What I really wanted that morning was an hour of quiet time and zero interruptions to truly connect with God. That wasn’t going to happen. How could I hear God and what did I have? Just five minutes.
Internally, I felt a churning: my mind was spinning and my emotions were tangled. I opened my journal and scribbled five bullet points about what was weighing on me. It felt messy, but it helped more than I expected. I didn’t solve anything in that moment, but I felt lighter.
How to Hear God: Begin with A Breath Prayer
Pause and breathe.
A slow inhale and exhale, paired with a line of Scripture, can shift your focus from chaos to stillness. Try Zephaniah 3:17:
- Inhale: “The Lord my God is with me.”
- Exhale: “He is mighty to save.”
A slow breath not only quiets your mind, it soothes your nervous system and creates space to hear God.
How to Hear God: Give Yourself Five Minutes to Listen
Give yourself a small window of presence. Psalm 5:3 invites us into a rhythm that’s both honest and hopeful. David doesn’t say he shows up perfectly or with the right words. He simply lays it all out before God and waits expectantly.
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” ~ Psalm 5:3 (NIV)
Jot down:
- One thing on your mind today
- A tension or peace you feel
- One gratitude
That’s what five minutes can look like. You write what’s real. You name what’s heavy or tender. And then you wait…not to fix it all, but to trust that God is listening and already at work.
Look Back to See What God Has Been Saying
At the end of the week (or whenever you’re able) read back through your entries.
Ask yourself:
- What’s repeating?
- Where did peace show up?
- Where do I see His truth?
Quiet themes may emerge. Scriptures may come to mind that align with those themes. And peace may deepen.
When You Miss a Day, Be Welcomed Back
Life happens. So when you don’t journal for a day (or five!), don’t give up. Just come back. Whether you write one sentence or two pages, you’re still creating space for God to reveal.
When I reread my five “messy” bullet points later that week, I felt comforted. One of those things had been completely resolved. I had recieved further messages about one of my concerns. And the others no longer felt as heavy.
God had let me sit in His lap that hurried morning, be real with my feelings, and carried me in them throughout the week…whether I had 5 minutes or one hour and whether I journaled or not.
Reflection Invitation
How could five minutes of peace make a difference in your day?
What might shift if you gave yourself space to slow down…not to fix or figure it all out, but just to be present with God?
Five minutes won’t solve everything. But it might ground you enough to move forward well.
Looking for tools to help you create your own quiet time with God? You can see the journaling supplies I use and love here.
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