Four simple ways to spend time with God in a busy life. Time spent reading God’s word and listening to the insight of the Spirit at work in our hearts is a key ingredient in getting to know God better. A regular Quiet Time is the training ground in which we learn to listen to God with confidence. What do you do on days when you can’t find the time, or don’t have the energy to read your Bible? In this post I’m sharing four simple ways to connect with God in your busy life.
There’s an old Gospel hymn that starts out, “Read your Bible every day.”  Time spent reading God’s word and listening to the insight of the Spirit at work in our hearts is a key ingredient in getting to know God better. A regular Quiet Time is the training ground in which we learn to listen to God with confidence.
But sometimes life doesn’t cooperate.
The baby wakes too early, the kids are sick, the house is a wreck, and a neighbor has a need. The chaos of life swirls in our heads making it seem impossible to find time to be still and listen to God.
Some days are just that way–it’s the free-for-all frustration zone. We all have them.
God knows our schedules, challenges, and motivations better than we do. He doesn’t need our excuses, because He knows and He cares. He knows our hearts.
I’m learning to trust Him with the process of spiritual growth, rather than feeling like it is all dependent on doing all the “right” things. Pray, read my Bible, memorize a verse, obey, keep a good attitude… These are few of the things that make that list in my head.
Grace is letting go of the feeling that we have to earn God’s approval with our religious behavior. His love and acceptance isn’t dependent on how well we perform the Christian life, but this can be a hard mindset to shake. It sneaks in the back door of my thoughts on those days I feel distant and disconnected with my Father.
If you would be more regular with your Quiet Time, if you had more faith when you pray… These are thoughts that lurk in the corners of my mind–out of sight, but easily heard. Have you had these thoughts?
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#devotions #timewithGod”]4 ways to make time with God in a busy life.[/tweetthis]
4 Ways to Make Time with God in a Busy Life
When struggle to make a daily time with God, consider these practical tips for connecting with God in the midst of a busy day.
Get more out of your time with God by trying a few simple tips for engaging with God in the practicalities of your day.
1. Reach for consistency, but walk in grace in your time with God.
Something is better than nothing. I try to at least read a short verse or devotion on a regular basis. Some days I have time and enjoy it. Other days it is more like grabbing a coffee at the drive-through window at Starbucks.
A quick sip and I’m on my way.
Cup in my hand, I sip my coffee as I do other things. One day, I realized that I could do the same thing with my time in God’s word–sip on it as I go about my day.
2. Keep talking to God about what you read in the Bible.
Later in the day, mentally re-visit your Quiet Time conversation with God. Continue the conversation. If you like games, call it the “Can I Remember?” game. What did you talk with God about this morning? What did you read in His Word?
Look for connections linking God’s truth with what is going on in your day. Can you remember the thought, the topic, or part of a verse you read?
One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to bring to our remembrance God’s Word. We can develop spiritual habits to cooperate and actively participate in this process. If you can remember what you were talking about, you can continue the conversation with God wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.
3. Continue the conversation on your busy days.
On those crazy days you don’t have time to sit still to read Scripture, you can find time to continue the conversation from yesterday while you are doing something else. Engage with Him in prayer as you go about your tasks or drive the car during the day.
Continue to reflect on and pray about the last thing you learned. Look for connections between what you recently learned and what’s going on in your life. You could try this while waiting in line, completing a menial task, or taking a walk. You could even share your thoughts with a friend and include them in the conversation.
4. Glance back and pray about what you read yesterday.
Begin each Quiet Time by glancing back at yesterday’s main point God showed you. Begin your prayer with a brief comment from the previous day before asking God to teach you today. Each time we review a truth or insight, we are reinforcing it. Personally, my brain is like a colander with too many holes for information to leak away. I need lots of repetition to hang on to truth.
Here’s a few examples:
Lord, thank’s for reminding me ________.
Lord, I praise you for ________.
Lord, help me to ________.
Try one of these easy ways to get more out of your time with God. Let me know how it works!
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#devotions”]When it comes to a regular Quiet Time, we reach for consistency, but we walk in grace. [/tweetthis]
How do you connect with God when your life is busy? Leave a comment and continue the conversation.
Get the Free Deeper Life Spiritual Growth Pack
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So glad you're here. I help busy women—gals like you— build healthy habits for living well with biblical wisdom and practical steps to deepen your faith, increase your hope, and thrive in your purpose.
Right next to you at Holley’s link up. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I know what you mean about feeling like you should be doing more and then realizing there’s grace covering us. So grateful for that.
Blessings Janene. Thanks so much for sharing a kind word today!
Oh my goodness…so many times I think of myself like a colander leaking! I need Him every minute of every day. I loved this line, “We reach for consistency, but we walk in grace.” Ahhhhh…yes! So in sync with you on your post Ginger. Looking at today and (yesterday) for moments to be grateful for and for God’s grace upon grace.
Well, from one leaky colander to another, I’m so grateful that I am not alone! Thanks for stopping by today. Your guest post this week is awesome!
“We reach for consistency, but we walk in grace.” Such a relief, Ginger. Like handing Him our day, chaos and all. I love your thoughts on continuing the conversation – so good! Have a blessed week!
Thank you. I love the way you put this, “like handing Him our day, chaos and all.” I appreciate this visit! How I love the wonderful things you share on your blog!
yes. I am touched by the picture of your Bible with highlighting…it feels like an intimate thing to share, like reading a page of your diary or a love letter. But how good that the love letter is for all of us. And how good to be reminded of His continual nearness. It is all about His presence. And grace…always more grace…even as we practice the discipline of pursuit and holiness.
Thank you for this, my friend. How honored I am with your comments. They take me deeper into this nearness that is sometimes a struggle. I love getting a glimpse of what touches the heart.
I really love this, Ginger, and need this reminder . . . “Reach for consistency, but we walk in grace.” Always grace!
Much love.
xoxo
Yes, yes, and yes. So excited for you, my friend!
HI Ginger, I’m so happy to meet you. I love, love, love my time in the Word and am fairly consistent. But sometimes other things do crowd in so I loved all these great tips and reminders to stay connected to Him throughout my day. Love it! Blessings, Amy
Welcome to Ginger’s Corner, Amy. I’m so glad you came for a visit. I hope these tips help you stay connected with God through out your day. They have helped me:)
Thanks, Ginger! Some great, practical tips, along with a hefty dose of encouragement. Thankful for grace… always 🙂
Oh my goodness I love your idea! We too often think if we don’t have lots of time to devote to it, why bother. There is so much to learn if we stay present with God and hear what He is telling us!
I love the way you worded this–staying present with God. I’m so glad this resonated with you. Blessings, Sarah!
Great reminder to keep it consistent. Love the way you teach how to bring him into our day. A slow easy sip of the refreshing goodness of the Lord. Coming to you from Weekend Brew
Thanks for making this blog a part of your weekend. I’m glad you stopped by!
Thank you for sharing such a useful information.
I’m so glad this is helpful for you! Thank you for joining the conversation on making time for God Blessings to you as you pursue a deeper life with God.