How do I have a quiet time with God?
Mark 1:35
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
A quiet time is a regular, set-aside time and place to be alone with God in His Word and prayer. Jesus is the model: He rose early while it was still dark, went to a deserted place, and prayed there (Mark 1:35). The point is not a ritual but a real meeting with the living God.
Step 1: Set a consistent time
- Anchor it to your day: Jesus rose "early in the morning, while it was still dark" (Mark 1:35) so that the crowds had not yet crowded Him out. Pick the hour you can keep.
- Follow the morning habit: David made morning his time: "In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up" (Psalms 5:3). The early hours teach the soul to lead the day, not chase it.
- Make it custom, not crisis: Jesus "went, as he was wont" to the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39) — it was His pattern, not His exception. Aim for a habit, not a once off.
Step 2: Choose a quiet place
- Go where you will not be interrupted: Jesus "departed into a deserted place" (Mark 1:35) and "withdrew himself into the wilderness" (Luke 5:16). The point of the place is its quietness, not its beauty.
- Keep it simple: A chair, a corner, a porch, a walk — anywhere you can give God your full attention. When the crowd tried to make Him king, He "departed again into a mountain himself alone" (John 6:15).
Step 3: Open God's Word
- Read a small passage slowly: Even a few verses, read twice — once to hear it, once to mark what stands out. Scripture is the food the quiet time feeds on; prayer is the table you set it on.
- Carry one verse with you: Let one sentence follow you into the rest of the day, so the time keeps working after it ends.
Step 4: Pray honestly
- Speak, don't perform: Jesus "prayed there" (Mark 1:35). Tell God what you saw in the text, name your sin, give thanks, and ask.
- Pray in the Spirit: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance" (Ephesians 6:18). Let the Spirit set the agenda.
- Bring people with you: The same verse calls for "supplication for all saints." Your quiet time is also a place to carry others before God.
Step 5: Stay until you've listened
- Do not rush: On the night He chose the Twelve, Jesus "continued all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12). Sometimes the meeting is long; sometimes it is short — but stop when you have heard, not just when you have spoken.
- End with expectancy: "I will look up" (Psalms 5:3). Quiet time is not only you talking to God; it is also you waiting for Him to answer.
Carry with you
Hebrews 11:6 — "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." A quiet time is a seeking. God's promise is that the seeking ones find Him.
Most common mistake
Letting urgency push the time off the calendar before it begins. Jesus withdrew before the crowd arrived (Mark 1:35; John 6:15). A quiet time is protected time, not squeezed-in time.
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026
A quiet time is not a religious performance or a burdensome chore, but a daily, intentional appointment with the living God through His Word and prayer. Scripture establishes this rhythm not as empty ritual, but as the vital source of spiritual life, following the pattern of Christ Himself. Learning how to meet God daily transforms our walk from sporadic duty into deep communion.
Setting the Time
Anchor an unhurried hour before the world wakes
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1:35 (NIV)
Jesus made communion with His Father the deliberate priority of His day by rising while it was still dark.
Before the demands of daily life arrive, Christ showed us the absolute necessity of giving God the first fruits of our waking hours. In Mark 1:35, we find Jesus rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, departing from the home of Peter to seek an undisturbed, solitary place where He could pour out His heart to the Father. If the sinless Son of God required purposeful, uninterrupted communion before launching into ministry, how much more do we need to anchor our souls before the rush of worldly obligations begins.
The scriptures establish this early rhythm as a posture of expectant reliance. In Psalm 5:3, David resolves that the Lord will hear his voice in the morning, as he carefully orders his prayer and waits in active expectation. Far from a perfunctory duty, this dawn appointment reflects a deep hunger to know God's guidance before taking a single step into the world, as Psalm 143:8 petitions the Lord to cause us to hear His steadfast love in the morning. This was no occasional impulse for Jesus either; Luke 22:39 reveals that He went out to the Mount of Olives according to His custom, demonstrating that deliberate habit sustains vibrant devotion.
