Lazy During Quiet Time? Here's How to Renew Your Interest

Have you lately felt that quiet time is so boring that you are reluctant to do it? Even though you have tried, you still do not understand or find it hard to grasp the Word you read. As a result, you choose reading a daily devotional or watching sermons on YouTube. Or, you keep doing it, but get nothing out of it, and in the end quiet time becomes just a routine and a checklist in your daily life.

How can you deal with that laziness?

Refill the Tank of Your Longing for God

As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When may I come and see God? My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long people say to me: "Where is your God?" 

These things I remember as my soul is downcast within me: how I used to go with the throng, leading them in procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and songs of thanksgiving, among the festive multitude. 

– Psalm 42:1b-4  

It is not known for certain who wrote Psalm 42, but scholars suspect this part was written by David. This psalm was likely composed when he was being pursued by Saul, who wanted to kill him, or when the rebellion of his son, Absalom, took place. During that period, David was driven out and could no longer enter the house of God. In other words, Psalm 42 was sung in the midst of the great suffering he was experiencing.

Here, David expresses his longing to enter the house of God. It is even said that his soul was so thirsty for God, that day and night he wept because of it.

Being lazy about quiet time can happen because you no longer have a longing to draw near to God. Perhaps you are far from God, no longer coming to worship, or no longer interested in Him. Or, you are more focused on and interested in worldly things, so God is somewhere far down in the order of your life's priorities .

To overcome this, try refilling the tank of your longing for God by doing some of the things below:

• remembering the Lord's goodness that has helped you through various difficulties and life struggles
• making a gratitude list so that you can once again sense the Lord's works in your life
• writing a love letter to God
• do not forget to ask forgiveness for your neglect, and turn your heart's focus back to God.

Do Not Be Swept Away by the Current

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we be swept away by the current. – Hebrews 2:1 

Sometimes, in your spiritual journey, you can be swept away by other things. Drifting usually happens slowly but surely, without you realizing it. This condition is not something you planned, nor does it happen suddenly. What is certain is that in the end you will be stranded in a place far away and possibly dangerous for you.

Are you lazy during quiet time because you are being swept along by the current of social media? For example, being too absorbed in updating your status, being busy following your favorite blogger's activities, making vlogs, or playing games.

Sin and bitterness can also sweep you away. You doubt God's presence in your life, question His sovereignty and omnipotence. Or, you rely too much on your own strength rather than on God's strength.

If this is what is happening, write down a prayer list that you want to pray through every day. Stick it on your bedroom wall so that you do not forget. Refocus yourself and do not let yourself be swept away by the current of this world.

Here are some things you can pray for:

• that your heart would have a longing to return to Him
• that you would not be swept away by the things of this world
• that God would soften your heart

Besides that, what else can we do to grow our interest in quiet time again?

Quiet Time with the Help of Various Resources

While reading God's Word, you can do some searching and study regarding the passage you are reading. For example, who wrote the book, what the background of its writing was, to whom it was addressed, and what its main point or theme is.

Not only that, you can also read supporting books that can help you be more enthusiastic about quiet time. I personally enjoy the books of Charles Swindol, Max Luxado, Rick Warren, and Joyce Meyer, as well as books published by IPI Books. Besides being full of inspiration, their writings help me see God's Word further and deeper.

Vary your quiet time with the help of books or articles. However, keep in mind that no matter what, God's Word cannot be replaced by any book, whether a spiritual book or a daily devotional. The Bible must remain the first book you read and meditate on.

Write Down Your Quiet Time

Do not think that being lazy during quiet time only affects people who have just come to know God. Even people who have been Christians for a long time are not free from this one spiritual illness. Not writing down the details or points from my quiet time makes me lazy. Indeed, I still have quiet time every day, but only minimally.

Recently I decided to start writing down my quiet time again, and it proved to give me enthusiasm to dig deeper into God's Word. Perhaps this is what you need right now, so why not try it?

Find a Growth Partner

Quiet time alone can sometimes feel boring. If this is what you are experiencing, you can find a partner you can pray and read the Word with.

Besides the three tips above, there is still much you can do to prevent laziness and restore your enthusiasm for quiet time. Sometimes I listen to podcasts about people who have gone through decades of their Christian walk and remained faithful. I also watch sermon videos or testimonies from well-known Christian authors on YouTube or previous Sunday service sermons.

Ups and downs in quiet time are natural. Seasons like these will always come, whether because of laziness, boredom, lost longing, or being swept away by daily activities. For that reason, you must grow your longing to be close to God again. Stay encouraged and do not give up!

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked collapse in calamity. – Proverbs 24:16 

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References: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalm_42#Background_and_themes www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Psa/Psa_042.cfm

Related Articles:

• Quiet Time, Time to Find God (Part 1)
• Quiet Time, Time to Find God (Part 2)
• How to Pray When You Feel God Is Not Listening?
• 3 Important Benefits of Reading God's Word Every Day
• “I’m Busy. How Can I Make Time for Quiet Time?”