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Summary:
Lies we believe about our quiet time keep us from spending that precious time with God. I’m confronting 10 lies from the devil that have kept me from spending time with God.
Podcast Transcript:
Hi friend, I’m Brigette Henry. I’m a Spiritual Formation Coach and I help women develop a deeper relationship with God. Welcome to my podcast, Journey Together, where I explore topics related to spiritual growth and formation. (music fades in) Today, I’m talking about the lies we believe that keep us from having a quality quiet time.
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Introduction
When I first started thinking about this topic, I decided this wasn’t something worth doing a podcast on. I thought there wasn’t enough material. And maybe, it wasn’t important or relatable enough. I figured I’d write a blog post, or maybe just do a Facebook series. But then I realized, these lies keep me from spending time with God. What could be more important than confronting lies from the Enemy that keep me from spending time with God?
I wanted to make sure this topic was going to relevant to other women. So, I asked the Journey Together Facebook Group what lies they believed. And guess what? They mentioned the same lies I was believing. I realized we’re all fighting the same lies from the Enemy. And I think one of the most powerful ways to fight these lies is to call them out. By the way, if you’re not part of that Facebook Group, we would love to have you join us! You can find the link to it in the show notes.
Now, a lot of these lies are tools that turned into rules. They’re guidelines that overstepped their boundaries. So today, I’m sharing 10 lies we believe about our quiet time and the truth we should tell ourselves instead.
Lie #1: You have to have your quiet time first thing in the morning.
This is a lie I’ve struggled with for years. Especially after I had my daughter. Whoever came up with this rule was definitely not a mother! I’m also not a morning person, so this lie has been like kryptonite for my quiet time.
There is something so beautiful and so powerful about spending your first waking moments with God. I don’t want to diminish that. But it’s not always practical. And the worst thing we can do is decide it’s too late in the day and choose not to spend any time in God’s presence and Word at all. Quiet time can happen anytime and anywhere. Nowhere in scripture are we told it has to be first thing in the morning.
Lie #2: It must be at the same time/place everyday.
I used to have this “quiet time corner” in my front room. It was a cozy chair in the corner by my bookshelf. There was a place to put my tea and I could see the hummingbird feeder outside the window. That was where I met God everyday. But then I had my daughter and quiet time became irregular, and I never made it back to that chair.
Again, it’s so beautiful to have that place you go to for your quiet time. Lots of books about establishing a quiet time recommend having it in the same place every day because you get used to that space. Your brain establishes a habit. And your mind automatically rests when you go to that space. But, again, that’s not always practical. I recommend keeping your quiet time things together in a movable bin or bag. That way, if you need to change up locations, you have one less barrier keeping you from your quiet time.
Lie #3: Quiet time has to be a certain amount of time.
I’ve often passed over having a quiet time because I didn’t have at least twenty or thirty minutes for it. But we can glean more in five minutes than we can in none. Although it’s great to be able to spend endless amounts of time in that space, we benefit from the short moments too.
I wouldn’t make this a habit either way. Don’t settle into super short devotional times because if they’re always short, you’re probably not making it a priority. And God should always be a priority. If that’s the case, I recommend looking over your calendar and considering how and when you could fit in more time with God. But on the other hand, sometimes it’s just the season we’re in. So don’t berate yourself for only being able to give a little.
Consider the story of the widow’s offering in Mark 12. Rich men came and gave large bags of offering to the temple. But a widow came in and offered two copper coins. Jesus told his disciples in verses 43-44:
Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had —all she had to live on.
Sometimes, we’re time poor, and that’s okay! Put in everything you have to give, and God will be glorified.
Lie #4: You have to do everything.
Sometimes, I give up on doing my quiet time because I know I won’t have time to do everything. I won’t be able to do my daily Bible reading, catch up on my church Bible study, pray through the prayer requests from church, and journal through my own prayers. So I just don’t have quiet time.
There’s two things I want to specifically address here. First, make sure you’re not committing to too much. It’s easy to say yes to every Bible study and study group that comes up, but sometimes it’s better to say no. We need to be good stewards with our time too. And sometimes that means we have to say no.
Second, you don’t have to do everything every time you sit down for quiet time. If you believe this lie, you probably get really frustrated if you’re interrupted. Or you might rush through things rather than dwelling on what God shows you. If you only have time to pray, then pray. If you only have time to catch up on a Bible study, do that. You can always come back later in the day to do more if you need to. Which brings me to…
Lie #5: You can only have one quiet time a day.
A few months ago, I started scheduling three quiet times a day. I didn’t usually do all of them. I usually sat down for quiet time once or twice. It all depended on what happened throughout the day. I realized that being a toddler mom is super unpredictable, and it was better to over plan. So rather than relying on one moment, I relied on three. And I adjusted as necessary.
It took me so long to try that because I believed that quiet time had to be this one big event everyday. Once I gave myself permission to plan extra quiet times, I started spending time with God daily rather than missing my quiet moments because life didn’t go as planned. So don’t fall for the lie that you can only have one quiet time. You can have a quiet moment with God as often as you’d like.
Lie #6: If you are interrupted, your quiet time is ruined.
