Devotionals

“I’m Busy. How Can I Make Time for Quiet Time?”

By novia collis · September 29, 2019 · 5 min read

Have you ever felt that 24/7 is not enough time to keep up with everything in your busy life? You have many activities, deadlines, and responsibilities at work. Yet you also have social responsibilities as a husband, wife, child, or parent. On top of that, you are also a follower of Jesus, who needs time for quiet time to build a relationship with God. And as Christians, we are not given more than 24 hours in a day.

Have you ever wondered, “How can I divide my time so that everything can stay balanced? How can I continue to prioritize God and regularly have quiet time without neglecting each of my responsibilities?”

Let us find the answer in the following article.

Quiet Time: Set Aside Special Time for God

Yet the news about Jesus spread all the more, and crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But He would withdraw to lonely places and pray. - Luke 5:15-16

The verse above is a brief account of what happened after Jesus healed a man suffering from leprosy and many other sick people. As the news spread that the man with leprosy had been healed, more and more crowds came to Jesus. Jesus was truly busy healing and teaching the multitudes. But the busier He became, the more often He took quality quiet time with the Father. Luke records that Jesus often withdrew to solitary places to pray. This is a theme written repeatedly in the Book of Luke because it was Jesus’ habit.

Before Jesus began His ministry, He went into the wilderness where He fasted and prayed for 40 days (Luke 4:1-2). In Capernaum, He healed many people and cast out demons all night long. The Bible records, “When daylight came, Jesus left and went to a solitary place” (Luke 4:42). Jesus was also alone by the Lake of Gennesaret before a great crowd came to Him (Luke 5:1). There are 4 records of this habit of Jesus in just 2 chapters. And there are still many more records of this habit of Jesus in the book of Luke.

What Jesus did was not a routine ritual or a procedure commonly required of the Jewish people. Jesus was not following a long-established custom. This was purely Jesus’ own initiative.

Jesus did not merely go to a quiet place, such as a rooftop or a backyard. Jesus deliberately made an extraordinary effort by going to a solitary place outside the city, so that He could have quiet time with God. This was not something that happened only once (one-time event) because something tragic had happened. Nor was it because Jesus was so overwhelmed that He needed special time with God. This was something Jesus did regularly.

Quiet Time: Are You Too Busy for God?

Are you too busy for God? I must admit, when work piles up and deadlines are already right in front of me, I tend to neglect God. As Christians, we must be extraordinary spouses and parents, responsible in our work, and shine in the things we do. We also need time for refreshment, such as enjoying our hobbies, doing the things we like, playing games, going out, and also taking vacations.

However, we often pursue those things more, so that God is no longer our highest priority. Quiet time becomes something we do not fight for very much. Our time for God depends on whatever time is left. God must be our first priority, not the last. Nor should He be an extra that only receives attention whenever we happen to have the chance.

So then, how do we deal with this problem if our lives are full of all kinds of busyness, deadlines, and other important matters that demand our attention? Should we then become irresponsible employees? Or uncaring parents? Should we throw away opportunities that come and neglect our duties? We only have 24 hours in a day. And a follower of Jesus is not blessed with more time in a single day.

How Do We Balance Everything?

I used to wonder, “How can I balance this very limited time I have? I want to have deep quiet time with God, yet I do not want my responsibilities to be neglected.” Until finally, a brilliant insight landed in my mind. The solution was so simple that it made me think, “How could this never have occurred to me? I should have found this solution sooner.”

We may not have extra time, but we can pray to become more effective and efficient in doing more things.

I began to pray for wisdom and clarity of mind, so that I could make better plans that would take less time to carry out. And I asked for wisdom so that I would not make many mistakes that could consume even more time. I also prayed for skill and ideas so that I could solve problems more quickly. And guess what, it works!

Quiet Time in a Quiet Place

Besides daily prayer and quiet time, do we also have special time with God by going to a quiet place to “spend time” or spend time with God? Set apart special time and explore quiet places where you can dedicate a few hours or days to be with Him alone.

Take time to reflect on life again, journal, sing, write poetry, pray, listen to worship songs, and read God’s Word… Set apart special time with God and do this regularly. Build a special relationship with Him, the One who loves us so much that He was willing to give His life so that we could keep living. - Adapted from "Quiet Time in Quiet Places" on the website www.jesus365.church. - The GKDI church is currently present in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area. If you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official