I have this ideal morning painted in my head. It sees me rising early, the kids still in bed (having slept through the night), and a cup of tea in hand as I settle at the kitchen table with my Bible, journal, and pen. For the next 30-40 minutes I would pray, receive, memorize, and commune soaking in the Living Truth.

Ah, that’d be a dream.

On a good day I’m up around 5-5:30am, my Bible waiting for me on the table, and have 20-30 minutes before the kids wake up. On a not so good day, I’ve spent 2 hours rocking the babe in the middle of the night, changed wet sheets, or stayed up late getting things done and wake up to my 3-year-old asking for his vitamins. The “perfect” quiet time dangles peacefully out of reach.

Life can moves quickly, but I want to meet Jesus amid the chaos.

The Word is Life and I want to be right there. I can’t survive without Him.

All our lives are different. We’re in different seasons with different jobs, children of various ages and needs, and callings. There isn’t a one-size fits all quiet time.

We all won’t meet with the Lord the same way and that’s okay.

The important thing is we meet Him.

Tips to Have a Quiet Time in the Chaos

Reading the Word

Plan your morning the night before and follow the old standard.
Leave an open Bible on a place you pass frequently throughout the day (kitchen table, coffee table, or shelf) as a reminder that the Word is life.
If you find yourself needing to refocus during the day, pick up a devotional, like Jesus Calling or My Utmost for His Highest, as a reminder of what’s important. (Be careful with gift devotionals, because more often than not they’re motivational fluff and have little gospel focus.)
Read Psalms and Proverbs of the day at meals. For example, if it’s the 17th read Psalm 17 and Proverbs 17.
Read the Psalms of the day throughout the day. Don Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciplines, suggests reading 5 psalms a day. You start with one psalm and add 30 to each number, so you’d read Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, and 121. In a month you’ll have made your way through the whole book.
Download a Bible App on your phone (YouVerison is great), so you can read your Bible while you’re in a waiting room, checkout line, holding babies late at night.
Read a portion of Scripture as a family after a meal. Perhaps work your way through the Old Testament or Gospels.

Praying the Word

Set a timer to go off at the top of the hour and take just a minute to pray. It’s a good, quick way to refocus, breathe, and realize our need for God every hour.
Pray Scripture. Use the Psalms, Proverbs, or Epistles to pray for yourself, family, and others.
Have a map with pictures of family, missionaries, or people groups as a reminder to intercede.
If you have 10-15 mintues, try lectio divina. It’s a slow, contemplative praying of the Word.
Follow the ACTS model: Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.
Pause in the morning to ask the Lord what he’d like you to focus on for the day or if there’s anything specific He wants you to accomplish.

Memorizing the Word

Pick a few verses you want to memorize or pertain to your season of life and work on memorizing them a little each day.
Place memory cards in places you are often. Perhaps the bathroom mirror, around the kitchen sink, by the telephone or computer, on your car’s dashboard. Make a habit of saying the verse each time you see it.
Decorate your house with Scripture. DaySpring has a great selection of quality pieces.
Wear it on you. This may sound a little odd, but perhaps invest in a necklace or other piece of jewelry with a meaningful verse to wear as a reminder of who God’s made you to be or what he’s done for you. I have a cuff that reminds me of who I’ve been called to be and the price that was paid.

God is not contained to a 30-minute morning quiet time. He works in our lives regardless if we can meet the stereotype.

He wants to commune with us all the day long.