Jumpstart Your Quiet Time with These 4 Mindsets

How’s your Daily Time (Quiet Time) with God going? Not so great? I’ve been there more times than I can count. I never enjoy the spiritual starvation.

So today I’d like to share with you what’s helped me connect to God in a fresh way, and next thing I knew, I couldn’t wait to start spending time with God again!

If your Daily Time is going great, keep these in mind for encouragement now or in the future! They’re good for whenever you start to waiver!

Each mindset has additional verses you can look up and start connecting with God again right now! It’s better than staying in the mental paralysis of worrying about backsliding.

Let’s get started!

These 4 Mindsets Will Get You Some Fresh God Motivation

 *all definitions taken from the New Oxford American Dictionary

Expectancy in Your Quiet Time

Expectancy is “the state of thinking or hoping that something, especially something pleasant, will happen.”

My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my expectation is from him. Psalm 62:5 

Perhaps somewhere along the way you stopped expecting God to respond to your quiet time or even your life. That’s just what the enemy wants us to think. That…

• God is distant
• I’m not spiritual enough
• He’s too busy
• I’m not going to get anything out of it

Look at the above verse in Psalm 62. “Wait in silence.” Silence those thoughts that will take you further from Him. Then wait. Expect. He cares about every detail of your life and loves you with an everlasting love (1 Peter 5:7; Jeremiah 31:3). 

He has so much in store for you! So take the mindset of expectancy—that God has provided a daily portion for you.

Look up this additional verse and write it in your journal:

• Psalm 27:14

Pursuit During Your Quiet Time

Pursuit is “the action of following or pursuing someone or something.”

Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Take the mindset that you are going to live in pursuit of God. A huge part of when this actually happens is during your quiet time.

One certainty you can expect is that when you draw near to God, He has promised to draw near to you (James 4:8). 

It doesn’t mean you will always feel Him. Feelings are fickle, and you can’t rely on them. But He reveals Himself in numerous ways.

We know He desires to spend time with you. God created you and sent Jesus to provide the way to have a true, intimate relationship with Him. Cool, right? 

That love always makes me want to pursue Him.

His love is the hook. He’s calling you to come and commune with Him. Choose to pursue Him anew.

When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, LORD.” Psalm 27:8

Do that by forgetting all the distractions and hindrances and just love Him back. 

Look up these additional verses and write them in your journal:

• Jeremiah 29:13
• Isaiah 55:6

Receptivity During Your Quiet Time 

Receptivity means “willing to consider or accept new suggestions and ideas.”

Adopt the mindset that you will be receptive to what He reveals to you when you spend time with God—and then live yielded to Him with it. 

A huge part of having a relationship with God is spiritual growth. Look, it doesn’t always have to be viewed as a less exciting thing. Sure, conviction doesn’t feel good, but have you ever repented from something and experienced the freedom?

Think for a minute. Like what?

How could we want to stay in shackles? God has so much more for you!  

Shackled Elephant, Shackled Mind

Have you ever heard how people train elephants to stay and not break free? When they are babies, they begin conditioning them with a rope or chain tied around their leg. The baby elephant will try to pull free but only succeeds in getting a burn on his leg.

Then as the elephant grows, a different rope or chain is put on its leg or around its neck. It again tries to break free but can’t. It knows it’s useless, so it gives up.

Eventually, the animal is full grown—a powerful beast that weighs up to 14,000 pounds and 10 feet high. But a rope is tied around its leg or neck, which may not even be attached to anything, keeping it deceived. 

The elephant gave up trying long ago and remains in captivity. Yet it could break free at any moment if it only understood.

How does this apply to us? Well, the enemy starts trying to deceive us to remain in sin early on. As a young Christian, we don’t know how to walk in freedom. We may try to break free, but it doesn’t work. So we give up and stay shackled.

That’s where spiritual growth is needed.

If you choose to grow and learn to walk in God’s ways, you’ll be on the right path to freedom. It takes replacing the lying thoughts that keep us in captivity with his truth that makes us free.

You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. John 8:32

Look up these additional verses and write them in your journal:

• Psalm 139:23-24
• 1 Peter 5:10

Grace for Your Quiet Time

Grace is “the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.”

Did you catch that? Favor. You have spiritual favor with God. 

He’s for you, friend. This is why spiritual growth can be a natural part of your life, and something you invest in.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

You have grace to walk in His ways. There is always more to learn, of course. The verse says to also grow in the knowledge of Him. 

One way I’ve grown spiritually is to discover what the Bible has to say about whatever problem is going on in my life. And then apply it.

When I learned to:

• love biblically, it eliminated a lot of marital problems
• forgive according to the Word, my heart was healed from hurt
• not “let my heart be troubled” but trust in God, I lived in His peace

I’ve discovered the benefits of crucifying my flesh. God’s ways are always better, His wisdom higher, His truth greater. 

Take a mindset of growing in grace, friend!

Look up these additional verses and write them in your journal:

• Romans 6:14
• Hebrews 4:16

Reconnect with God

Ready to apply these four mindsets to jumpstart your quiet time? And then thrive in Christ?

On days I’m tempted to waiver, I’m shown just how deep my commitment to God is.

In John Maxwell’s book Make Today Count, he talks about how making the decision to commit to something will help you accomplish what you desire. He says to focus on choices, not conditions:

In general, people approach daily commitment in one of two ways. They focus on the external or the internal. Those who focus on the external expect conditions to determine whether they keep their commitments. Because conditions are so transitory, their commitment level changes like the wind. In contrast, people who base their actions on the internal usually focus on their choices. Each choice is a crossroad, one that will either confirm or compromise their commitments. (page 67)

When you make time for God, you’re essentially making a commitment to God—that you will carve out time just for Him on a daily basis.

His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)!

I realize that sometimes the level of commitment will vary, which is why you can always embrace a fresh start in your quiet time!

RELATED POST: 3 Ways to Get a Fresh Reset on Your Daily Time with God

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