God honors this priority of the heart. Proverbs 8:17 assures the believer that those who seek Him diligently will find Him, echoing David’s desperate longing in Psalm 63:1, where he thirsts for God early in a dry and weary land. Even when deep sorrow threatens to overwhelm, Psalm 88:13 anchors hope in the dawn as prayer rises directly to meet the Lord. Setting an unyielding appointment each morning guards our souls against spiritual famine.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Mark 1:35 | Jesus rose early in the morning before daylight, departed to a solitary place, and prayed. |
| Psalms 5:3 | David declares that the Lord hears his voice in the morning as he lays out his requests and waits expectantly. |
| Psalms 143:8 | The psalmist asks to hear God's steadfast love in the morning, trusting Him to direct his path. |
| Luke 22:39 | Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives according to His regular custom to pray. |
| Proverbs 8:17 | God promises that those who seek Him diligently and early will find Him. |
| Psalms 63:1 | David expresses deep thirst for God, seeking Him early in a dry land. |
| Psalms 88:13 | A cry to God as prayer rises to meet Him in the morning. |
Choosing the Place
Withdraw from noise and distractions to be alone
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
The Lord instructs His disciples to shut the door on public view and meet the Father who sees in secret.
To truly meet with the Lord, we must deliberately separate ourselves from worldly noise and enter the stillness where His voice can be heard. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus commands His disciples to enter an inner room, close the door, and pray to the Father who sees in secret. This intentional privacy cuts away spiritual hypocrisy and shuts out the clamor of external distractions, creating an unhindered sanctuary for genuine fellowship.
Throughout His earthly ministry, Christ modeled this discipline of deliberate retreat. Luke 5:16 notes that He frequently withdrew Himself into desolate places to pray, stepping back from the admiring multitudes to remain fixed upon His Father. Even when popular acclaim surged and crowds sought to make Him king by force, John 6:15 recounts that Jesus departed alone to the mountain, refusing to allow human agendas to interrupt His communion. Solitude is not empty isolation; it is the purposeful setting where the human soul rests in its Creator, just as Isaac went out into the open fields at eventide to meditate, recorded in Genesis 24:63.
In our modern hurry, silence can feel uncomfortable, yet Scripture demonstrates that God often reveals Himself in gentleness rather than noise. When Elijah stood upon Mount Horeb, 1 Kings 19:12 records that the Lord was not in the violent wind, the earthquake, or the blazing fire, but spoke in a still, small voice. Recognizing our human frailty, Jesus tenderly commands His weary disciples in Mark 6:31 to come away by themselves to a desolate place and rest a while. Finding a quiet room, closing the door, and leaving our devices behind allows us to sit quietly before the Majesty of heaven.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 6:6 | Jesus commands believers to enter an inner room, close the door, and pray to the Father in secret. |
| Luke 5:16 | Jesus repeatedly withdrew Himself into deserted wilderness places to pray away from the crowds. |
| John 6:15 | When the multitude sought to force worldly honor on Him, Jesus withdrew alone to a mountain. |
| Genesis 24:63 | Isaac walked out into the open field toward evening to meditate. |
| 1 Kings 19:12 | God speaks not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. |
| Mark 6:31 | Jesus invites His disciples to come away to a desolate place and rest. |
Feeding on Scripture
Open God's Word to hear Him speak
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Psalms 119:105 (NIV)
God's revealed Word provides the essential light and direction required for daily obedience.
A quiet time is never a one-sided monologue; it is a conversation initiated by God, in which we listen intently as He reveals Himself through His inspired, inerrant Word. Psalm 119:105 celebrates the absolute sufficiency of the Scriptures, declaring that God's Word is an infallible lamp unto our feet and an unfailing light unto our path. When we open the Bible, we are not reading mere human thoughts or suggestions, but hearing the living God speak directly to our souls.
God instructed Joshua that the Book of the Law must never depart from his mouth, commanding him in Joshua 1:8 to meditate upon it day and night to observe and obey all that is written. This meditative intake is echoed in Psalm 1:2, where the blessed person finds constant delight in the law of the Lord. During His wilderness temptation, Jesus cited Deuteronomy in Matthew 4:4, proclaiming that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Scripture is our vital spiritual sustenance. As 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us, all Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, leaving nothing lacking for the believer’s maturity.
