what even is a “quiet time” anyway?
i totally get it. reading & studying the Bible can be quite challenging. where to start? how do i even know what’s going on? what should i be looking for? am i doing it right?
all valid questions. though i don’t aim (or think i’ll be able) to ease all of your questions surrounding your reading and studying of God’s Word, i do want to start with a bit of an encouragement in your endeavor.
honestly though, if you’d want me to speak to more specific questions or challenges you face, please let me know in the comments below or in a quick DM on instagram! this is one of my favorite things to talk about, and i’d love to help you as best i can. but let’s start simple.
so often we can get discouraged by thinking that our “quiet time” has to look a certain way:
— time spent reading must at least 30 mins each day
— journaling must be involved
— gotta follow up with another 30 mins of prayer
etc. insert your variation here.
the Christian lingo of “quiet time” isn’t even in the Bible, and there aren’t strict rules of what your time in the Word has to look like. but the Bible does speak a lot about your time in the Word being important, using words like devote, meditate, commit, delight, and remember (acts 2:42; colossians 3:16; psalm 1:2, 63:6, 77:11, 119:11,15; 1 timothy 4:6-16 — honestly, just spend some time in psalm 119 and take note of how serious the psalmist is about this!)
let this simple phrase free you up: Principle over Method
there are various beneficial methods for spending time in Scripture, and yours might (read: will likely) look different than someone else’s:
— morning, evening, or midday
— reading for 10 vs. 30 vs. 60 minutes
— taking time to memorize/meditate on a single verse vs. extensive study
— using a passage to simply guide some prayer time or journaling
etc.
none of these methods are the best or most correct way to go about your time in the Bible. none of them is the specific ticket to be sure that you’re at the top of your holy game. don’t stress as much about the method.
the principle, though? get in the Word. just be in the Word. daily. like, the actual Bible, not just receiving it secondhand by someone else (preacher, devotional, podcast, etc.)
what does that look like for you? in the morning, before heading off to class/work & facing all the noise of the day? in the evening, to calm your mind from the day’s stresses? do you have a couple hours to really dig into a passage, or just a handful of minutes that you can invest in memorizing/meditating on one specific verse in order to plant that truth in your heart/mind? this can and does change from day to day.
whatever time looks like spent in God’s Word today, do that.
God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, will do the work within you. ask Him to help. just be a lover of God & a lover of His Word. Saturate your mind & heart with its truth.
a quick note on methods:
i’ve heard some people say “there’s no wrong way to study the Bible”.
i would very much disagree. there are many ways to wrongly read the Bible (making it more about me getting a good feeling than knowing God, taking things out of context, avoiding the parts that convict me, shall I go on?!) so that’s not what i’m saying here. :)
do i also think it’s good to only ever spent short amounts of time just meditating on a verse or two? no. switch it up! dig in! devoting yourself to and meditating on God’s Word doesn’t look like only taking snack-size pieces. but don’t beat yourself up if the specific method has to look different based on your current circumstance or season of life. principle over method.
if you’re like okay i get it, totally with you & in agreement on this idea, but you still find it tricky to nail down any sort of specific method for your approach to Scripture, in the next week or so i can post some of my personal favorites that are helpful for me!