How to Have a Quiet Time When You Don’t Have Time

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6 steps to feed your soul and how to have a quiet time when life gets in the way and you long for spiritual nourishment but don’t know where to find it.

Are you struggling with how to have a quiet time when you don’t have time?

Me too.

I am in a season of life where I long for spiritual nourishment but have a hard time getting it. I yearn for fellowship with other ladies, but Bible Studies to feed my soul are not always possible with my husband’s work schedule, trying to find childcare, and occasionally sick children. Not to mention it’s just plain hard to get everyone out the door.

I have to remind myself that this is just a season. It won’t last forever. I’ll look back and wonder where my littles went. The days are long but the years are short.

It’s up to me to be spending time reading my Bible, listening to other solid teachings, worshipping the Savior at home, and learning about core doctrines. These coupled with Sunday morning teachings will help me get through those rough days that come. And believe me, I need it every day, but especially on the tough days.

But how in the world do you make time to study and spend time in the Word with all the other responsibilities you have and little ones underfoot? It’s not easy, but you have to maximize the time you do have. Multi-tasking at it’s best.

How to Have a Quiet Time When You Don’t Have Time

Let the kids watch an educational video while you read your Bible. While it might not be ideal, but it serves its purpose. You get time in the Word and your children learn something. We watch LeapFrog DVDs, educational shows that we find on Netflix, and sometimes we change it up and watch Sofia the First, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, or Little Einsteins.

While your folding laundry, instead of turning on the television, listen to a podcast from a Biblically-based pastor or teacher. You can also play the podcast in the background while the kids are playing. They may not understand everything being taught, but God’s Word never returns void. Here are some good ones I recommend: Life Fellowship Church, North Wake Church, Matt Chandler, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and David Platt. There are some great sermons in that mix. You won’t be disappointed.

Listen to worship music during the day. If you don’t want to purchase a bunch of albums on iTunes, you can always listen to Pandora. Our days seem to go much smoother when I play worship in the background rather than having the television playing in the background. We listen to our Seeds Worship CDs, or the following Pandora channels: Enter the Worship Circle, Kari Jobe, Lyndsay Taylor, and Christian Rock.

Let go of social media. So many times, social media becomes an escape or a filler. We have a few minutes so we hop on our phone to check our email, the latest pictures on Instagram, the latest Tweet, or the latest Facebook status.

Then it sucks you in.

The next thing you know, you’ve been on a lot longer than you thought you would be. I know. I’ve been there. I have wasted so many precious minutes of my life checking out what is going on with other people. But it’s not deep meaning stuff. It’s what they ate for dinner, or whose kid took their diaper off and smeared poop all over the place. Seriously, those minutes would have been better spent reading the Word. Even if it was just a few minutes.

Instead of reading the Bible on your phone, pull out the real book. You won’t be tempted to check email or social media, and your children will see you reading your Bible and not think you’re on Facebook or checking email. That right there is huge. I don’t want my children to be confused about my loyalties. When I’m reading my Bible, I want them to know I’m reading my Bible.

Read books that challenge and grow you. Something other than children’s books. Although these children’s books about faith are excellent. While the most important book you should read is your Bible, there is room to supplement your readings.

Books like:

• Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology
• Bruce Ashford’s Theology and Practice of Mission: God, the Church, and the Nations
• David Platt’s Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream and Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live
• Francis Chan’s Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
• New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp {EVERYTHING by Paul Tripp is a must read}
• Doubting Towards Faith by Bobby Conway
• Idols of the Heart and Good News for Weary Women by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

These are just the tip of the iceberg though. There are so many excellent books out there to help you preach the Gospel to yourself daily.

Surround yourself with Scripture. While this should never take the place of digging in and reading the Word, it’s a nice supplement during the day. Especially for those trying moments when the toddler has smeared poop everywhere, painted the bathroom with your new make-up, or you’re just having a bad day. Grab these free printables to decorate your home with Scripture.

This is at least a starting point.

What are some ways you feed your soul when you don’t have the time?

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