We approach this sacred text not casually, but with deep reverence and prayer. Like the psalmist in Psalm 119:18, we must plead with God to open our spiritual eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of His law, and deliberately hide His words within our hearts to guard against sin, as declared in Psalm 119:11. As Colossians 3:16 commands, we are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. Reading must culminate in active obedience, heeding James 1:22 to be doers of the word and not hearers only.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Psalms 119:105 | God's word is praised as a lamp to the feet and a light guiding the believer's path. |
| Joshua 1:8 | God commands that the Book of the Law not depart from the mouth, meditating on it day and night. |
| Psalms 1:2 | The blessed man delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. |
| Matthew 4:4 | Jesus answers Satan by affirming that man lives by every word proceeding from the mouth of God. |
| 2 Timothy 3:16 | All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. |
| Psalms 119:11 | God's word stored in the heart protects against sin. |
| Psalms 119:18 | A plea for God to open one's eyes to behold wonders from His law. |
| Colossians 3:16 | Letting the word of Christ dwell richly in the believer. |
| James 1:22 | An exhortation to be doers of the word and not hearers only. |
Praying with Honesty
Pour out your heart in honest supplication
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
Believers are instructed to replace anxious thoughts with thankful, specific prayer directly to God.
Having heard God speak through His Word, we answer Him in earnest, childlike prayer, casting our burdens upon His sovereign care. Philippians 4:6 provides the divine remedy for anxiety, commanding believers to bring every concern to God through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. We do not enter His presence to impress Him with artificial eloquence or rehearsed phrases, but to lay bare our needs before a gracious Father who genuinely cares for us.
Scripture calls us to an unceasing, vigilant life of intercession, as Paul charges believers in Ephesians 6:18 to pray at all times in the Spirit with all perseverance for the saints. In Psalm 62:8, David encourages God’s people to trust Him at all times and pour out their hearts before Him, because God alone is our true refuge. Jesus cautions us in Matthew 6:7 against babbling empty repetitions like the Gentiles, who assume they will be heard for their many words; our Father knows what we need before we even ask. Furthermore, Hebrews 4:16 reminds us that through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, we can draw near with confidence to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in time of need.
True prayer also requires honest self-examination and repentance. We adopt the posture of David in Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to search our hearts, test our thoughts, and lead us away from any grievous way into life everlasting. When sin is uncovered, 1 John 1:9 promises that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We conclude our time in adoration, following Psalm 100:4 by entering His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with joyful praise.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Philippians 4:6 | Paul instructs believers not to be anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make requests known. |
| Ephesians 6:18 | The apostle urges praying at all times in the Spirit, keeping alert with perseverance for all saints. |
| Psalms 62:8 | David urges the people to trust God at all times and pour out their hearts before Him. |
| Matthew 6:7 | Jesus warns against heaping up empty phrases like the Gentiles who think they are heard for many words. |
| Hebrews 4:16 | Drawing near with confidence to the throne of grace for help. |
| Psalms 139:23-24 | Inviting God to search the heart, test the thoughts, and reveal sin. |
| 1 John 1:9 | Confessing sins with the assurance of God's faithful cleansing. |
| Psalms 100:4 | Entering God's gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. |
Listening and Expectancy
Wait patiently on the Lord in confident faith
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
Faith is essential in coming to God, believing both that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Meeting with God requires a posture of confident anticipation, rooted in the foundational truth that God actively rewards those who seek Him diligently (Hebrews 11:6). Drawing near in quiet communion is never an exercise in futility; it begins with the rock-solid conviction that God is present, attentive, and eager to answer genuine faith. To enter His presence rightly, the soul must lay down its restlessness. God bids His people, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10), a summons to silence human striving, revere His sovereign rule, and quiet the inner noise that drowns out His voice. This devotion to unhurried communion is vividly modeled by Jesus in Luke 6:12, where He withdrew to a mountainside to spend an entire night in prayer before making momentous decisions.
