Do you ever grow bored of doing the same thing over and over again in your quiet time? I’ve definitely been there before and it was starting to affect my walk with Christ. I found myself dreading prayer and my quiet time. But, it wasn’t God’s fault. *I* was the one who was making it a bore because I put limitations on how I spent time with Him. I remember reading out of a particular book in the Bible and I felt stuck because honestly, I was uninterested, but at the same time, I wanted to finish what I started. Then I realized that I was being too structured in my quiet time and that’s when I decided to break out and try something different in order to get that spark back. The following are things I did to find my groove again and things you can try too if your quiet time is going through a dry phase.
1. Pray for Others
When we go to God in prayer it is important that we are not selfish, praying for ourselves only, but we should pray for the needs of others as well. The Bible says in James 5:16 to “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” and that “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” There isn’t a day that goes by that I can’t find someone on my social media feed asking for prayer and I’m sure if you pay attention you will see the same is true for you. Challenge yourself to make a list of the people on your timeline requesting prayer along with their requests and pray over your list in your quiet time. Praying for others may very well be a breakthrough towards your own healing.
2. List the things God has already done for you.
Why is it that the negative things that happen to us seem to stand out the most? In order to refocus, I like to set aside time specifically to reflect on the goodness of God. I do this by meditating on and putting to paper the things God has done for me for the week. I remember a time not long ago when I was lacking financially and I was trying to get my son enrolled in daycare. When I went to write the check, I asked the worker who I should make it out to. She made a call to the director for clarification and after she finished the call she told me the director said not to worry about it (Won’t He do it?!). ‘Till this day, I still have that voided check to remind me how God came through for me in my time of need. It may not seem obvious at first, but once you take the time out to reflect on your week you will realize just how much you have to be grateful for.
3. List the characteristics of God
Particularly the characteristics you can personally attribute to God in your relationship with Him. Write them down or make notes of them on your phone. Then, when you pray you can attribute these characteristics to Him and it will be personal to you. This is crucial because sometimes we just say things we’ve heard others say about Him, but it’s much more personal to you if you’ve experienced these attributes for yourself. Has God healed you from something physically or spiritually? Has He provided finances for you when you were down to your last? Or maybe he protected you from a toxic relationship or an accident that could have been fatal. Praise Him for these things and acknowledge everything He has been to you.
4. Create an Atmosphere of Worship
From time to time I like to incorporate worship music in my alone time with God. I typically use the Pandora app or I’ll use YouTube if I want to listen to a particular song or artist. Music is a huge influencer of our thoughts and actions. So, if we want our day to be filled with actions that please God, we must feed our spirit fuel that will help influence our actions toward that direction. Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” To free your mind of distractions and focus them on God, create an atmosphere that welcomes and pleases Him. This is one strategy you can’t go wrong with!
5. Read for Answers
While sharing my faith with others, I have been presented with tough questions that I wish I could have answered better than I did. Maybe the same has happened to you as well. As Christians, we are to be prepared at all times to bring the gospel to others just as the apostle Paul admonishes Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 4:2. “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.”
So, think of some questions you would like to be able to answer with more clarity if someone were to ask you in the future. If you can’t think of any right away, do a search for common objections to the Bible and the existence of God. Pick an objection you would like to be able to respond to and choose to focus on that during your quiet time. 1 Peter 3:15 says “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Our main goal in finding biblical answers to the objections people may have is to lead them to the saving truth of God’s word, not to “win” the argument. So keep Paul’s words in mind when engaging in these types of conversations with others.
A helpful resource I like to use is www.alwaysbeready.com. “Always Be Ready is a Christian apologetics ministry dedicated to equipping people with well-researched information on issues that seek to undermine or challenge the truth of Christianity as revealed in the Bible.”
So if you are looking for a resource to kickstart your studies this is a very good place to start.
6. Memorize Scripture
This is a powerful strategy to keep God’s word in your heart. If there is something you are struggling with, for instance, depression, lust, patience, etc. find scriptures that speak to those topics. Maybe you just need to word of encouragement to get you through a season in your life or that you can use to uplift others. Whatever reason may be, this is an excellent tip to help with just that. Make an index card or sticky note with the scripture you want to memorize and place it somewhere you will see it every day. You can even use the scripture as your wallpaper on your phone since this is an item you use every day (maybe a little too much!). The scripture I memorized to help me get through my program at school was Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” I made a binder cover out this scripture so that I would see this every time I used it. It truly helped me to ingrain God’s word in my heart and recall His word in my time of need. I highly recommend you do the same!
7. Journal
Put your thoughts on paper. Whatever you are feeling, pour it out on paper. This is a time to be transparent and to let God know everything you are experiencing. Some days I may not open my Bible, but instead, I will journal. There is nothing wrong with this. Your quiet time is about making a connection with God and journaling is an excellent way to record your thoughts and feelings. It’s also nice because you are able to revisit your thoughts later in life and reflect on how far you have come in your relationship with Christ.
Like any other relationship, you have to find ways to keep things interesting. God is by no means a boring God. I mean He created the universe for goodness sake! So get creative and see what you can do differently to make your quiet time more interesting. Allow yourself to be flexible and you will see a dramatic change for the better.