What to do when you don’t feel like having quiet time with God
Somewhere along the way, you probably heard that you should spend quiet time with God every day. And when you were younger, you were probably really good at this. But then you grew up, and life got busy, and work happened, and maybe kids happened, and Netflix happened, and you just kind of got exhausted. And now you aren’t really feeling spending quiet time with God.
Does that sound accurate? If you’re one of the lucky few who is always feeling it, you can keep scrolling. This article is not for you. But for most of us, spiritual quiet time is a discipline. It’s a choice. And it’s one that reaps immeasurable benefits as we sit quietly and align our soul to the One who created the world.
So, what do you do when you don’t feel like spending time with God? When you’d rather scroll through Instagram or relax with a show or really do anything but spend the energy it takes to be still and present in God’s presence?
Your emotions don’t control your faith
For some reason, this is such a hard thing to remember. Spiritual discipline is just as important as any other discipline in our lives. If we only ate what we felt like eating and only worked out when we felt like exercising, we wouldn’t be very healthy. In fact, there would probably be a lot of negative outcomes of living this way for any period of time.
Our spiritual quiet time with God is the same level of discipline. It’s a choice to spend time with God in the midst of the rush of our day. And it’s a discipline to choose to spend time with God even when we don’t feel like it — when we’d rather be doing something else.
A relationship requires nurturing
It’s true that quiet time with God doesn’t save you. You can have faith that Jesus is the resurrected Savior, and you can be terrible at spending alone time with the Lord, and you will still make it into heaven.
But heaven isn’t really the only goal here. As Christians, we have an opportunity to align our hearts with the Creator of the universe, and to match the pace of our lives with how He designed us to live. The goal of believing in Jesus isn’t simply eternal life; that’s just icing on the cake. The real treasure is that our life begins the second we align our hearts with Jesus. It’s that level of relationship that requires nurturing.
Most people would agree that marriages that consist of one person pursuing and one person scrolling on their phone mindlessly night after night after night is probably not one of super happiness and intimacy. As Christians, when we choose not to be obedient and nurture our relationship with God, we miss out on the fulfillment of an intimate relationship with the One who created us.
Try mixing up your quiet time
Maybe you aren’t feeling quiet time because you aren’t spending it in a way that speaks to your soul. God designed each of us with talents and gifts — both spiritual and physical. If you have the gift of music, your quiet time may look a lot like sitting alone and worshipping through song.
For some of us, a morning run is beautiful quiet time to talk to God and observe His creation. For others, journaling is what connects our soul to God. Many people recommend sitting quietly outdoors for 30 minutes in the morning to align your mind with the rhythm God created.
Think about the things that stir your soul — the things that make you feel more connected to God. Maybe it’s simply sitting outside and changing your scenery. Whatever it is, try to incorporate that into your alone time with God. Use your spiritual gifts as an act of worship and obedience.
The choice to have quiet time with God is just that — a choice. As our faith matures, it’s important to understand that our emotions and feelings don’t have to control how we spend our relationship with God, just like they don’t control how we eat or work or anything else in our lives. Quiet time is a spiritual discipline, and it’s worth every minute.