Making time for God was way easier for me when I was single, didn’t have kids, and when I worked a normal 40-hour work week. But along the way things changed. Even if you are single, spending time with God can seem like one more chore to add to your to-do list. But I will share 4 simple routines that are easy to implement to guarantee spiritual growth for the busy woman.
When things started ramping up at work, I worked at least 9 hours a day plus 5 hours on some Saturdays. Plus, I have a family to take care of now. I struggled to make sure my relationship with God was still growing. So I did what I had to do. I got creative by weaving four routines into my day that I did not have to think about or schedule each week. I do not wake up early everyday, which would be an ideal routine for spending with God, but remembering God in everything I already do, helped me to be consistent.
Celebrate Yourself
No matter how busy you are, there are things you can do to continue growing in your faith. If you are going through a transition season in your life right now or if you are just very busy, you may be feeling overwhelmed with guilt. But it is actually very admirable that you are thinking about how you can increase spending more time with God. After all, being a Christian is not a religion, it’s a relationship.
God absolutely loves when you go the extra mile to pursue Him (no matter what), because He is always doing His part to pursue you. His thoughts of you are endless and He wants to spend time with you, too. The routines we will talk about today are staples in any spiritual life. There’s no way around it. Quality is always better than quantity so make sure you take full advantage of any special moment you have with God.
If I should count [His thoughts of you], they would outnumber the grains of sand!
Psalms 139:18
Read the Bible Everyday
To start off, I want you to ask yourself: when do I have a space of time in my day of 15 minutes or more? Use this time to read the Word of God and pray. I use my breaks at work because those times are guaranteed- we get two fifteen minute breaks plus a lunch time. I dedicated one of my breaks to be alone with God.
At a previous job, my break times were spent along the Jacksonville, Florida’s Saint John’s River behind the building. At my new job, I spend my breaktime with God on a beautiful winding path between tall, green trees. I’m surrounded by sunlight and birds chirping. It’s the perfect scenery as I meditate on His Word and take in all that God is to me.
I believe God has a peaceful place ready for you as well, when you commit to reading a chapter of the Bible or studying a scripture once a day. Having the convenience of smart phones, gives you the opportunity to read the Bible at any time. I recommend the Bible App or the Blue Letter Bible App.
Use Your Time Wisely
To keep your appointed time with God, consider spending a portion of your lunch time alone. A routine that’s already apart of your regular life guarantees that you will be consistent. Getting in the Word of God, gives God the opportunity to talk back to you.
My other favorite method in madness is dropping my things as soon as I get home from work, in order to get in my prayer corner. It’s a no-brainer, for me. And I’m less likely to get distracted if I do it right away. Keep in mind that as life continues to change, your appointed time with God will change. Keep pivoting to make sure you never miss a beat.
I like to say:
24-hours is more than enough time to find time to spend time with God. If it was not so, He would have given us more time in a day.
Meditation and Praise and Worship
Another great way to incorporate God into your busy life is through meditation and personal praise and worship. You can literally do this anywhere! In your car, at work, at the gym, or at home while your phone company has you on hold for 30 minutes. Meditation is the act of being still so that you can mentally focus on one thing for a period of time.
Think about how far God has brought you and all the wonderful things He has in store for you. Sing praises to the Lord in your car, in the shower, and even as you cook. And if you can listen to music at work, put headphones in and listen to worship songs. This is not always the easiest choice to make when our carnal-selves would rather vibe to Chris Brown. But you would be surprised at how God will sweep you away into a high place when you choose Him over all your other choices.
Stay Connected to Godly People
Last, but certainly not least, attend church. Staying connected to a group of like-minded believers is very important, no mater how busy you are. You never want to stop learning and gaining knowledge of God. Plus, you get to do corporate praise and worship with people who are crazy about God just like you. Since Sunday is my only real day to rest after a long week, I like to attend the shorter, early morning services sometimes. A lot of churches have virtual services now, if that is your cup of tea. Church gives me the opportunity learn, get inspired, and encourage other believers on a weekly basis.
You may also opt to go to Bible study services in the middle of the week. Never forget, we are God’s sheep. Church is His idea and, as our Shepherd, God knows what is best for us (Psalms 23). When a flock of sheep is together and close-knitted, it is then that they are the safest. Being disconnected from a church puts you in danger of being attacked by the enemy with little to no protection and support.
BONUS
These are easy ways to keep building your relationship with God when life gets hectic. BONUS TIP: make sure you are not creating your own distractions and excuses for why you are not spiritually growing. For example, sometimes we spend way too much time on social media. I recommend doing all four of the things I mentioned above because they are basics to any Christian life (reading the Bible, meditating/praising, and attending church).
It’s hard to have one without the other. Even if you read your Bible everyday, you will still feel a void. Your soul will yearn for more; it needs to be connected to others — because of the love that God has placed inside of us — and it needs to feel close to God (through praise and worship). As you learn how to manage your time better and as insignificant things and people in your life begin to fall away, you can pick up more pace in spending time with God, such as studying the Bible more deeply, becoming more involved in church, or even starting a ministry.
Share this post if it helped you. What does your busy life look like right now? Can you find a place in your life where you can make time for God? Tell us what you do or plan to do to continue growing spiritually.
I love you, Gem.
G.E.M.S- Godly Women Enjoying the Magnificence of Singleness