How do I spend quiet time with God?

Day 6 – Challenge Update

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The time for the challenge is quickly coming to an end – just one day left. It has been a learning experience for me.

What about you?

This morning, I was able to spend just over an hour in quiet – praying, reading my Bible and commentaries on what I read, taking notes, and journaling my thoughts about the reading and journaling another prayer to God. During Day 6, I logged 12 minutes on Facebook.

As I’ve mentioned in some of my other challenge updates, I have been able to spend less time on Facebook, but when I look at the log on the Screen Time setting of my iPhone, I notice that I’m still using the phone a lot throughout the day, even as I manage to stay off Facebook. For instance, on Day 6, I logged over an hour on my Fitbit app with almost 30 minutes of that time happening before 7 a.m.

What in the world was I doing on Fitbit for nearly an hour in one day?

I have no idea, but it is clear that I still have a lot of work to do in minimizing smartphone usage throughout my day as a whole. It still consumes a lot of my time.

I’m curious to hear from you. Did you take the challenge? How have you done each day?

On the days you spent less time watching the news or on social media, what changes did you make in you behavior?

On days that you weren’t able to meet the challenge, what happened?

What have you heard God saying to you during the increased time with Him you’ve spent each day?

***To help you get an idea of what a quiet time could be like, I asked a variety of people to share what they do to spend time with God. Here’s what Tiffany had to say –

For my quiet time, I have to do it in the morning to get my mind right for the day. I like to do studies that make me think and I love to discuss things with other believers. I say a little prayer to get started and I try to give myself enough time to pray afterwards and to sit quietly even if it is just for a couple of minutes.  If I don’t get up before my kids, I won’t get it done. I have also found that on days when I skip my quiet time, I have a harder time doing the things that I know I should do like staying calm when things go crazy. I am 38, a teacher, married with 2 kids and a dog.

Day 4 – Challenge Update

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We’re halfway through our 7 day challenge – Spend more time with God each day than we spend looking at the news. My source for information about world events comes primarily from Facebook, so I’ve been trying to limit my time using the app.

I’ve done ok this week; I’ve been able to reduce the amount of time I’ve spent on Facebook each day since I started the challenge this past Monday so that I’ve spent more time in quiet prayer with God and studying the Bible. However, I have seen that, although I’ve reduced my time on Facebook, there are other apps on my phone that still get a lot of my time and attention. So there’s still that to work on.

Day 4 (Thursday), I spent about 45 minutes in quiet time in the morning. Throughout the day, my phone logged me spending about 14 minutes on Facebook.

What about you? How are you doing in our challenge?

***To help you get an idea of what a quiet time could be like, I asked a variety of people to share what they do to spend time with God. Here’s what Casie Luther had to say –

Before the pandemic hit, I would pray before work and would do my bible study/quiet time after work and before bed for about 30 minutes. Since I started working from home in March I have been doing my quiet time in the mornings after my husband leaves for work and before I clock in for work. I spend about 30-45 minutes in my prayer and bible study time. I have been on my knees in prayer more than I ever have in the last 4 months. I am trying to be intentional about what I spend my time doing and what I focus on. I am trying to be intentional on spending more time listen to God and being in the word.

I’m 26 years old, married, no children yet. 2 dogs 😊

Right now I’m working from home but in normal circumstances I work in an office Monday through Friday from 7:30-4.

Day 2 – Challenge Update

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How are you doing with the challenge? Are you able to focus more on God than news or social media?

How have you altered your routine?

Do you feel any changes in your mood? Your attitude?

On Day 2, I got 45 minutes of quiet time in the morning, and my phone tracked 35 minutes on Facebook.

On Monday, Day 1 for me, I was just about too scared to even open the Facebook app because I didn’t want to run up the time, so yesterday, Day 2,I tried to relax a little. There needs to be balance. I need to be informed, but I don’t want to be influenced.

When I got on Facebook, I tried not to scroll or get caught up watching videos. I opened the app, and went straight to do what I wanted to do : check notifications, post something, reply to people’s comments, then close the app and move on.

I took phone into the bathroom with me a time or two 😉 But, overall I tried to keep my hands off of it as much as possible.

I don’t want to obsess over it either way because obsessing over being on Facebook too much is just as bad as being on Facebook too much.

The point is to learn to focus on God, so rather than focus on what I’m not supposed to do, it would be best to focus on what I am supposed to – God.

Looking at God should be the focus instead of not looking at Facebook.

For Day 3, I pray we find our focus is on God more.

***To help you get an idea of what a quiet time could be like, I asked some family, friends and church family to share what they do to spend time with God. Here’s what Meggan had to say:

I try to get up around 5pm then work out from 5:30-6:30 Monday-Friday then I start my devotions.

I have found the easiest thing for me is a daily devotional book with scripture to look up at the end, then I have my prayer time. Right now I’m reading, “New Morning Mercies A Daily Gospel Devotional” by Paul David Tripp.

If the kids haven’t gotten up yet, by then I may do further Bible study or spend a few minutes talking to my hubby if he is at home and not at the fire station.

My husband and I are 34, married 13 years and he is a firefighter. I am a mom of four busy girls (ages 15,8,6,and 2), owner of a salon and also work behind the chair. I find that it really helps to start my day off right with both physical exercise and spiritual devotion time with the Lord.