Valley View (even though I called them mountains, here in Texas in the Big Country there are no mountains but this girl can dream…) in the back, speak to Him and read peacefully.
Heres the truth. It wasn’t always this early. It started off as 15 minutes earlier than everyone else woke up to, then it gradually increased each time. It required discipline and my heart to change. I wanted more of Him and less of me.
Each season will change friend. Not one will ever be the same. It may look familiar, but never the same.
I met Him at our breakfast table for a few months with my coffee in hand and the Bible, pens and other things in the other. Then I felt the Lord telling me to move to another area. I moved to our living room to still look out the window. He always had me near a window. As I mentioned, each season is different never the same, even if they may look the same. (hint hint, my window).
There will be times when we need to change our scene. Our area. And that is okay! Don’t feel you have to stay in the same place for the rest of your life. It is a place to get you started as you begin to grow more into Him.
And sister, please don’t think you have to have this perfect Pinterest area and go out to stores buying all these fancy things that is absolutely unnecessary.
It isn’t about that at all. He cares about our hearts and about our relationship with Him. Meeting Him day to day.
To make it simple I would say this:
- Pray + find your area. Pray and ask the Lord “where should we spend time together each morning that is for me and you?” He will show you.
- Clear the area. Remove all distractions from the area. Anything that will take your eyes off the Lord while you are with him. Phones, to-do lists, calendar, etc.
- Setup your area. Have a chair ready if there isn’t one already, or a big fluffy pillow if you’d like to sit on the floor. Have everything in the area ready to begin the next morning. You can have it in your organizer bag if you use those, you can have it on a nightstand if you choose to use that, be creative.
Now the question I get asked is: “What do I need?” You don’t need a lot like you think. Personally, I used these items: highlighters, a pen, my journaling bible + study bible, a journal to write what He speaks and learned, EarPods for when I hear him speak a song to listen to, and that’s pretty much it. Oh and of course a lamp or a reading light to see. Thats about it. - Start off slow. While some are early birds and can wake up like nothing, some have a hard time getting up. It is okay if you cannot get up super early right away.
I was one of them. I had a baby who nursed, and a toddler who was being potty trained. I was up 4-5 times a night and it was exhausting. But somehow the Lord helped me in those moments and days. He gave me the strength and energy I needed to spend time with Him before the household woke up. He helped me to lean into Him and rely on Him. He helped me get through those hard days and long nights. He helped me come from waking up 15 minutes earlier to an hour and a half earlier. I do my best to go to bed early at night for a full nights rest, to begin my morning with me and Him. And it has been the best decision I made, in saying Yes Lord. - Pray first and Sit in His presence. Always pray before we read the Word asking the Father to reveal himself more to us and invite the Holy Spirit in. Sit in silence in His presence. Never rush friend, soak in his presence.
- Read the Word. When you are ready the Word, use the SOAK method or the method I mentioned in the free resources tab, How to study the Word Cheet Sheet. If you are still learning and wanting to know where is best to begin I suggest starting in the New Testament and read the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Even James is a wonderful one to start!
- Ask Questions. Don’t be afraid to ask the Lord questions. I recommend writing them down because when He answers, it’s so amazing to see His faithfulness on answering.
- Be ready for change. A time will come when you feel and sense Him telling you to change the area, and we must be okay with that. We have grown a lot in that area, and now He wants to show us something more in a new area.
Sitting at the feet of Jesus is the most beautiful thing to do. When you begin this, you won’t want to leave your area. Time will go by so fast but it’ll be something you look forward to each and everyday!
I am here rooting you on dear sister! Hoping and praying that you will sit at the feet of Jesus, get filled with His presence and teachings, and that you grow deep roots down into Him. It is the best place to be in.
And lastly, remember, our “quiet” place can even be with our kids on our lap watching Mickey Mouse, as we soak in the Word of God. Our quiet place is more on our heart and placing Him above our agenda, to-do lists, or any other thing.