I want to wake up before the rest of my household wakes.
I want my sleepy-eyed kids to stagger downstairs and find their mom at the table, hot coffee in hand and Bible open before her.
I want to connect with my husband about the Scripture I read during quiet time that morning.
I want to meet with God before picking up my phone.
I truly want to do this. But morning quiet time is just not how I am wired. It is a miracle if I make it downstairs before my kids and husband. My body clock keeps me up later at night and wants me to wake later in the morning. I’ve tried to fight it before, and let’s just say . . . read this story about what my little boy says I’m like before my morning coffee.
But I truly do desire a time to connect with the Lord — a time where it’s just me and God, where God’s Word and hearing from God is my sole focus. I’ve just found that my time with God will likely not be in the wee hours of the morning.
And that’s okay.
“Quiet time” has to work for who we are. Can it be a sacrifice of time and preference? Certainly! For my schedule and life right now, I need to meet with God in the afternoons. After work is (mostly) finished and before my kids come home from school, that’s my God-time sweet spot. I make a cup of decaf (if I have caffeine after 12:00pm I’ll be up even later than normal!), grab my beautiful (in)courage Devotional Bible, settle in the chair next to the front window (so I can keep an eye out for the school bus) with my favorite lap blanket, and ask God to meet me.
I ask God to meet me on the pages, in the stories that over 100 women have shared in the 300+ devotions peppered between pages of Scripture. I ask God to lead me in whichever of the ten reading plans I’m working my way through.
And let me tell you, the reading plans are my favorite part of this Devotional Bible. I didn’t really understand how they worked until I held the Bible in my hands and thumbed through, so let me share with you what they actually are. You’re going to love this too — I just know it!
The (in)courage Devotional Bible has ten reading plans included in the back. Each reading plan is focused on a singular topic — for instance, Better Together, Everyday Leadership, and Daily Grace. Each plan takes you through five to seven weeks, and includes six daily Scripture readings and their related devotion, with the author, title, and page number listed. You just choose the topic you’re most drawn to and read the Scripture and devotion each day. This Bible is a quiet time and/or Bible study all in one resource, and I am here for that!
Back to my chair. Once I’m in that comfy chair, I open the Bible, invite (sometimes implore) God to meet me, and then I read. I meet Him. I meet women of courage. I meet the authors who have contributed their stories. I meet my need to connect with God’s heart.
And when that big yellow school bus pulls up, I close the Bible and meet my kids with more grace than I had before I opened up those pages.
If you haven’t heard yet, we are hosting our very first Online Bible Study here at (in)courage! It’s a twelve-week study, and we will be working through three of the reading plans from the (in)courage Devotional Bible. We can’t wait!
We truly hope you’ll join us as we read through the (in)courage Devotional Bible and meet many women of courage — together. Don’t delay, because we start February 1st!
Sign up here!
How do you practice the discipline of a quiet time? How do you make meeting with God work for your life and schedule?
@incourage is hosting their first Online Bible Study! Details here: Click To Tweet
by Anna E. Rendell
Anna E. Rendell
Thanks for this call to extend grace to ourselves and everyone else about the details of our meeting with God. I am a morning person, and when my kids were much younger I was up before them and digging for Truth.
Unforeseen twist: THEY are morning persons as well, and right now I have a college guy who leaves for work at 5:30 a.m., and when he is home, I want to get up with him and have breakfast together. However, to me, getting up earlier than 5:00 does not qualify as morning–that is the middle of the night. So I say goodbye to him, wake up his brother and do the homeschooling before I even think about the opening my Bible. To be honest, I preferred the old way, and I do find that I’m interrupted more with this later time, but I also know that this is a season–just as my other practice was for a season–and the point is to be faithfully seeking a way to meet with God like a lovesick teen with a new boyfriend. Anytime, anywhere.
Hi! I had just bought a new bible before incourage started advertising you were bringing out a bible…can we still join the online bible study if we don’t have the incourage bible? Or will it not make sense?
