How to Stay Focused During Your Quiet Time with God

Starting my day off with God usually sets me up for a great day. That doesn’t mean that everything in my life goes smoothly. However, if difficult circumstances arise, I find myself better equipped to handle them if I’ve started my day out with God.

And those days I don’t take the time to pray and get into God’s Word…well, let’s just say life is a struggle.

Lately, I have started way too many days without spending time with God. Sometimes it’s because I get up too late to do that first thing. Other times I just rush into my day because I think it’ll take too long to spend time with God.

Even on the days I make the time to spend with God, I feel like I’m not very focused. My thoughts tend to stray, and I feel like I’m not really connecting with God.

A few months ago, a lady I follow on Instagram, Amy Hale, posted how she stays focused during her quiet time with God. She calls it her Daily Morning Journal Page. As she shared more about it, I realized that this was something I could adapt for my own use to help me focus in the morning.

This is what it looks like:

There are seven elements to the page.

1. Date. I write the date so I can remember the time frame what I journal about is taking place. Having done this for about 2 1/2 months now, it is encouraging to flip back through the pages and see what God has been doing in my life.

2. Brain Dump. I often wake up with a lot of things on my mind. This section helps me write out what’s on my mind so I don’t forget it. I include anything from to-do items to things that are just weighing heavily on my mind. Having this space helps me clear my mind and focus on my time with God.

3. Bible Verse. This is where I write down a Bible verse from the passage I read during my devotion time. It helps me remember what God said to me through His Word that day.

4. Praise. I always begin by praising God for who He is and what He has done in my life. I will praise Him for things like being my protector and provider. Also, I praise Him for revealing Himself through creation.

5. Thanks. I list things I’m thankful for here. Usually, I thank God for how He answered specific prayers from the day or days before. It is an excellent reminder that God cares and wants to answer our prayers.

6. Forgiveness. It’s important to constantly repent and ask for forgiveness of your sins. This is the only way we become more like Christ. God is always faithful to bring to mind areas in which I need to repent and ask His forgiveness.

7. Today’s Requests. While I have another prayer list where I pray for specific things, this space allows me to bring out the few things on my mind for that day. Usually, I list things happening that day for my family, friends, or me. They are the matters that are most pressing to me.

Let me share how this journal page works in my daily quiet time with God.

•  I start by writing out the date, making my brain dump list, and writing out my praise.
•  Next, I read my devotional along with corresponding verses.
•  I choose one of the verses I’ve read to write out for the day.
• Then I write down my thanks, forgiveness, and today’s requests.
• After the journal page is complete, I begin my prayer time with God. I pray through each section, even the brain dump section, because God cares about all the details of our lives.
• Once I’m done praying, I look over the brain dump list again and transfer any items that I need to do to my planner. This way I don’t forget about them.

This journal page really has increased my focus and has made my quiet time with God so much more meaningful. It’s so nice to sit down with a plan to guide me through my quiet time.

I hope you’ll find this useful as well. If you give it a try, comment below and let me know what you think!

How do you keep your focus during quiet time with God?

Check out the FREE printable I’ve created to help you stay focused during your quiet time with God. It is a done-for-you journal page set up just like I described in this post.

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