How My Quiet Time Keeps Me Sane

These days, the first thing I do when I wake up is pray and read my Bible, right?…not. If you do, props to you! Even though my little sign above my Keurig reads, “But first Jesus, then coffee,” I’ll let you in on a secret: I do my coffee first. But I digress. I am a Jesus-loving woman that knows that a solid quiet time (after coffee and meds) = the foundation to my day.

Be Still

Shhhh…do you hear that? It only happens in the early morning, before the rest of the neighborhood wakes, and before I get the responsibilities on my calendar started.

It’s peace and quiet.

It’s calm and tranquil.

It’s the preparation for an encounter with the Living God.

And Know

I usually like to start my prayer time journaling in one of my many pretty journals. At the time, I have been in the same journal since April. What is great about keeping a prayer journal is that you can look back over the weeks and months you’re writing requests to God and watch how He changes your perspective, works to answer your prayers, and how beautiful your heart becomes as He shapes you.

Just to keep the dialogue fresh with the Lord, I have been saying my prayers out loud this week. Let me tell you, it adds to the experience and further does something when I hear what I’m writing. It draws me nearer.

So if you’re interested in starting a prayer journal, I encourage you, even if you’re a guy, take a simple notebook and dedicate it to just prayer journaling. Write out your prayers.

They don’t have to be eloquent, mind you. They don’t even have to be in a letter format. You may try just bullet lists. But writing them down is an excellent reminder to what and how God is working in your life.

I AM

Let God’s reply resonate in your mind and heart, and journal that too! I will take a portion of a passage of Scripture from the book I’m in that week, and copy down any points that stand out to me. Any directives or reasoning or explanations, whatever looks interesting and that God may be addressing through it! Sometimes I highlight, underline or star a particular verse or words that are speaking strongly to me at that time, and date it.

Who is God looking for? Those who are looking for Him. (2 Chronicles 16:9, James 4:8)

So I encourage you to try this!

Stay brave and bold,

Katie