5 Unique Ways to Spend Time with Jesus

We hear over and over how important it is to be reading our Bible, praying, and spending time with Jesus, daily. Why then, do so many of us find building this routine so difficult? At times, desire isn’t enough, especially with all the things competing for our attention in our culture.

I grew up in what I’m now calling the “quiet time culture”. Many amazing youth leaders and mentors taught me how to create the habit of sitting down in a quiet place, usually in the mornings, and reading a devotional where someone else shared their thoughts on scripture and what it could mean for my life.

That kind of quiet time worked really well until life got harder and busier, and I realized that it was almost impossible to consistently study my Bible in that setup, every single day. A lot of days it was just another item to check off my to-do list. This explained the yo-yo-ing I constantly felt in my relationship with God. When I would travel, be up all night with a sick kid, or just didn’t “feel” like reading my bible, I would grow distant from God.

I wanted Jesus to be my friend and not just a faraway God that I needed to check in with for 30 mins each day in order to feel some sort of spiritual high. This led me on a journey to change the way I viewed spending time with God. I knew time with God was not only commanded of me, but I also desired to grow a deeper intimacy with Jesus, so I got creative.

On an ideal day, I would wake up well before my husband and kids, creep downstairs, pour my coffee, and cuddle up with my favorite blanket to read and pray. Those days don’t happen every day though, and I was done letting my approach be all or nothing when it came to my relationship with God.

Here are five unique ways that I enjoy meeting with Jesus. Give them a try today!

1. Listen to the Bible out loud via the Bible App or Dwell App.

This one can be revolutionary for anyone who feels like they struggle with sitting down and opening their Bible. You can listen to scripture being read out loud while you’re getting ready, on a walk, or anytime throughout your day! There is a feature in the Bible App where you can click “play” to hear any scripture out loud, and the Dwell App was also created for this purpose.

2. Lay your Bible out on your kitchen table, desk, or wherever you will be throughout the day to take in a verse when you can.

This one can feel a bit silly at first, but it works! An older mom once talked about doing this, and I decided to give it a try one day. I was shocked at how much I was able to take in just by having my Bible out and open! Even if it is one verse at a time, reading scripture sets your heart on things above throughout the mundane moments in your day.

3. Pick one verse for your week and meditate on it each day, replacing the time you would typically listen to something or talk on the phone. 

For many of us, it can be hard to sit in complete silence. And now, more than ever, there are so many things we can use to fill that empty space. It’s so important to make a conscious effort to leave space for silence throughout your day. Filling that space by thinking or meditating on a certain verse can feel minor in the moment but is a major way to meet and connect with God.

4. Create a habit of talking to God throughout the day, even if it’s short spurts like during your shower, on your way to school, or as you’re walking into a meeting.

To many, prayer was taught as a very rigid practice. We can believe the lie that in order for our prayers to be good or useful, they need to follow a specific, formal format. While really long times of prayer are healthy for a relationship with God, there can be other ways to talk to him. 

 A few years ago, out of moments of desperation, I started talking to God throughout my day. A simple, “Lord, please just be with me in this conversation.” as I was walking into a coffee shop, or a “Thank you for the beautiful fall leaves!” as my daughter was belting Let It Go in the car, started to change the way I talked to God!

5. Start your day by simply asking God, “Lord, what do you have for me today?”

A friend who is walking through a really hard and demanding season just shared this thought at small group a few weeks ago. No matter what our day holds, or how much time we get to read scripture or talk to God, asking this simple question—“Lord, what do you have for me today?”—orients our hearts to honor and please God. When I ask this, I often find my perspective shifting throughout my day, whatever it has in store for me!

Maybe it’s been hard for you to find time to set aside for God, whatever the reason may be. Challenge yourself to try one of these out today. You will never regret meeting with Jesus.