I just mentioned being a toddler mom. But even before I was a mom, there were plenty of things that interrupted me, even my own thoughts. One trick I use to help me stay focused is I bring a sticky note with me. I set it near my quiet time space and when I think of something I need to do, I add it to the sticky note. That way, it’s not bouncing around in my brain while I’m trying to focus.
There are some interruptions we can’t simply write on a sticky note, though. Like when your friend calls you on the phone or your daughter gets into your office supplies. Which has definitely never happened in my house. It’s frustrating to be ripped away from intentional time with God, but it is a part of life.
It’s helped me to remember two things: first, God gave me these other things in my life. My friends, my family, my husband, my daughter: they’re all blessings from God. And they don’t mean to get between me and God. Getting up from my quiet time to serve them is actually a way of serving God. I glorify God when I take a deep breath and serve others patiently the way God has asked me to.
But, second, I can have boundaries around my quiet time. That phone call can probably wait. The text messages can be silenced. Even my daughter is okay for a moment as long as no ink has been spilled or no choking hazards are present. It’s okay to say no to interruptions when they aren’t urgent.
Lie #7: You can’t have a time limit or you’re putting God in a box.
I used to put off quiet time until I had hours of free time so I was sure I wouldn’t be interrupted. So I had a quiet time once every few months.
If you have to wake the kids at 7:20am and you get up at 7:00am, set a timer for 7:20am and have your quiet time. Or, set the timer for a few minutes before 7:20am so you have a wrap-up warning. That way you can find a stopping place you can easily come back to later.
Know that you’re not putting God in a box. He can talk to you while you’re cleaning, making dinner, driving to work, or in the middle of the night. There’s no way for you to box Him up and keep Him from talking to you. So do what you can, and don’t worry about the time constraint. Spending a little time with Him is better than none. God understands our responsibilities and limits, and when we make the effort to connect with Him, He meets us where we’re at.
Lie #8: You should feel good after your quiet time.
I might struggle with this one the most. It is ridiculous that we think we should feel good after our quiet time. Sometimes when I’m digging in to God’s Word, He shows me some part of myself that I need to address. Maybe sin I need to confess. I don’t usually walk away from those quiet times feeling good.
But the point of quiet time is not to feel good! The point is to spend intentional time aligning your heart with God’s heart. And sometimes, that means admitting we haven’t been aligning ourselves with Him. We recognize and respond to emotions; we don’t worship them. Feelings are not a good indicator of a good quiet time. How well we mirror Christ after that time together is.
Lie #9: You have to finish the chapter.
This one is a little specific, but it’s a big one for me. Especially if I’m reading a quiet time companion book or if I’m working on a Bible reading plan. I feel like I have to finish a chapter. And sometimes, that means I gloss over or rush through something important God is trying to teach me.
I probably fall for this trap because I’m a bit of a perfectionist. But giving God space to speak is more important than doing everything the “right way”. Let God carry you through your quiet time, even if that means plans change or you leave a chapter unfinished. Keep some of those small sticky notes around to mark where you left off and follow Jesus.
Lie #10: You have to accomplish something.
Especially in the US, we are obsessed with accomplishing something. Like finishing a book or writing a certain amount. Many of the lies I’ve called out today have something to do with accomplishment. We want to achieve the perfect quiet time. Maybe this is because we want to give our best to God. But I know for me, it’s a pride issue.
I want people to see me and think, “I bet that girl has great quiet times. I bet she really gets stuff done.” But usually, I feel like I’m barely holding on to the edge of my seat during my quiet times. They’re all messy and different, and rarely do I feel like I’ve accomplished something. Sometimes I catch myself during my quiet time thinking, “I should know this passage better by now. How can I still be learning such basic things from scripture?”
So here’s two truths you need to hear: One, quiet time is not about accomplishing anything. It’s about aligning your heart with God’s heart. It’s about equipping you for His mission and His calling on your life. It’s about remembering who you are in Christ, and that you are set apart from the world.
And two, we will always be learning. We will never know it all. So don’t feel like a failure because you’re still learning. That doesn’t mean you haven’t done enough. It’s just proof that God’s Word is timeless and bigger than we could ever imagine.
Conclusion
Those are ten of the biggest lies I’ve believed about quiet time. What about you? What other lies have you believed about having quiet time? I would love to hear from you! You can contact me through the link in the show notes or join the conversation in the Journey Together Facebook Group.
If you want to work on the quality of your quiet time and are struggling to keep yourself organized and focused, I’m creating a guide on How to Build A Personalized Quiet Time Journal that will be on sale on my website soon. If you’re interested, subscribe to my weekly email newsletter so you’ll be the first to hear about it.
That’s all I have for today! If this episode was encouraging to you, please share it with others who might be interested. And as always if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email me at the email address in the show notes. Or you can go to brigettehenry.com/contact and contact me there.
I hope you have a blessed week and I’ll see you next week as we continue this Spiritual Formation Journey Together.
Links:
Music by: Morning Garden – Acoustic Chill by Olexy on Pixabay
My website: https://brigettehenry.com
Journey Together FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/journeytogetherchristianwomen
Interested in 1:1 coaching: https://brigettehenry.com/coaching
Subscribe to my weekly email: https://brigettehenry.com/subscribe
Contact me at: brigette@brigettehenry.com
All scripture is CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
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