Open Bible and coffee on a table overlooking a peaceful morning view with the title "What My Quiet Time Actually Looks Like Today (And Why It Changed)."

What My Quiet Time Actually Looks Like (And Why It Changed)

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People sometimes ask what my quiet time actually looks like.

If you’d asked me that same question twenty years ago, my answer would have been completely different.

Over the years, my quiet time has changed more times than I can count—not because God changed, but because my season of life did.

That’s one of the things I love about relationships. Healthy ones don’t stay frozen in time.

Think about a close friend. There are seasons when you talk every day and seasons when life gets busy. Sometimes you spend hours together over dinner. Other times it’s a quick phone call while you’re driving home from work. The relationship is still healthy. It simply reflects the season you’re living in.

I think our relationship with God has those same rhythms, and that’s something we don’t talk about very often. We tend to compare our quiet time to someone else’s and assume theirs is the “right” way to do it. But if relationships naturally grow and change, why wouldn’t our time with God do the same?

What My Quiet Time Routine Looks Like Today

These days my mornings are much quieter than they used to be.

As an empty nester, I have something I didn’t have for many years—time.

Most mornings begin with coffee, my Bible, and whatever women’s Bible study I’m currently working through. I love having a study to guide me because it encourages me to slow down, ask better questions, and spend more time digging into God’s Word instead of simply reading through a passage.

One of the greatest gifts God has given me over the years has been studying His Word with other believers. Some of the richest seasons of spiritual growth in my life have come through group Bible studies, where someone inevitably notices something I’d completely overlooked or asks a question that sends me back into the passage with fresh eyes. If your church offers a women’s Bible study or small group, I’d encourage you to start there. If not, organizations like Community Bible Study (CBS) and Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) offer excellent non-denominational studies in many communities.

Peaceful morning neighborhood sidewalk with palm trees, representing prayer and walking with God during everyday life.

When I finish reading, I head outside for a walk.

Living in South Florida means most mornings are beautiful, and somewhere along the way those walks became an extension of my quiet time.

Those walks look a little different every day. Sometimes I’m praising God for who He is. Sometimes I’m praying for friends and family. Other mornings I’m working through something that’s been weighing on my mind.

And sometimes…

I’m simply talking with Him.

If someone happened to pass by, they might think I was having a conversation with a friend.

In many ways, they’d be right.

Those walks have reminded me that prayer doesn’t always have to sound polished. Some of my most meaningful conversations with God have happened while walking down an ordinary neighborhood sidewalk, noticing His creation and simply telling Him what’s on my heart.

My Quiet Time Didn’t Always Look Like This

If you’d met me before we had children, my answer would have been different.

Back then I got up early to read my Bible, spend time praying, and write those prayers in a handwritten journal. Looking back through those journals and seeing how God answered prayer is still one of my favorite reminders of His faithfulness.

Then came the years of raising kids.

Open Bible and coffee on a busy kitchen table with children's backpacks and everyday morning life in the background.

If you’ve lived through that season, you know mornings don’t usually belong to you.

They belong to backpacks, breakfast, forgotten permission slips, carpool lines, and trying to get everyone out the door wearing matching shoes.

My quiet time became…creative.

There were mornings when one verse stayed with me all day because that was all I had time for. Other mornings it was worship music playing while I got ready. More than once, my prayers happened in the shower because it was the only place no one was asking me a question.

None of it looked particularly impressive.

But it was real.

And looking back, that’s what mattered.

I’m so thankful I didn’t wait until life slowed down before making space for God. Those moments looked very different than they do today, but they were still drawing me closer to the same God.

Your Quiet Time Should Fit Your Season of Life

I think one of the biggest mistakes we make is believing there’s one “right” quiet time.

There isn’t.

A college student probably won’t spend time with God the same way an empty nester does. A young mom with toddlers has a completely different rhythm than someone who’s retired. Their lives aren’t the same, so why would we expect their time with God to be?

The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s routine. The goal is to regularly meet with God in the life He’s given you today.

For me, that has looked different in almost every season. I suspect it will continue to change as life changes.

And honestly…

I think that’s exactly how healthy relationships work.

A Final Thought

If you’ve been waiting until life settles down before making space to spend time with God, don’t wait.

Meet Him right in the season you’re living today.

Your routine may change over the years, and your schedule almost certainly will.

But the invitation never changes.

God simply wants to spend time with you. ❤️

Keep Growing

If this post encouraged you, here are a few more places to continue exploring what it looks like to build a genuine relationship with God.

And if you’re looking for a simple place to begin again, I’d love to invite you to download my free 5-Day Prayer Reset.