You Might Need a Second Quiet Time

”Got Questions” defines a “quiet time” as when a believer goes to “comfortable and rather secluded place in (usually) his own home, where he can draw close to God with no distractions.” Put another way, “A quiet time is a set-aside part of each day for a meeting between a believer and God. It consists of reading a part of the Bible of the believer’s own choosing, and praying.” And I firmly believe most Christians need a second quiet time. Or a third. Or as many as needed.

Certainly one quiet time is better than none. I personally wake up before work to get undistracted time with the Lord. However, as I have continued in my working life, I have become more and more convinced that merely having a morning quiet time is not enough. I find myself longing for a second quiet time in the middle of the day or even another one in the evening. And I think there are some good reasons for this.

A helpful metaphor: coffee

I love coffee. Aero press, V60, espresso, you name it. Every morning I start with making myself a delicious cup to both enjoy and energize me for the day ahead. Now, this enjoyment and energy carries me through the morning and into the afternoon. But something happens after about 1:00 in the afternoon:

The effect of the coffee wears off.

I feel tired again. And if continue the day without making myself another cup, I won’t perform as well at my job. One cup is important and essential in the morning. But to truly get through my day effectively, I might need a second cup. Sometimes, when sleep is lacking and the day is particularly grueling, I might even make a third cup.

I think this is a helpful metaphor for thinking about Bible study and prayer throughout the day.

You might have an amazing morning quiet time with the Lord. But oftentimes, the burdens and distractions of the day cause the sweet effect of communion with the Lord to diminish. The answer: a second quiet time.

If I recognize the importance of multiple cups of coffee to get me through a day physically, how much more do I need multiple times with the Lord to get me through the day spiritually?

Distracted minds that forget easily

I don’t know about you, but it always seems like I have a hundred things going on in my mind. What that practically means is I am a task-driven person. I complete a task. Then I move on to the next. This can be a helpful skill at work and at home, but it often makes me lose sight of the Lord even a few hours after my morning quiet time.

You and I live in a world full of distractions. Email. Social media. An endless list of things to do. And distracted minds tend to forget things. It could be responding to an email or an appointment you made with a friend. But for me, it can become easy to read the Word, have a good time of prayer with the Lord, and then to almost immediately switch into a different mindset when I get to work.

Rather than focusing my mind on the Lord, I immediately go to all the tasks I need to get done at work. As the day goes on, the spiritual encouragement I received from the Lord in the morning becomes further and further away. What is the answer? A second quiet time in the middle of the day can refocus your mind spiritually when you most need it.

Effect of a second quiet time

Work is my “war zone” so to speak. I am among both believers and unbelievers. The temptation to be motivated by wealth or fame or success comes to the forefront of my heart. Fear of man and their opinion of me threatens any boldness I might have to share Christ. It is in the middle of this context that a time with God and in His word refreshes me most deeply.

You don’t just need to start your day with the Lord. You need Him to sustain you wherever you go. Pausing at lunch or for a quick break in the middle of the day gives you that spiritual “boost” you need exactly when you need it. Just like that second cup of coffee allows me to continue to do my work effectively, a second focused time with the Lord can give you the encouragement you need to fight subtle temptations around you and keep your mind fixed on Jesus.

What does a second quiet time at work look like?

1. Pull out your Bible, read it, and think about it

I posted about this last week. Honestly, if you pause for 15 minutes in the middle of your work day, you can read a text for 5 minutes and then let it sit in your mind for the remaining 10. You will be amazed what effects come out of simply stopping at lunch to remind yourself of Jesus, the gospel, and God’s plan for the world. Don’t think a second quiet time needs to be an hour long. Just start with 15 minutes and see what God teaches you.

2. Pause and take 10 minutes (Or more or less) to pray

Sometimes, you won’t get a chance to read and meditate on a Scripture. But I bet during the course of a work day, you walk from one place to another. Why not use that walk to pray to the Lord? Thank Him for the day so far. Ask Him to strengthen you. Remind yourself of His rule over all your affairs. Ask specifically for Christ-honoring responses in the situations you find yourself in. Taking a walk is a great way to give your mind a rest from work, and to give yourself space to pray and re-center yourself on spiritual things.

3. Bring a good Christian book to work to read through

I have a couple books at my desk to pick up and read when I get a chance. Currently, I have one by Piper, one Church history book, a set of Puritan sermons, and a book on manhood. When I get a brief lull from work, I can normally read through a section or a chapter of these books in 15 minutes or so. Choose books that have small, consumable chapters and you have yourself a perfect, bite-sized bit of theology to keep you sustained. Give yourself as many avenues to get to spiritual things as possible. Good Christian books at your desk are great tools to give yourself a second time with the Lord in your workday.

4. Take a walk with another believer and talk about the Lord

I already mentioned walking and praying, but another very sweet and wonderful way to remind yourself of Christ in the middle of your day is to simply take a walk with another believer. I have written before about the amazing potential every interaction with a fellow Christian has. So why not schedule a time to meet up with a Christian in your office? Ask them how their quiet time went, what they are reading, what the Lord is teaching them. Share Scripture. Talk about a Sunday sermon. Simply talking with another Christian can get your mind back on “things above”.

Conclusion: take as many quiet times as you need

On long, tired days, I might have many cups of coffee to get me through. In a similar way, getting through the day spiritually almost certainly will take more than one quiet time. Jesus called Himself the bread of life, living water, the vine in which we abide. In other words, you and I need to stay connected with our savior. Daily. Hourly. Moment by moment.

I highly recommend scheduling a second time in the day to seek the Lord in Scripture and in prayer. If you are like me and brew a couple cups of coffee a day, take some time while drinking that afternoon coffee to read the Bible. Or pray. Read a good book. Find a believer to chat with. You and I need more time with the Lord, not less. I’ll let Paul close this post:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2 ESV

An easy way to keep your mind renewed and separate from the world at work is to set aside a second quiet time.

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