“The words quiet time are not in the Bible.” I remember the first time I heard that fact. My mind was blown, and at the same time, I experienced immense release. As someone who has never been able to figure out how to have a good, consistent quiet time, this news was liberating. My brain literally does not work early in the morning. For years, I would set an alarm, determined to wake up early. I would hear the shaming voices in my head: “Can’t you wake up just 15 minutes early for the God of the Universe who sent His Son to die for you?” Inevitably, the next morning, half asleep, I would hit that snooze button. I’ve tried apps, devotionals, the Bible itself. I have never been able to figure it out. 

Here’s why I think it’s important that we reset the framework for Bible study: because Scripture commands more than a quiet time. When you look in the Bible for what it says about God’s Word, it is never simply a moment in a day. It’s 24/7. Day and night. Night and day.

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1–3 (ESV)

This opening psalm gives us a picture of what we are meant to be in relation to Scripture. We are to be like a tree planted by a stream—a constant flow of the living water of God feeding our roots and bringing nourishment to us. Day and night. But how on earth are we supposed to do this? I mean, the idea of reading God’s Word day and night, without ceasing, is daunting. 

I think it’s important to note the context here. The concept of reading the Bible is a fairly recent one. The Gutenberg press, which was invented around AD 1440–1455, was the beginning of available printed Bibles. As technology improved and the cost of Bibles decreased, Scripture was translated into more languages and education became more readily available. More and more people were able to have a Bible they could read. You see, the idea of being able to read your own personal copy of the Word has only been around a few hundred years.

So how, for thousands of years, did people learn God’s Word? For thousands of years, they listened to it. The Israelites of the Bible were an oral society, which meant they passed on knowledge verbally. Society was dependent on adults teaching these truths to the children. That’s why the Shema, the core of the Jewish faith, was so important:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, ESV).

The Israelites were commanded to take the words of God to heart (make them part of your core) and to diligently talk about God, His commands, His Word: when you sit, when you walk, when you lie down, when you rise. All the time. Incorporate them into your day. Let His Word become part of your language. Let it flow out of your heart, your mind, your mouth. 

We can meditate on His Word when His Word is in us. But this requires a different approach to the Bible. It’s not a quick hit in the morning: one verse, a devotional written by someone else, and a short prayer. In order for us to be planted by streams of living water, we must study it for ourselves. This is called inductive Bible study, but it’s not as intimidating as it sounds. I like to study slowly (one chapter or section a week) and use four simple questions:

What does this say? (Summarize the passage, list characters, places, repeated words, etc.)

What does this say about God? (This is the most important question in my opinion!)

What does this mean? (Look up cross-references and definitions of key words, etc.)

How should I respond? (Always in the context of God’s character.)

If we want to change the next generation, it requires us to first be rooted in truth. We can’t teach what we don’t know. We need more than a quiet time. When we slow down and study Scripture in context, asking the right questions, with repetition, we will find ourselves deeply rooted like a tree planted by streams of living water. His Word will become our language, and that will pour forth into the next generation as well. 

Adapted from Feasting on Truth: Savor the Life-giving Word of God, by Erin H. Warren