6 Ideas to Freshen Up Your Quiet Time

When you read the words “Quiet Time,” what do you think of? Do you imagine hot coffee steaming, colored highlighters laid out, journal open, gentle music playing, peace and stillness? Is the reality more like nodding off after reading the same passage five times or getting constantly interrupted the minute you sit down? Or perhaps that dreaded “ping” from your smartphone the moment you settle in?

During different seasons of life, many women have told me that the amount of time they have for a Scripture study has fluctuated, and I have found that to be true in my own life. Truthfully, the idea of a formal “quiet time” has intimidated me for years, and in this season especially, I’ve been searching for something new and fresh. The purpose of studying the Bible is to help us grow in our relationship with God; for me, that means taking some of the intimidation out of the process.

So often, my heart and my day feel flustered. I don’t have time to chase that perfect picture I described earlier; I need practical and I bet you do, too. Look for pockets of time when you might otherwise be on your phone or listening to music. See if you can make swaps instead of trying to carve out more time. For me, habits that last tend to fold into practices I’m already doing, so I spend lots of my time listening to Scripture on audio as I walk the dog, fold laundry, or commute to work. The beauty of a lifelong relationship with God is that we aren’t stuck doing the same thing year over year! There is always time to try something new. Here are just a few resources that others have shared which I find encouraging, and I hope can be easily added into your regular routines.
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1. Craft a prayer or set of questions that you bring to each quiet time. Tara-Leigh Cobble has five things she prays before reading Scripture that I love. They are simple, yet so good. She prays:
   • Give me wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
   • Help any knowledge I gain serve to make me love You and others more and not to puff me up.
   • Teach me something new about You that I’ve never seen before.
   • Correct any lies I believe about You or things I misunderstood.
   •  Guide my steps according to Your Word.
2. Consider studying the Bible chronologically (i.e. in the order that the events in Scripture unfolded). The Bible Recap has a podcast episode that corresponds to each day in a one-year chronological reading plan. They are excellent 7-10 minute overviews of the context of each passage, relevant definitions, and an overview of various theological interpretations of trickier passages. The Bible Project also does short overviews of each book of the Bible to put them in context and address how that book fits into the overall narrative of Scripture.
3. Try a word or thematic study. The Gospel Coalition and She Reads Truth have a wealth of topics and plans to choose from – for FREE! Additionally, The Bible Project offers several videos overviewing certain words and themes used in Scripture – a phenomenal way to start a larger study.
4. Spice up your prayer time. If you haven’t read Paul Miller’s A Praying Life, you will find such freedom in this book. It’s practical, gives a great overview of the theology of prayer, and makes praying accessible to everyone. I also love starting my time in the Word with a prayer from Scotty Smith, who blogs for The Gospel Coalition. He bases each day’s prayer on a passage of Scripture and prays through current events. Risen Motherhood also has “kitchen sink prayers” you can download and post above your sink (or anywhere). They make it easy to fill your chore space with prayer.
5. Read the Gospels four times in a year. By following this 90-day plan, you can go through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John four times in a calendar year, complete with helpful videos. Each time you start the plan over, you can focus on a different aspect of the life of Christ. Perhaps the first time is an overview, the second time you read with commentaries, the third focuses on themes, and the fourth is a word study in the Gospels.
6. Lastly, consider joining a Women’s Ministry Bible study (and no, Chris Hamilton did not ask me to say this!). Time studying with women once a week can be an excellent kickstart to your own time in Scripture. I’m always amazed by what others see in a passage, and it gets me excited to jump in later. You can keep reading and studying that passage throughout the week as you dive deeper into questions or cross-references that came up in the study.

​I’d encourage you to pick one or two of these resources and try them out. Which ones sound most interesting to you?

Author

Abby Grimes serves on the Women Ministry Team and in KidzMin. She is married to Peter and works full-time in Higher Education.