Is this you?
You sit down for your quiet time, rush through a few Bible verses or a quick devotional, throw up a prayer if you remember, and then hurry on to the next task on your to-do list.
And you can't remember a single thing about what you read.
If so, welcome to the club of “spiritual checklist Christianity!”
I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit.
Here’s the thing: Time with the Lord was never meant to be just another box to check off. It’s supposed to be a sacred time of connecting deeply with God, hearing His voice, and letting His Word change you.
But sometimes, life gets so busy that our quiet time becomes one more thing we “have” to do, rather than something we treasure.
We feel the pressure to perform rather than the freedom to just be in God’s presence.
So, how can you tell if your quiet time has become routine rather than relational (or better, transformational)?
Here are a few signs that it's routine:
- You feel obligated rather than excited to open your Bible
- You feel like you just don't have time most days for more than a single verse-of-the-day
- You walk away feeling unchanged, like you’ve only skimmed the surface of something deeper
- You can’t remember what you read an hour later, let alone live out the truths you encountered
If any of these resonate, I get it. I've been there.
But these signs are NOT condemnation; rather, they are gentle nudges to make a change—to realign your heart with the purpose of spending time with your Creator.
He knows your deepest desires. He knows how much you long for a thriving marriage, confidence in your parenting, authenticity in your friendships, peace in your everyday, and joy in the mundane.
The question then is, HOW can you experience meaningful, life-giving quiet time again?
Here are a few tips:
- Start by slowing down, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide you, and using tools that help you focus on what God's Word actually says.
- Pray before you begin, asking God to give you a fresh hunger for His Word.
- Take time to journal, reflect, and meditate on a passage.
- Learn different study methods so that you can find the one that works best for you and your learning style.
- Consider incorporating worship music or simply sitting quietly, soaking in the love and grace of Jesus.
- Don't feel obligated to "complete" studying a verse or passage in one sitting - I've taken up to a week to journal out a single passage because I really wanted to dig in and study it deeply, for as much time as I had available each day (which some days isn't much).
My Quieting Your Mind Guide is designed to help you get started. It includes practical steps to minimize distractions, prepare your heart, and create a sacred space for God to speak to you.
Download it for free and take the first step toward a more relational, impactful quiet time.
You can move from a place of duty to a place of delight, where meeting with God becomes the highlight of your day!
Can we talk about something we don’t often admit?
Sometimes our quiet time with God feels a little...unfulfilling. Maybe you open up a devotional, read a few paragraphs, and close it feeling like you’ve just checked a spiritual box rather than truly connected with the Lord.
I get it.
Devotionals are wonderful tools and can provide a spark of encouragement when you need it most. Many of them offer insight, encouragement, and wisdom from fellow believers who have a deep love for God’s Word.
But if we’re not careful, these tools can become a crutch, limiting our spiritual growth.
Here's the thing: devotionals often give us someone else’s interpretation of Scripture, rather than inviting us to dig deep and discover God’s truth for ourselves. And when we settle for these quick, surface-level reads, we miss out on the rich treasures God has waiting for us.
Imagine what could change and grow if you moved beyond devotionals and studied the Bible on your own. Picture how knowing Scripture intimately could transform your faith, your outlook, and even your marriage.
Think about how a passage of Scripture, deeply studied and understood, could breathe new life into your walk with the Lord. When we let the Holy Spirit speak directly through His Word, we grow deeper roots and bear lasting fruit. Suddenly, the pages of the Bible become alive, relevant, and equip us with His power for every season of life.
It’s not just about gathering information or learning more about the Bible. It’s about transformation—allowing God’s Word to shape your heart, renew your mind, and direct your steps.
When you intentionally take time to slow down and meditate on Scripture, you make yourself available for God to work in you, revealing areas where you need to grow and comforting you in moments of struggle.
Friend, if you feel like your quiet time has become stale, you’re not alone. And the good news? There are simple ways to reignite your passion for God’s Word. Maybe it’s time to try a new Bible study method or carve out more intentional time for prayer and reflection.
To help you get started, I created a Quieting Your Mind Guide—a free resource to help you quiet distractions and connect deeply with God. Download it today and start experiencing the fullness of His presence!
Do you intentionally think about speaking life to your husband regularly?
We all need to examine our words and whether they're filled with kindness, respect, support, and love.
Scripture speaks often to the power of our tongues and the impact they have on others.
Challenging conversations will need to happen, but we need to understand the importance of speaking life and finding ways to encourage and build up our husbands on a daily basis.
Head over to the full post for more, and some tips to help you do this!
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We've all heard this before:
"I think, therefore I am."
As trite as that is, there is truth in that what we focus on is what takes priority in our hearts and minds.
What you think about, grows.
When you focus on how your husband didn't take out the trash, or didn't take you out for your anniversary, those things will become the most important factors, and your heart will harden towards him.
On the other hand, if you focus on the fact that he goes to work every day to provide for your family, or how he complimented the last meal you cooked, your heart will soften towards him.
BUT - practicing daily gratitude towards your husband is only one factor in cultivating a heart of thanksgiving and a spirit of godly contentment.
We must also focus on Christ as our sufficiency in ALL things.
Sweet friend, if you have given your life to Christ and make it your goal to obey and follow Him, then you know you have a reward coming in heaven.
Christ IS our reward, and we are promised eternity with Him.
Making Him our focus, being grateful for that promise, considering all of His attributes, remembering all of the blessings He's poured out on us - THAT is how we ensure a soft heart that finds contentment in ALL things.
Here's a tangible tip for you: keep multiple gratitude journals.
- One for general gratitude.
- One for thankfulness towards your husband.
- One for appreciation of your children (and bonus kids!).
One November, I kept a gratitude journal for the month for my husband and each of the kids (my bonus kids and my bio daughter). On December 1, I left their journals on their pillows.
Another year, I kept one for my husband for the entire year, from January 1-December 31, and gifted it to him on New Year's Eve.
Intentionally writing down words of thankfulness, focusing on what we appreciate about them, whether it's acts of service they performed or considering a quality about their personality or an attribute they possess, helps us to focus our hearts on things that are true, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy, as Philippians 4:8 instructs us.
Cultivating a heart of daily gratitude is such an important part of growing as a godly wife.
I'd love to hear - have you ever kept a gratitude journal? Is that something you would like to do for your husband or children?
Share in the comments!
If you are struggling to cultivate some good habits that will serve both your walk with Christ and your growth as a wife, I would love for you to join me over the next couple of months to break down the 10 Daily Habits of a Godly Wife that I would encourage you to make a part of your life. Today we're talking about Bible study.
God is our source of ALL things - power, patience, joy, peace, strength, wisdom. When are lacking in any of these areas, it's likely because we are not plugging into Him as our power source.
This must be done daily. Just like your marriage wouldn't work if you only ever talked to your husband for 5 minutes every few days, your relationship with God will not thrive if you only spend a few minutes with him periodically.
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