How I Make Time for God

I’m busy. You’re busy. We’re all busy. It’s like the refrain of a particularly bad and repetitive song.

One thing I hear people asking questions about is how to make time for making meals from scratch, how to make time for exercise, how to make time for reading, or how to make time for reading their Bible and praying— essentially, spending time with God.

I firmly believe that we make time for what matters to us. Sometimes we just have to get creative.

We also have to examine our expectations. Are we comparing our lives with others’? Do we think the way we exercise, cook, or spend time with God has to be the same as the way someone else does those things?

Here I’m giving you permission to do what works for you.

Consider your season. Consider your stage of life. What works best for you and your family right now? Be willing to adapt and change as your needs change.

Maybe right now you can’t carve out twenty or thirty minutes a day to read your Bible and pray. But perhaps you can set aside five or ten. Any time you can commit to is better than nothing! And you will likely reach another stage of life in the future with more flexibility, so don’t despair thinking it will always be like this.

The What

Spending time with God. Quiet time. Devotions. They mostly mean the same things, so I use the terms pretty interchangeably.

There’s no checklist for what exactly you have to include when you spend time with God. It’s like spending time with a friend. You’re not going to say that you only spent time with a friend if you checked the boxes on your activities. You’d say you spent time with a friend if the two of you were in each other’s company and did something together.

Many people read their Bible. Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, anything. I’m a fan of Bible reading plans and devotional books that give you a guide for what to read when because otherwise I just feel lost about what to read. But you can read whatever you’d like! I do recommend making time to read something on a daily basis. It’s our infusion of truth to combat the lies we’ll encounter throughout the day, so it’s kind of like a vitamin or something. :)

Spending time in prayer is also important, but it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It’s just us talking to God. In our heads, on paper, out loud— alone or with other people. We don’t have to use fancy language or try to impress anyone. God already knows what’s in our hearts; choosing to communicate with Him intentionally is a way to strengthen our relationship and keep us focused.

When it comes to prayer specifically, here are some things you can consider:

Praying the Scriptures back to God: thanking Him for who He is when you discover attributes of His character, thanking Him for how He has provided, praising Him for who He is, declaring His promises over your life, asking Him to fulfill His promises.
Praying other people’s prayers laid out in Scripture, like the Lord’s Prayer. You also could find a book of prayers or simply record a prayer you like that someone else wrote. If the words resonate with you, and you turn them back to God, it doesn’t matter that you didn’t come up with them in the first place.
Writing down your prayers. I like doing this because 1) it keeps me more focused, and 2) it allows me to go back and see God’s faithfulness in answering prayers as I check things off.

The Why

We spend time with God to strengthen our relationship with Him. You wouldn’t consider yourself to be friends with someone if you never spend time with them or talk to them, right? It’s not like God’s going to drop you if you neglect to open your Bible for a week, but you’ll probably feel a little more distant if you’re not turning to Him regularly.

I carve out time daily because it makes me a better person. I’m less stressed, less worried, and less irritable. I’m more compassionate, more others-centered, and more positive.

Our Bibles are full of stories and messages from the God who created us, and I feel compelled to get to know Him better and a deep desire to love Him more. I do that through reading my Bible; listening to messages from people who have experienced God and His Word differently, and people who have studied it more than me; through worship music; and through prayer.

The When

I really think it’s important to start our days with an infusion of truth. I know my day goes better when I have time to check in, to remind myself who God is, what He has done, and who I am. It makes me a better friend, coworker, and wife.

We’re also told to “pray continually,” and while I don’t think that means literally praying all day long, I do think of it like keeping the lines of communication open. Maybe that looks like pausing to pray before meals. Or listening to a faith podcast on a midday break. Or keeping a faith-based radio station on in the background to keep the atmosphere one of praise and worship. Or making a practice of offering up small decisions and praises to God throughout the day. I really think it could be a mix of all of these habits, and I am endeavoring to apply them more to my own life.

Ultimately, when you choose to spend time with God is up to you, and it will largely be dictated by your lifestyle and stage of life. But I highly encourage you to make time in the morning, even if it means setting an alarm to get up before the other people in your house just so you can start your day off on the right foot.

I know there are real challenges to this, and I experience them most when traveling. I’ve learned that I have to get up earlier than everyone else if I want uninterrupted time to read my Bible and pray, and it’s not always easy! But I will say that it is always worth it. If you’re in a season where it’s difficult, give yourself some grace. You don’t have to make it a long time, you don’t have to perfectly show up every day like someone is taking attendance, and you don’t even have to have your heart in it all the time. Show up faithfully as best as you can, and let God do the rest.

Practical Tips

Try combining activities, so that you can listen to a Bible reading while getting ready in the morning, driving kids to school, running errands, or going for a walk.
Involve your family. Reading or listening to the Scriptures isn’t something you have to do alone, especially if that’s difficult in this season of life. Find a family-oriented podcast, show, or book, and include your kids!
Consider having a study or reading plan to follow. That makes it easier to commit to a regular practice, and you won’t “waste time” wondering where to start. I don’t really think any time in the Bible or in prayer is ever wasted, but I think we gain more out of our practice when we’re intentional with what we’re reading.
Have a specific place to go, ideally where there are fewer distractions (ahem, social media, text messages, small humans, piles of dirty dishes or laundry) and where you can store your stuff. It creates a more regular routine.
Turn off phone notifications, set your phone in a different room, and/or tell your people you’ll be back in a bit. Do what you can to limit interruptions and distractions.

Favorite Resources

Made For This with Jennie Allen — Jennie is such an encouraging voice, and she’s not afraid to confront her listeners with hard truths and call them to a higher way of living. Her Bible knowledge is so valuable to me! Her podcast episodes are typically on the shorter side (~30 minutes, often less), so I love to listen to them while I get ready in the morning.
The Next Right Thing with Emily P. Freeman — Emily’s voice is so soothing and relaxing! I love listening to her when I’m stressed or rushing, because it automatically makes me feel calmer. She explores what it means to take our next steps, and she applies what she’s learned from her spiritual formation training and personal experiences to lead us with kindness and grace. She also has relatively short episodes (~20 minutes or less), another great pick for getting ready or a quick walk.
That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs — Annie covers a wide variety of topics, and she just finished a whole series on prayer. She brings in a lot of fun and knowledgeable expert guests to cover different topics, and it’s so great to be able to learn from all of them!
The Real Life Podcast with Jeff & Alyssa Bethke — Jeff and Alyssa talk openly about their lives, their faith, and their struggles. I feel like I’m listening to a TED talk or seminar on faith when Jeff speaks, but it’s so informative!
Bible app — to read Scriptures on the go or listen to them out loud. I’ve heard good things about the Dwell app for this, but I just use my basic Bible app, and it works for me!
Jesus Calling, Jesus Today, Jesus Always by Sarah Young — I’ve loved all three of these daily devotions! They’re short, simple, and easily accessible.