Thanks
Jas
Hi Jas! You can certainly participate in the study without the (in)courage Devotional Bible. However, the study won’t be as meaningful if you’re not reading the daily devotions from the (in)courage Bible. This study is designed around both the Scriptures and the devotions in three of the custom reading plans found in the (in)courage devotional Bible.
Many women in a similar boat have said that they’re going to use the Kindle version (which is available for $7.99). You don’t need an actual Kindle to read it, you can download a free Kindle app on any phone, tablet or computer.
Hope that’s helpful!
I would also like to know in regards to Jas’ question since I also do not have the InCourage Bible yet as well. Sounds like it is going to be an exciting study. Thank you.
Hi Carrie! We are very excited about it too. You can certainly participate in the study without the (in)courage Devotional Bible. However, the study won’t be as meaningful if you’re not reading the daily devotions from the (in)courage Bible. This study is designed around both the Scriptures and the devotions in three of the custom reading plans found in the (in)courage devotional Bible.
We’ve heard from many women who are going to use the Kindle version (which is available for $7.99). You don’t need an actual Kindle to read it, you can download a free Kindle app on any phone, tablet or computer.
Hope that helps!
This is my first online “comment” ever! I too am a night owl! I grew up with a family of “early birds”…especially my parents. Talk about feeling like a misfit! I was called lazy, or stubborn, or just not “willing” to try. My parents were up and at full steam by 5:30 or 6AM. I usually had been up till 2-3 AM reading under the covers with an absconded flashlight.
But God knows what His reasons are for our “making”.
When I became my mother’s caregiver as her Alzheimer’s progressed, she lost all sense of time. When she would call at 2AM needing help, I was up,when all the others were fast asleep. She was always so grateful and said so. So when I meet the Lord in our after midnight time together, I have to say how grateful I am he made me this way, and a special whispered Hello to my mom in heaven! (Night owls also make awesome grandkid sitters for emergency calls!)
Anna,
God made each of us different. We aren’t all morning people or night people. God wants to meet with us each day. We just need to find a time that is right for us. We don’t need to apologize for being one or the other. We need to give ourselves grace & be the person God made us to be. I’m an in between. If I must get up early I can. It gives me more time in a day. Varying schedules make it hard to find a “same” time for God each day. I just make time each & every day. It is important to spend time in the word daily. He did so much for us, thus we need to come & spend a few minutes of our day with Him. He will calm our frazzled nerves & give us a peace. Jesus needed time alone with the Father-how much more do we need it – especially in these trying times. Make time daily for God & His word. It will enhance your life.
Blessings 🙂
Joined and ordered my bible. Should be here tomorrow. So excited! Just what I was searching for , for my New Year.
I cannot wait for this study! I’ve been doing a monthly bible verse study, but wanted something different. ..and, Lo and behold! I saw your post! Excited for February. I’m not a morning person either! I study in the afternoons and late at night.
Oh my goodness I love this post! It’s like I’ve been wired to think that morning time is the ONLY time that would work to spend quality time with God but afternoons call my name too. It’s like you’ve just told me it’s OK to be that person too. As if the time is any less worthy. Or any less worth it. Thank you for your insight!!!
Yes!!!!! Go for it, Colleen!
Standing ovation over here!!!!! Different seasons of life and work definitely call for different rhythms of study and prayer. In the Bible, there are calls to pray at all times of the day – there is no wrong time to connect with God. 🙂 I pray women who read your words today would have divine revelations of times they hadn’t thought of when they can stop and meet with Jesus – as out of the box as it may seem. He is always waiting and willing and ready. The last thing we need is to feel like we’re doing it wrong–because then we’ll probably stop altogether. Thanks for sharing your encouragement today, Anna!
I’ve been struggling to find my best time of day – would love it to be mornings and start the day with the Lord but often ‘things’ get in the way.
I’ve tried to sign up for the online bible study but the form is not accepting my email – it keeps cutting it off. Could this be because I’m in th UK? Is there any other way to sign up? Via Facebook perhaps?
Also hope to encourage my dear friend in Australia to join in …