A thoughtful hour: 5 tips for spending time with God

So last month I wrote about my commitment to having a “thoughtful hour” each day – which for me was all about my desire to find small intervals throughout the day to spend time with God while still juggling a busy schedule. In this blog post I wanted to get practical and share some tips and ideas of ways we can find time in the day to have our thoughts drawn to Jesus. Some of these tips I already implement and some I am hoping to try out.

So, getting straight into it – Here are my 5 tips:

1.       Bible Audio

I love Bible audio!! Bible audio is handy when you are on the go or when you want a few thoughtful minutes. I sometimes use bible audio when I do things that require me to walk around, for example: - walking around the building at work, walking into town, taking a stroll by the sea front on my lunch break etc. I find listening to Bible audio generally keeps my mind in a focused and reflective place. I use the Bible audio app – Bible.is - this app has the Bible in many different languages and has a variety of different Bible audios to suit different preferences. As a side point, I make use of Bible audio almost every night - I leave it to play quietly and it is so great to go to sleep and wake up to the word of God!

2.       Scripture on paper

The title may make this tip sound a little bit sophisticated, but with this I literally write down scriptures on a small piece of paper (about the size of my hand). This allows me to read and mediate on the word of God in situations where I am not able to have my bible open in my hands. This is handy for me as most of you know I work in ICT Support, and there are times when I have to wait for things to install/load, so I am pretty much sitting around and waiting. However, I am technically still working so I can’t just crack open a book and do my own thing. However, having that small piece of paper in my hand allows me in that period of waiting to lift my thoughts heavenward and meditate on scripture.

3.       Scripture memorisation

This is an area I definitely need to improve on, but when I have been consistent, it has been such a blessing. Scripture memorisation is a powerful tool for keeping the word hidden in your heart, and you can recall to your mind scripture at any time when you need them. I try to memorise scripture that I can use when I am confronted with specific situations throughout the day.

For example, when I am in situation where:

·       I am feeling overwhelmed and have so much on my mind:

“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.” Psalm 49:19

·       I need to plan something important:

“Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.” Proverbs 24:27

“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5

·       I encounter possible conflict:

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” James 1:19

Some people find scripture memorisation too hard or boring, but the key is in finding a method of memorisation that suits you. Some people memorise through repeating the scripture aloud repeatedly, some have to write the scripture down over and over again, some use scripture songs to memories and some make use of memorisation apps/websites. My best friend recommended this website as being very useful for scripture memorisation - https://learnscripture.net/

4.       Sermons and Audio books

Sermons and audio books are great for when you have longer periods where you may be sitting down working on something, on a long journey or doing something that doesn’t require much mental focus.  Sermons and audio books work for me specifically because I often drive long distances and have very little time to sit down and read leisurely. Using this method has helped me get through   many sermons and even whole books, which would have taken me longer (if at all) to complete if I tried to do it leisurely in my spare time.  Sermon and audio books are also great if you want to focus on specific topic - one of my favourite audio books is The Desire of Ages by Ellen G White.

5.       Scripture songs

Most of us know that when something is put to a tune, it is easy to remember. Music is a great learning tool and there are some songs that I haven't heard since childhood, but granted if I heard the tune, it is likely I would be able to remember the words too. If you want to memorise scripture fast and keep it in your mind for longer, then scripture songs are a very effective method. There are so many scripture songs out there that you can learn, and if you want to be creative you can make your own scripture songs. Creating your own scripture songs can also give you time to really think and meditate on the words as you put it to a tune.

6.       Journaling

This blog post is meant to give only five tips, but I will throw in a somewhat related bonus. Journaling is so special to me!!!! I find journaling extremely useful as it gives me the opportunity to really pour out myself and express myself to God. It is such a blessing (sometimes hard) to be completely candid and vulnerable before your maker. I write a daily journal, and it is so powerful  to look back at my past journal entries and view times that I have rejoiced, cried, surrendered. It is such a blessing to review what God has done and to also track your growth in Him. Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer try adding journaling into your time with God, and you won’t be sorry! J

I hope these tips have been helpful, if you have any more tips please share them with us in the comments section below.

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥  


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