Why time with God doesn't *have* to be long or complicated

What exactly are Simple Spiritual Practices? Let's define our terms.

Growing up, all I knew about my personal life with God was the “quiet time.” Read your bible–typically following a plan of some kind. And pray–which meant saying a lot of words about how great God is and what you want from him.

It wasn’t until my early twenties that I learned there was so much more than this.

The typical “quiet time” was a great place to start, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that way of connecting with God. But I was intrigued and grateful to learn that there is more to experience.

I began learning about practices such as solitude and silence, lectio divina, the daily examen, centering prayer, and others. As an introvert who craves alone time, many of these quieter, solitary practices were compelling to me, and it opened up a whole new landscape of ways to be with God.

But here’s the thing: at the time, I was young, single, and pretty carefree. Of course, I had responsibilities and things to do, but I had a lot of control over how I spent my time.

As I got older and life got more full–with the addition of kids and work and the normal, everyday stress of life–I found that I couldn’t just rely on the times of quiet and solitude to sustain me.

I had to discover how to grow in the chaos too.

Photo by ALMA on Unsplash

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While I love a good all-day solitude retreat, I’m learning that time with God doesn’t *have* to be long or complicated to help me grow. And “time with God” actually happens in ALL of life–it’s not just the quiet times by myself, but it’s also learning to recognize God’s presence with me in every single moment of my day.

This is why I write and teach about simple spiritual practices. Because there are so many simple, creative ways to connect with God, even when we don’t have a lot of time or quiet.

So why do I call them “Simple Spiritual Practices”? I thought it might be helpful to define our terms, and to talk about what these practices actually are–and what they are not.

So let’s break this down word-by-word, shall we?

SIMPLE
Time with God doesn’t have to be complicated, or take a long time. There are simple, approachable, doable things we can do to create space for God that don’t take much time to do.

For example, I often enourage people to start with just five minutes of silence. Five minutes might not seem like a long time, but this can be an incredibly powerful practice. Try it and notice what happens!

Sometimes we make it harder than it needs to be, and often the simplest steps are what lead to true connection and growth.

Simple does not, however, mean easy. There are no shortcuts to growth or life change, and God often invites us to sit in spaces that are uncomfortable and messy. It’s often the most painful places in our lives where the deepest transformation takes place, and this is so important to remember.

There is still, of course, value in extended times of quiet with God, and I still seek these out. But God meets us right where we’re at, and often that happens in the margins of our days.

SPIRITUAL
Sometimes I struggle with calling these “spiritual” practices. Because there really is no such thing as your “spiritual life.” There is just LIFE. And all of life can be spiritual when we are aware of God’s presence with us.

However, I use this term simply to reflect that the purpose of these practices is to help you connect with God. But I believe in practices for the mind, body, and soul, because you are a whole person and your “spiritual” life does not happen in isolation.

PRACTICES
You may have also heard these called spiritual “disciplines.” There’s nothing wrong with that, and that term does resonate with me too. But the reason I like “practices” better is because discipline can sometimes have a negative connotation to it. It might imply striving or effort or rigorous force.

But when we practice, there’s less pressure on us to do it right. We assume that it’s for the purpose of continuing to grow and improve. Perfection is not expected when we practice.

A practice is also something that needs a routine and rhythm, and our life with God is something that we can build habits around. Again, not in order to “fix” ourselves but to create space for God to do what only he can do.

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So that’s how I define “Simple Spiritual Practices.”

As I share a variety of practices with you, the goal is not to do them all at once. Rather, I hope to give you ideas of new and creative ways you can connect with God–especially when you don’t have a lot of quiet OR extra time.

We are not creating a checklist of things to do. I’d encourage you to choose one new practice, decide a routine and rhythm for when you will do it, try it for a season, and notice how it feels. Experiment and be curious, and avoid the temptation to try and do it the “right” way.

Spiritual growth is something God does in us. All we can do is create space for connection with him.

There’s no magic formula or 3-step program that will guarantee growth, and that’s not what we’re talking about here.

There’s so much mystery to our life with God, and it’s important to know what is ours to do, and what only God can do.

So simple spiritual practices are ways that we create space for the healing, transforming work of God. Because an experience and encounter with God’s love is the only path to growth.

The point is not the practices themselves. What we are pursuing is Jesus himself. We rest in his presence and receive his love, so that we become more like him. And then, we go out and live our lives, bringing the love and presence of Jesus with us, and to other people.

Let us know in the comments: What does the term “simple spiritual practices” mean to you? What practices are you currently trying, and what are you noticing?