My Weekly Quiet Time Rhythm
It’s no surprise that the first thing I’m going to say in this post is that you NEED to be having a quiet time every. single. day.
I mean, we see it all over Christian culture. Women with their artsy Bible and cute mugs. Men in coffee shops with their Bibles on their laps. Pastors urging the congregation to get in the Bible more, to pray more, and to have that daily QT.
And I 1000000% completely and totally agree.
Having a daily quiet time and spending time with God is absolutely vital for us as Christians. In fact, I daresay that nothing is more important (aside from obeying Christ #duh).
Here’s why having a daily QT is so important:
It connects you with God and tunes you into His heart
It steadies you and gives you peace in a world of chaos
It grows you more and more like Christ
It makes you holy (which is our greatest purpose)
It’s a pathway to knowing THE Truth and standing on it
It teaches you how to be the hands and feet of Christ
It’s how the Holy Spirit talks to you because you’re actually slowing down to listen
It prepares you for the challenges you’ll face in the world
It gives you rest — spiritual, emotional, and physical
It revives your heart and soul, fueling you to keep living for God
It reminds you of who God is and who you are in Him
And I could go on for hours, but you get the point.
Literally, the best thing I have ever done, aside from choosing to live for Christ, was to make a daily quiet time my ultimate priority. I cannot express in words how pivotal it has been in my life and how much it has changed me, helped me, and led me closer to Christ.
Seriously, I dare you to try it.
But even as I boast about the wonders of a daily QT, I also recognize that it is tough. It’s tough to find the time. It’s tough to get in the Word. And it’s especially tough when the enemy throws a whole bunch of crap at you to keep you from spending time with God.
Plus, you have so many people all over the internet telling you that you need to be doing #AllTheThings. They say that you need to be studying the Word, praying the Word, praying boldly, praying for yourself, praying for other people, reading the Bible, doing a devotional, being quiet and listening to God, praising God, journaling, and the list goes on and on and on.
And while I completely agree that, yes, you should be doing those things, I also recognize that it can get really overwhelming.
And then you try anyway and feel guilty when you just can’t juggle all of it.
Been there, done that.
I was overwhelmed by the list of things that I “should” be doing, and I wanted to do them but I just didn’t have the time to do so much every day.
So, I made a weekly quiet time rhythm for myself.
Before I tell you what my rhythm is, I must first tell you why I call it a rhythm and not a routine.
A routine is rigid. It isn’t flexible, and if you miss something, you will probably feel guilty, which will spiral you into not having a QT at all. No bueno, amigo.
A rhythm, on the other hand, is a tune. It’s a way of life, a pattern, a bounce-back-able habit. If you get out of tune or miss a day, you just bounce back in. It’s not rigid but flexible. It bends when you need to bend but still gives you a semblance of structure. If you get out of tune with the rhythm, you just get back in tune.
There’s no guilt. There’s no rules. There’s no pressure.
I love this idea.
And I think that this idea is the perfect solution to the Quiet Time Stress that we all tend to feel at times.
I’ve implemented this idea into my own life, and it has helped sooooooooooo much.
Now, let me tell you what my Quiet Time Rhythm is.
MONDAY — STUDY MY BIBLE BY VERSE MAPPING
Basically, I read through a chapter of scripture (currently going through the book of Joshua!), get all of the context, circle connectives, take notes, write questions in the margins, jot down my thoughts, draw doodles, define words, and really dig into what the Bible REALLY says.
I study it like I’m a detective. I investigate it. I get to the bottom of what it says.
If you’re not sure how to do this, I have a free mini-course that walks you through the basics of studying the Bible, AND I have a Bible Study Ecourse that walks you step-by-step how to effectively study the Bible for yourself (I teach you literally EVERYTHING I know!).
TUESDAY — STUDY MY BIBLE BY VERSE MAPPING
I usually can’t study an entire chapter in one sitting, so I break it between two days. On Tuesdays, I just continue where I left off.
WEDNESDAY — STUDY MY BIBLE BY DIGGING INTO OTHER RESOURCES
After I have studied the Bible for myself and come up with my own observations and interpretations, then (and only after I’ve done the hard work myself!) I will look into other resources.
I will:
Check cross-references
Look up the transliteration of words
Read commentaries
Read devotionals
and use whatever other third-party resource I need
Why do I do study my Bible myself before I utilize other resources? Because I believe that your own study of the Word is more effective and it allows you to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to YOU, not to another person.
We never want to replace God’s Word with other people’s words.
In my Bible Study Ecourse, I teach you what all of these resources are, how to use them, and where to find free (and credible) ones.
THURSDAY — CONNECT WITH THE WORD
Since I hate having a time-based Bible study (meaning that I don’t like plans that force me to read something everyday) because they stress me out and make me feel guilty when I miss a day, Thursdays are my days to connect with the Word in whatever way I want.
I will either use this day as a catch-up in case I missed Monday-Wednesday.
Or I will connect with the Word another way:
journaling what I’ve learned over the week
Bible journaling and creating something to solidify what I learned
simply reading my Bible and letting the words soak into my soul
or something else that I feel the Spirit moving me towards
FRIDAY — CONNECT WITH THE WORD
Again, I take this day to just be in God’s presence and connect with Him however I need to.
Mind you, I will do this on Mondays-Wednesdays, too, but I find that I most need it at the end of the week.
SATURDAY — FERVENT PRAYER
To be honest, this one is still a little rocky. I’m learning.
On Saturdays, I take the time to get on my knees in prayer, pray over other people, and declare God’s promises over certain situations.
I go to war.
And I don’t mean that as a figure of speech. I quite literally fight the enemy on my knees, tears and shouts and all.
I really pray.
And it often leaves me drained, as if I had just ran three miles.
If you want to learn more about how to pray fervently, I recommend these resources:
And I also explain a little bit more about it in this post
SUNDAY — CREATE
Honestly, I usually don’t have a quiet time on Sundays just because I typically sleep in or something.
But. If I do, I do something fun with the Word. I will either draw or paint or do something creative.
This keeps the Word alive and active for me, not just words on a page, so I highly recommend doing it if you’re a creative person!
your turn
And that’s that. My weekly Quiet Time Rhythm.
Now, I dare you to make your own. It doesn’t have to look like mine.
Pray about it, and think about what you need and what best fits your schedule.
Set aside time everyday to be in God’s presence, and I recommend setting aside AT LEAST two days per week to really study the Bible (not just read it).
If you need help with this or want a community of women to cheer you on, you’re welcome to join our private tribe of women who are seeking God and building His kingdom.
