“but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
[Psalm 1:2, ESV]
When you’re working 40+ hour weeks while caring for kids, pets, and a house that always needs fixed—something’s got to give. Often, our time alone with God is the first to go.
Maybe this sounds familiar: life gets really busy for a while, and then one day you realize you haven’t opened your Bible in weeks, or you can’t remember the last time you prayed that wasn’t before a meal. When life’s demands overshadow restful worship time, our spiritual lives rapidly cool off.
If worship has taken a back seat in your life, there are practical steps you can take to reclaim it right now. We hope this helps you build intentional quiet moments with God in a consistent and meaningful way.
Worship matters
For those who’ve tried to create daily worship habits but gave up after a few days or weeks, it happens to the best of us! The first mistake many of us make is thinking about habits like another box to check off. A better way to approach worship is like a close relationship. Quality time with your spouse, your children, or your friends isn’t a chore to complete, but the foundation for a deep and lasting bond.
We should look at our time alone with God in the same way. Bible reading and daily prayer are two crucial spiritual disciplines. In Bible reading God speaks to us through His Word, and through prayer we speak back to Him. Without practicing this every day, we start to drift farther from God. Below are some good questions to ask yourself as you think about your spiritual life:
- Is worship a priority in my life right now?
- Have I made my focus something other than God?
- Are there parts of my life I’m not sharing with God?
- What is God trying to communicate to me in this season?
These are tough yet important questions to answer. As Christians, we need to evaluate our own hearts on a regular basis. Without it, we can go months or years not living our true purpose of glorifying God and enjoying time with Him.
Attitude of worship
Consistent worship every day is easier said than done. If you find it hard to stick to spiritual routines, it might mean letting go of some things and changing your outlook. A common pitfall with daily devotionals is an all-or-nothing mindset. We often think that if we can’t finish a day’s reading in one sitting or can only pray for two minutes, then it’s not worth doing (which isn’t true).
While more time with God is better, He always delights to fellowship with us—even if that means a few minutes on a lunch break, or before things get busy. If you want to see your life radically change, consider adding one or more of these adjustments to your lifestyle:
- Shift your schedule to make room for longer spans of focused worship
- Change your bedtime and wake time to allow for a worship space
- Pray and read for short times throughout the day
- Block out worship time in a digital calendar
To make this work, you might have to take a closer look at your agenda and rethink what’s flexible. It could mean making harder decisions like pulling back in other areas of your life. If you’re someone who tends to overbook, you might need to allow more room in your daily schedule by saying no to certain commitments. Or if you have plenty of leisure time for hobbies, think about how you can give back some of it to the Lord. You won’t regret it!
Simple ways to practice daily worship
Once you have the time needed for worship, the next big question is what that quiet time should look like. This will depend on your preference, but we have some suggestions below for you to try out:
- Read the Bible in a year (a two-year plan is also good for beginners).
- Listen to the Bible in a year (a great option if you’re a slow reader).
- Pray through a prayer request list for loved ones and your church family.
- Sing and/or play your favorite hymns and worship songs.
- Read through a devotional focused on a book of the Bible.
- Pray through a book of written prayers.
- Keep a journal to write any takeaways from your Bible reading.
- Memorize verses or an entire chapter of the Bible.
Picking two or three of these to practice every day will have a big impact on your walk with the Lord for years to come. And remember, it’s okay to start small. You don’t have to worship for an entire hour right out of the gate—instead, plan for something you know is doable. We’d recommend 10-15 minutes as a good starting place. As your confidence and ability grows, you can gradually add more time to your daily devotions.
Shared worship: growing through family devotions
Family worship is another great habit to build into your day. Reading, praying, and singing with your spouse and kids (at any age) can help bring you closer, and grow your knowledge and love for the Lord together. Again, it’s best to start small if your family is new to this!
If you’re able to have meals together, try taking some time right after eating to practice some of the suggested options above. Sharing prayer requests and praying together is an opportunity to learn about your family’s biggest spiritual and personal needs. Reading or studying a book of the Bible together is also an effective way to start spiritual conversations. Over time, you and your family can burn brighter for the Lord through regular worship time.
When you feel too busy to connect with God
If you’re living through a long stretch of busyness right now and feel tired, anxious, and numb—don’t put off worship for another time. Be intentional about reading God’s word and praying to Him. It might sound like extra work when life is crazy, but it’s exactly the kind of soul-care habits we need.
When our lives are truly surrendered to Him, God’s Kingdom is advanced in ways we could never imagine. Sometimes all it takes is pausing for a moment to ask, “Lord, what are You speaking to me, and is there anything You want me to do?” In those moments, we get to partner with Him in the work He’s already doing.
Using the suggestions we’ve listed here can reignite your quiet time with the Lord—enabling you to live for Him no matter how busy things get.
