How to Have a “Quiet Time”

Do you want to develop a habit to strengthen your faith? If you’ve ever heard another believer talk about having a “quiet time”—they were probably referring to spending time with God. If that still sounds foreign, think of it as a time set aside for holy habits like Bible reading and prayer. 

These days, we might use a different phrase for “quiet time,” but the power of the principle remains. When we spend time with God, our faith grows, and we give Him more room to move in our daily lives. 

A quiet time can vary depending on how you best connect with God. For one person it might include prayer, silence, Bible reading, and journaling—while another might prefer a prayer walk with worship music over journaling. Some people prefer to have their quiet time in the morning, others prefer it in the evening. There isn’t a specific formula to follow, but the important thing is setting aside time to fill your mind with God’s truth and Spirit. 

One practical way to read and engage with God is the SOAP method. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. 

Here’s how you start:

S - Scripture

First, find a verse or passage of Scripture to read. You can refer to different translations of the verse to help you understand it better, such as the NIV translation. You may want to write out the verse(s) in a notebook to help you remember. The more Scripture we read and retain, the more the Holy Spirit is able to remind us of the truth when we need it most. 

O - Observation

Make a note about what you observe about the Scripture. Here are some questions to prompt your thinking: What stood out to you? What seems important? What is the genre, context, and author’s intent? Are you sensing a theme or pattern? 

A - Application

James 2:20 tells us that faith without works is useless. When you read Scripture, take time to pause and reflect on how you might apply it to your life. Some questions to consider: How is this verse relevant to your life today? How can you live out what you read? How does the verse point to Jesus or becoming more like Him? 

P - Prayer

Use the Scripture as a template for prayer. For example, if the verse was about loving others, use your time of prayer to pray for God to help you better love those around you. If the verse was about generosity, ask God to help you see every opportunity He wants you to give generously. If you want, you can continue in your notebook and write out your prayer. This can be helpful as you continue your faith journey, because it gives you a way to look back on all the prayers God answered. 

Prayer, in its most simple definition, is talking with God. It is an opportunity to have a conversation with God—to know Him, and be known by Him. After you pray through the verse, you can extend your prayer time by praying for yourself, your family, your community, and beyond. 

Not every prayer will be answered with a “yes.” But just like any relationship, we don’t spend time together to get something out of it—the joy is in the togetherness. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have faith; it just means that we don’t need to be worried that God didn’t hear us when our prayers aren’t answered the way we hoped. 

If you want a template to kick off your prayer life, click here for a simple guide.

For more Formed Series resources, click here. 

For more Old School Series resources, click here.