7 Practical Ideas for Getting Alone with God When Days are Busy

Hurry is the enemy.

My soul’s health (therefore, my relationship with God) is in danger every moment of every day.

Even now, in the empty nest stage of life, my days are busy, and busy days filled with obligations, appointments, and daily wife-, mom-, grandma-, friend-, ministry-, home- “stuff” threaten to crowd out my time with God.

It is right here in these busy days where the danger lurks. For if I am not on guard, if I am not intentional, these busy days can migrate into hurry – a place where I become so preoccupied with my “stuff” that I no longer take time to be with God.

Soul Unhurry

Jesus practiced this place of soul unhurry.

Often in Scripture it is recorded that instead of hurrying off to the next assignment, Jesus went off to a “solitary place.” Notice that we never see Him frantically rushing off to the next thing, as though it had to be done now and He alone was the one to do it. Look closely and note as well that often when we read that He went off to be alone, crowds of people with great need were still assembled. In other words, He left what we would call important work to be alone with His Father.

Jesus knew the power of a rested soul.

We would do well to follow His example, even (especially) when days are busy.

Consider the following seven tips as you ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.

Getting Alone with God

Start Small

Attending to our soul’s need for rest and time with God, does not mean that we are to neglect our daily tasks. When it comes right down to it, there are simply going to be days when we have many things to do.

On those days, when spending an entire day alone with God is just not possible, shorten the amount of time in solitude. Go off to your “solitary place” for an hour, 30 minutes, or even less.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,…”

Zechariah 4:10a (NLT)

Set a Timer

Grab your phone or a kitchen timer. Set it for five minutes and sit quietly alone with God until the timer goes off.

Schedule It

Get your time alone with God on your calendar. Write it in. Make it a part of your plan whether it’s five minutes at home with a timer or an evening out with Jesus as your date.

Turn Off the Technology

This is “alone” time, so get alone. Before you go off to your “solitary place,” turn off the TV and the radio, close your computer, and silence your phone. Eliminate distractions before they have a chance to interfere. If you are easily distracted, consider using noise reducing headphones.

Be Deliberate about Your Surroundings

For Jesus, “solitary places” were often found in the mountains or at the sea. While nature is idyllic for alone time with God, it’s certainly not always possible.

Those times when days are busy, choose a spot in your home that doesn’t overlook any mess or unfinished work. Mimic, as best you can in your choice of indoor setting, the calm and nourishment found outside in nature.

Give Your Alone Time with God a Focus and a Name

Sometimes we need to experience solitude with God, just listening, no agenda.

Other times, focus is needed. And well, names are just fun! 

How about?

• Grace Breaks – a brief time set aside for the purpose of reviewing things that God spoke to you during your morning quiet time together.
• Drink Deeply Downtime/Meditation Moment – alone time with God in the pages of His Word: meditating on Scripture, memorizing it, verse mapping, journaling, color coding and more.
• “Hurry” Halt – time set aside simply for enjoying God and not feeling rushed by the next appointment or task on your list.
• Prayer Pause – combine solitude and prayer during these brief daily pauses.
• Thankful Time-out – take time out to offer your thanks.

What do you think? How might you focus some of your moments of UNHURRY and what will you name it?

Use Your Imagination

Place an empty chair across from you or at your table.  Image Jesus sitting in that chair as you talk with Him.

Hurry is the enemy. It migrates ever so subtly into our busy days, into our souls. It breaks our connection with God and in turn, fractures our relationship.

No one can bring about unhurry of the soul but us.

Other posts in this series:

7 Practical Ideas for Praying When Days are Busy

7 Practical Ideas for Engaging the Scripture When Days are Busy

Soul Nourishment: Satisfying Our Deep Longing for God

Soul Nourishment is a gentle reminder of the importance of soul care. It is also a handbook for today’s busy woman – filled with a multitude of easy, ready-to-use resources to bring refreshment on the journey.

Available at Warner Press.