Many years ago, I sat at a women’s retreat and listened as the speaker talked about having quiet times with God. Her formula seemed simple. Get up an hour earlier to spend time with God by praying using ACTS as a guide and reading Scripture in a carefully laid out Bible study format.

Huh?

For this everyday working girl who is most definitively not a morning person, it was an impossible task, almost as impossible as cleaning the Great Wall of China with a toothbrush in one year.

But I felt distant from God. Something had to change.

Why is having time with God so important?

As I mentioned in my previous post, our relationship with God is like a friendship. For me to have that close walk with God, I had to make time in my noisy, busy life. He was willing to meet me each day. Was I up to the task?

What are 5 ways to develop a consistent time with God?

• Ignore anyone who says that it’s okay to let times with God go for now because life is so busy. It’s during those hectic times that we need to touch base with God every day. If we don’t, we become lost in the noise and clutter of life. Our relationship with Him becomes distant, like those awkward calls with a long-lost relative.

• Pray about time with God. Invite God into figuring out what the best time is to meet Him. We know ourselves, and God knows us through and through. He will provide that best time, be it first thing in the morning, while waiting in the carpool line, or during that time right before bed.

• Determine the method of praying. Prayer doesn’t have to be kneeling before our bed, folding our hands, and whispering in our hearts. Many people journal their prayers by putting pen to paper. Others talk aloud to Him. Regardless of method, remember that prayer as a conversation with God can take many forms.

• Pray about how to get into His Word. Myriad methods of reading the Bible exist. Some people have the time and flexibility to do half an hour of daily Bible study. Others like to read bits from the Psalms, then a New Testament passage. Still others prefer reading straight through the Bible, cover to cover. Seek God’s will for the best fit.

• Put it all together. I know. Life is hectic. Putting together time with God can take many forms. Maybe now, the best way is rising early and starting the day with journaling and a cup of coffee, then reading Scripture at night. Or maybe it’s waiting in that carpool line and reading from a Bible as well as praying.

What did I wind up doing?

I’ll be honest. God kept after me for years—yes, years—to have time with Him. I wound up asking my prayer group to pray that God would show me that best time.

He was faithful.

His answer? Mornings before life gets hectic. Now, I rise, fix my tea, and have what I call my spiritual breakfast before my physical breakfast.

Do I spend two hours in His Word? And hour?

More like twenty minutes to half an hour.

But something’s different now. I look forward to meeting my Creator and Friend.

If you’re struggling with this, don’t give up. If you feel God tapping on your heart, seek prayer about when to pray and how to pray and when to read Scripture and how to read Scripture. Listen carefully to His answer. I promise He’ll provide you with one.

Question: What is your favorite way to meet God in prayer and in His Word?