Quiet Time Problems (and Solutions!)

It’s no wonder. Between work life, home life, and church life, we are all struggling to find five minutes of breathing room in a day. None of us are surprised when time with the Lord gets put on the back burner, but most of us wish that were different.
First, find pockets of time wherever you can. Are you in the car by yourself at all during the day? Pray then! Do you have laundry to fold each day? Pray while you fluff towels, and hang Scripture above the dryer.
Next, start with 5 minutes. Quiet time doesn’t have to mean a daily dedicated hour; it’s still worth doing even if it’s only a few minutes. Try giving the Lord 5 dedicated minutes. Going into it with a realistic goal will help you exercise your quiet time muscles. It’s OK to start with something shorter as you work to form the habit.
Bible Studies to Help:
Journey devotional magazine equips women to develop a daily walk with God and to serve Him in their homes, churches, and communities. Each daily devotion is just one page in length!
Foundations is a 260-day Bible reading plan for busy believers that includes supplementary devotional content each day.
Breathe by Priscilla Shirer is one of our shortest Bible studies (4 weeks of homework and 5 group sessions) that focuses on Sabbath. If you are weary, worn out, and exhausted, then the concept of Sabbath will change your life.

This issue tied for first place with “I don’t have time” in our recent Quiet Time Survey. (And you thought it was just you!)
Often our relationship with God can be like other friendships. We don’t always have overwhelming feelings of love or excitement—many relationships develop over time and are not based on emotional feelings. Walking together over the long haul, facing the ups and downs, grows these relationships in depth and loyalty. To be honest, there can be a lot of ordinary days in between. Sometimes there are seasons when this is how it is with God.
Or perhaps we compare the connection we have with the Lord to what we observe in others. This can leave us feeling like our experience doesn’t measure up. Or maybe when we pray we feel like we are just speaking words into the air. Different personalities experience the presence of God in different ways—and that is OK!
First, be honest with someone who can help. A lot of women are afraid to say out loud that they aren’t as connected to God as they want to be. Whether it’s talking to your small group leader, someone on staff at your church, or another woman who you know has a thriving relationship with God, start there.
Next, ask God to soften your heart toward Him. Confess that you don’t feel close to Him but want to—He will answer. Remember the ways He has worked in the past and thank Him for it. Sometimes God is working in and around us, and when we stop to be thankful, we see Him more clearly.
Bible Studies to Help:
Discerning the Voice of God or He Speaks to Me by Priscilla Shirer both deal with hearing and understanding the way God speaks.
Open Your Bible by Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams will leave you with a greater appreciation for the Word of God, a deeper understanding of its authority, and a stronger desire to know the Bible inside and out.
Why Do You Believe That? or Living in Truth by Mary Jo Sharp are great studies if you are more of a thinker than a feeler.

Knowing how or what to study can be very intimidating! Even if you have been a Christian for a long time, deciding what to study or knowing how to get started when you open your Bible can be daunting. Plus, there are so many studies out there to choose from. How can you know which is right for you?
If You’re Not Sure How:
Open Your Bible by Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams begins with the very first step (as the title implies). This study will leave you with a greater appreciation for the Word of God and a stronger desire to know the Bible inside and out.
1 Peter by Jen Wilkin is also great because it teaches practical, long-term Bible study skills that can be applied to all Scripture. Jen takes a verse-by-verse approach and encourages women to read through 1 Peter in its entirety each week of study, so it’s a great way to immerse yourself in a book of the Bible.
If You’re Not Sure What:
Start with whatever you want to know more about. Pick a topic, person from the Bible, or area you are struggling with. Interested in Daniel? Start reading through that book of the Bible, or grab a Bible study like Daniel by Beth Moore. If you want to know more about the armor of God, get Priscilla Shirer’s latest Bible study.
Maybe you want to grow in a specific area. Need to tame your tongue? Conversation Peace by Mary Kassian. Struggling with anxiety? Breaking Free by Beth Moore. Missing purpose in motherhood? Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman.
As simple as it sounds, often what we should study next is whatever we feel most interested in! The Lord often puts things on our hearts for a reason.
A Note on Choosing Bible Studies: The most important thing when selecting a Bible study is to be sure it is theologically sound. Ask yourself a simple question, Does this line up with Scripture? At Lifeway Women, we take pride in providing trustworthy content. Everyone on the editorial publishing team has a seminary degree, and we run each study through several theological checks before printing in order to ensure accuracy as much as humanly possible. There are lots of good Bible study publishers out there besides Lifeway—just be informed when it comes to your next selection!

Quiet times can look different for every person (some of them aren’t even quiet!). Maybe you like journaling, maybe you don’t. Maybe you use an app or an online Bible study. Maybe you use a guided reading plan. Maybe you work through a prayer list. Maybe your prayers are spontaneous and in the moment. No matter what your personal quiet time looks like, only two things are required:
1. Time in God’s Word.
2. Time in prayer.
Bible Studies to Help:
The Battle Plan for Prayer by the Kendrick brothers equips you to develop a prayer strategy and be specific and strategic in prayer. You’ll learn what prayer is and is not, why God wants us to pray, specific areas of prayer, specific strategies for prayer, and more.
Open Your Bible by Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams encourages you to do just that. This study will leave you with a greater appreciation for the Word of God, a deeper understanding of its authority, and a stronger desire to know the Bible inside and out.
Journey devotional magazine is a great place to start if you have never done a quiet time before. It equips women to develop a daily walk with God and to serve Him in their homes, churches, and communities. Each daily devotion is just one page in length!

Like quiet time in general, prayer can look different for every person. Prayers can be out loud, silent, ongoing, spontaneous, written down, and so on. You can pray Scripture; you can take the ACTS approach (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication); you can sing to the Lord; you can sit quietly and wait for Him to speak. Simply put, prayer is conversation with God. Isn’t it incredible that we have this kind of direct access?

Bible Studies to Help:
Living Free by Beth Moore teaches you how to pray Scripture.
Redeemed by Angela Thomas-Pharr includes a 40 days of prayer component. (See below on our upcoming 40 days of prayer plan.)
The Battle Plan for Prayer by the Kendrick brothers equips you to develop a prayer strategy and be specific and strategic in prayer. You’ll learn what prayer is and is not, why God wants us to pray, specific areas of prayer, specific strategies for prayer, and more.
Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer will help if you feel like God doesn’t hear you when you pray. This study helps you hear and understand God’s voice.

Sometimes we’ve heard the same stories so many times they can start to feel routine instead of the living and active Word of God. Or maybe the complexity of God’s Word feels overwhelming, and you aren’t sure how to get anything out of it. Or maybe it feels like an old, outdated book.
The amazing thing about the Word of God is that unlike any other book, no matter how many times we read the same passage, God can show us something new and teach us something different. That’s part of what His Word being living and active is all about (Hebrews 4:12). It’s as true for us today as it was 2,000 years ago.
Bible Studies to Help:
Seamless by Angie Smith is great if the Bible feels stagnant. This refresh of the Old and New Testaments will leave you with an ah-ha moment or two.
Open Your Bible by Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams show you that God’s Word is for you and for now. This study will leave you with a greater appreciation for the Word of God, a deeper understanding of its authority, and a stronger desire to know the Bible inside and out.
Living Free by Beth Moore teaches you how to pray Scripture. This can be an eye-opening experience as you see how Scripture applies to your current situation.