Your "Quiet Time" is Too Short

I first started the habit of a consistent "quiet time" or "personal devotion time" in college. It's a discipline I've continued to this day, and one that many if my friends do as well. Maybe it's something you do as a part of your day every day too. You schedule fifteen minutes, or thirty minutes, or an hour devoted to studying Scripture, praying, singing, or reading a devotional guide of some sort. 

Does it occur to you that your quiet time is too short? 

I'm increasingly convicted that my devotion to God has to be an over-arching character trait, not just something I schedule. 

Now, technically I've "known" that for a long time. You probably have too. But, functionally it's more difficult for us. 

There are days that my 30 minute quiet time adversely affects my relationship with God because I walk away feeling like it's enough. My "devotion" time is done, so I can get on with the rest of my day. And thus, the time that I live in conscious devotion to Jesus Christ is limited to 30 minutes per day. What a waste. 

Intentional times of Bible Study and prayer are important. Don't get me wrong. But they aren't enough. They don't even scratch the surface. I need reminders throughout the day that whatever I'm doing should be an act of conscious, intentional, purposeful, meaningful devotion to God. My quiet time is way too short. 

John Burke's book "Soul Revolution" has a neat experiment I'm going to try with some guys I know pretty well. Beginning in January (or a little before), we're all buying watches that beep every hour. Every hour when those watches beep, we're going to allow that beep to jolt our minds towards thinking about how the next hour can be an act of personal devotion; at home, at work, at church, at play. In effect, we're going to try to stretch our quiet times to the hours we're awake. 

I'll certainly continue being intentional in my study of Scripture, and in trying to maintain a meaningful prayer life. But those will be supplements to my devotion, not substitutes. Try it with us if you want, and let us know how it goes. 

15-hour quiet times every day... who's with me?