Such stillness naturally matures into steadfast waiting. As Jeremiah observed amid national ruin, the Lord is exceptionally good to the soul who waits for Him (Lamentations 3:25). Rather than passivity, biblical waiting is an active, vigilant reliance. David urges in Psalm 27:14 to "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage." This spiritual vigilance mirrors the sentinel standing guard in the dead of night; the psalmist declares that his whole soul waits for the Lord more expectantly than watchmen watch for the break of day (Psalms 130:5-6). Like the prophet Habakkuk stationing himself atop the watchtower to see what God would speak (Habakkuk 2:1), we position our hearts to listen with eager expectation. Even when words fail and human frailty clouds our prayers, the Holy Spirit helps our weakness by interceding with wordless groans (Romans 8:26), ensuring our silent petitions align perfectly with the Father's will.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Hebrews 11:6 | Whoever approaches God must believe that He exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. |
| Psalms 46:10 | The Lord commands His people to be still and know that He is God exalted among the nations. |
| Luke 6:12 | Jesus spent the entire night in uninterrupted prayer to God before choosing His twelve apostles. |
| Lamentations 3:25 | The prophet declares that the Lord is good to those who wait for Him and seek Him. |
| Psalms 27:14 | Waiting on the Lord with a courageous and strengthened heart. |
| Psalms 130:5-6 | Waiting for the Lord more eagerly than watchmen wait for the morning. |
| Habakkuk 2:1 | Standing at the watchpost to look out and hear what God will speak. |
| Romans 8:26 | The Holy Spirit helps our weakness and intercedes with groanings too deep for words. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 1 · Genesis 24:63 |
| Joshua | 1 · Joshua 1:8 |
| 1 Kings | 1 · 1 Kings 19:12 |
| Psalms | 14 · Psalms 5:3, Psalms 143:8, Psalms 63:1, Psalms 88:13, Psalms 119:105, Psalms 1:2, Psalms 119:11, Psalms 119:18, Psalms 62:8, Psalms 139:23-24, Psalms 100:4, Psalms 46:10, Psalms 27:14, Psalms 130:5-6 |
| Proverbs | 1 · Proverbs 8:17 |
| Lamentations | 1 · Lamentations 3:25 |
| Habakkuk | 1 · Habakkuk 2:1 |
| Matthew | 3 · Matthew 6:6, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 6:7 |
| Mark | 2 · Mark 1:35, Mark 6:31 |
| Luke | 3 · Luke 22:39, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12 |
| John | 1 · John 6:15 |
| Romans | 1 · Romans 8:26 |
| Ephesians | 1 · Ephesians 6:18 |
| Philippians | 1 · Philippians 4:6 |
| Colossians | 1 · Colossians 3:16 |
| 2 Timothy | 1 · 2 Timothy 3:16 |
| Hebrews | 2 · Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 11:6 |
| James | 1 · James 1:22 |
| 1 John | 1 · 1 John 1:9 |
The story in order
- Creation and Fall (c. 4000 BC) · Genesis 1:28 · God commands fellowship and communion with Him.
- Abraham's Call (c. 2000 BC) · Genesis 12:1-3 · God establishes a covenant relationship with Abraham.
- Exodus and Law (c. 1450 BC) · Exodus 20:1-17 · God gives His law, guiding His people in relationship.
- David's Reign (c. 1000 BC) · Psalms 5:3 · David prays to God in the morning.
- Solomon's Temple (c. 960 BC) · 1 Kings 8:27-30 · The Temple is dedicated for God's presence and prayer.
- Elijah's Encounter (c. 870 BC) · 1 Kings 19:11-13 · God speaks in a gentle whisper, requiring listening.
- Exile and Return (c. 445 BC) · Nehemiah 8:1-3 · Ezra reads the Law, and the people listen attentively.
- Jesus' Ministry Begins (AD 27) · Mark 1:35 · Jesus prays early in the morning.
- Jesus' Teaching on Prayer (AD 28) · Matthew 6:6 · Jesus teaches private prayer in secret.
- Jesus' Prayer Before Choosing Apostles (AD 29) · Luke 6:12 · Jesus spends a whole night in prayer.
- Jesus' Crucifixion (AD 30) · Luke 23:46 · Jesus commends His spirit to the Father.
- The Day of Pentecost (AD 30) · Acts 2:42 · The early church devoted themselves to teaching and prayer.
- Paul's Ministry (AD 60-62) · Ephesians 6:18 · Paul exhorts believers to pray at all times.
Key words
- Quiet Time
- An intentional, daily appointment with God through prayer and His Word. · Mark 1:35
- Steadfast Love (ḥesed, חֶסֶד)
- God's unfailing kindness and loyalty. · Psalms 143:8
- Meditate (hāgâ, הָגָה)
- To ponder, reflect on, and internalize God's Word. · Psalms 1:2
- Supplication
- A humble and earnest request made to God. · Philippians 4:6
- Stillness (râpaṯ, רָפַת)
- A state of quiet and rest, waiting on God. · Psalms 46:10
Drawing near to God in the quiet is a lifelong habit formed by daily obedience and faith in His promises. When you protect this unhurried space to read His Word and pour out your heart, the Lord rewards those who diligently seek Him. Start simply, anchor your heart in Christ, and let His voice shape every hour that follows.
38 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Mark 1:35
- Luke 6:12
- Luke 5:16
- Luke 22:39-46
- Ephesians 6:18
- Psalms 5:3
- John 6:15