4 Ways to Keep a Regular Quiet Time

Written By Noni Elina Kristiani, Indonesia, originally in Bahasa Indonesia

It was at a Christian retreat where I first learned about quiet time.

An older Christian gave me a devotional book, which taught me how to spend time every day building my relationship with God. Since then, I have tried to have quiet time every day.

I do not always succeed. When I was writing for my school magazine, for example, I did not get enough sleep. I had a hard time waking up early in the morning and would forget my quiet time then. Though I told myself I would do it later that night, I would end up falling asleep without reading my bible. However, God always reminded me of my commitment.

But keeping up my commitment to have regular quiet time is not always easy. Here are a few things I have found helpful in keeping a regular quiet time.

1. Remind yourself of what it’s about

Quiet time is a special time where I get to know God more. I worship Him through praising Him, praying to Him, and reading His word. I can tell Him all my burdens and talk to Him like a best friend.

Through quiet time, God rebukes or strengthens me with His words and gives us the wisdom and strength I need for the day. At one point, I realized that how my entire day goes is determined by how I start it together with God.

When I am tempted to sin, the Holy Spirit reminds me through my Bible reading. When my burdens become too much, I believe in God’s deliverance. The Scripture reminds me that God is always with me.

2. Set aside your best time and set a reminder

We can come to God anytime, but I think we should give God our best. Instead of a short couple minutes between daily activities, I try to spend my quiet time in the morning, before I start my day. What works best for you might be different from what works best for me, but the important thing is that you find the best time to enjoy your relationship with God.

I set an alarm on my phone to help me wake up early in the morning, so I can have quiet time before I start my day. You can also stick a note on your wall, asking yourself, “Have you had your quiet time today?” or reminding yourself, “Let’s start this day with God.”

3. Ask others to support you

One thing that really helps us establish a regular quiet time routine is asking others to remind us and pray for us. When in college, I joined a Christian peer group, and it really helped my spiritual growth. We need a community that helps us grow in God. I would encourage you to become involved in a community of believers, where we can grow together. When one is weak, others are strong.

Are you involved in a community of believers? If not, you can find on at your church, school fellowship, or college.

4. Don’t be discouraged when you fail

Have you tried, but failed, to have regular quiet time? When that happens, I feel like I have disappointed God and that really makes me sad. But then I remember that God showed His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

God does not expect us to be perfect in our love for Him. He will look at our hearts and forgive us when we confess our sins before Him. Our efforts to grow closer to Him make Him happy.

If you ever feel like you don’t deserve to meet God, that is the moment God longs to heal you. Come to Him, spend time with Him, and tell Him what’s on your heart. He longs to talk with you. He listens, and He answers your prayers in His own time and His own wonderful way.