Content
Introduction
Spending time with God each day
Christian faith is not simply something we practise on Sundays. At the heart of Christian life is a growing relationship with God — learning to listen to God, speak with God, and allow God’s Word to shape the way we live. One of the most helpful ways of doing this is to develop a simple daily pattern of prayer and Bible reading. You do not need to be an expert, and you do not need to spend a long time. For many people, 10–15 minutes each day is a good place to begin. The important thing is not finding a perfect method. It is making space regularly to be with God. Different approaches suit different people, so on this page we have gathered a number of resources from different Christian traditions. You may want to try several and discover what helps you most.
A simple daily “Quiet Time”
If you are not sure where to begin, try this simple pattern.
1. Be still
Find somewhere reasonably quiet. Put aside distractions for a few minutes and remind yourself that you are in the presence of God. You might simply pray: “Lord, I am here. Help me to become aware of your presence.”
2. Pray
Ask God to speak to you through the Bible. For example: “Lord, open my heart and mind. Help me to hear what you want to say to me today.”
3. Read
Read a short passage from the Bible slowly. You may find it helpful to read it twice. Do not worry if you do not understand everything. Notice particularly any word, phrase, idea or image that catches your attention.
4. Reflect
Take a little time to think about what you have read. You might ask:
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- What does this passage tell me about God?
- What does it tell me about people and about myself?
- Is there a word or phrase that particularly speaks to me?
- Is there something for which I should give thanks?
- Is there something I need to change?
- Is there something God may be asking me to do?
- Is there something I simply need to trust?
5. Respond
Talk to God about what you have read. Prayer does not require special words. Speak naturally and honestly. You might include:
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- Thank you — for God’s goodness and the blessings of life
- Sorry — for things that need forgiveness
- Please — for your own needs and the needs of others
- Help me — to live faithfully today
6. Live it
Before you finish, ask: “What one thing can I take from this time with God into the rest of today?” It might be a Bible verse to remember, a person to pray for, someone to contact, something to change, or simply the reassurance that God is with you.
Don’t worry if you miss a day
Developing a spiritual discipline takes time. If you miss a day — or several days — do not give up and do not feel guilty. Simply begin again. The purpose of daily prayer and Bible reading is not to achieve a perfect record. It is to deepen our relationship with God and increasingly allow his love, grace and truth to shape our everyday lives.
Resources to help you
There are many good ways of developing a daily pattern of prayer and Bible reading. Here are some that we recommend.
Scripture Union — WordLive & Encounter with God
A good place to begin if you would like a Bible passage with helpful explanation and reflection. Scripture Union has a long tradition of helping people read and understand the Bible. WordLive is a free online daily Bible-reading resource designed to help us meet with God through Scripture. Each day includes a Bible passage together with reflection and material to help us think more deeply about what we have read. It is particularly helpful if you want your daily time with God to be centred on understanding the Bible and applying it to everyday life.
Visit Scripture Union WordLive
Scripture Union also publishes Encounter with God, offering more detailed daily Bible study and reflection.
Explore Scripture Union Bible-reading and prayer resources
BRF Ministries — New Daylight
The Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) produces Accessible Bible-reading notes from a wide range of Christian writers. New Daylight, published by BRF Ministries, provides a short Bible passage each day together with reflection and prayer. Its contributors come from a variety of Christian backgrounds, and the readings cover both Old and New Testaments, biblical characters, themes and the seasons of the Christian year. It is a particularly good resource for anyone wanting something thoughtful but not overly academic.
Lectio 365
A very accessible way to pray with the Bible using your phone or tablet. Lectio 365 is a free devotional app produced by the 24-7 Prayer movement. Its guided daily devotions help us to pray through Scripture and can either be read or listened to. The method follows the simple pattern:
P — Pause: Become still and aware of God’s presence.
R — Rejoice and Reflect: Pray with a Psalm and reflect on Scripture.
A — Ask: Bring your prayers and the needs of others to God.
Y — Yield: Offer yourself and the coming day to God.
This can be particularly helpful for people who enjoy guided prayer or who would like to listen while travelling, walking or sitting quietly at home.
Sacred Space
A gentle, reflective and contemplative approach to daily prayer. Sacred Space comes from the Ignatian tradition of Christian spirituality and is produced by the Irish Jesuits. Its free daily online prayer leads you gently through a period of stillness and reflection before presenting the Gospel reading for the day. The pattern includes becoming aware of God’s presence, reflecting on your life, listening to Scripture and responding to God in prayer. It is especially helpful for anyone who would like a quieter and more reflective approach to spending time with God.
Begin today’s prayer with Sacred Space
Anglican patterns of daily prayer
Christians have prayed at regular times throughout the day for many centuries. The Church of England provides several resources that allow us to join in this continuing rhythm of prayer.
Time to Pray
A simple introduction to Anglican daily prayer. Time to Pray provides a straightforward pattern of Prayer During the Day and Night Prayer. It combines Scripture, prayer and praise and follows the seasons of the Christian year. It is available through the Church of England as an app and podcast and is particularly suitable for someone beginning a regular pattern of structured daily prayer.
Church of England Daily Prayer
For those who would like a fuller traditional rhythm of Morning, Evening or Night Prayer. The Church of England’s Daily Prayer resources provide Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer for every day of the year. They include Psalms, Bible readings, canticles and prayers and follow the seasons and festivals of the Christian year. You can read the services online or use the Church of England Daily Prayer app or podcast.
Join in today’s Church of England Daily Prayer
Find out about the Daily Prayer app and podcast
Everyday Faith
Helping us discover 
God in ordinary everyday life. Christian discipleship is about more than our explicitly religious activities. It is about learning to recognise and follow God in our homes, relationships, workplaces, communities and daily decisions. The Church of England’s Everyday Faith app provides Bible readings, reflections and prayer designed to encourage Christian discipleship from Sunday through to Saturday. It may be particularly helpful if you want your daily prayer to connect more directly with the practical circumstances of everyday life.
Which one should I try?
If all these choices seem a little overwhelming, here is a simple guide.
“I am new to daily Bible reading.”
Try Scripture Union WordLive or BRF New Daylight.
“I would like someone to guide me through about ten minutes of prayer.”
Try Lectio 365.
“I would like something quieter and more reflective.”
Try Lectio Divina or Sacred Space.
“I would like to develop a recognisably Anglican pattern of daily prayer.”
Try Time to Pray.
“I would like something more substantial, including Psalms and several Bible readings.”
Try Church of England Daily Prayer.
“I particularly want to connect my faith with everyday life.”
Try Everyday Faith.
A Bible and a quiet place may be all you need
Apps, books and devotional notes can be extremely helpful, but remember that they are only aids. At its simplest, daily devotion requires very little:
a Bible,
a little time,
a reasonably quiet place,
and a willingness to listen and pray.
Sometimes you may learn something new. Sometimes a verse may seem extraordinarily relevant. Sometimes prayer may come easily. On other days you may feel distracted and nothing very much may seem to happen. That is quite normal. Christian spiritual growth usually happens gradually, through the faithful practice of returning again and again to God.
Jesus said:
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you.”
John 15:4
Our hope at Christ Church, South Nutfield is that these resources will help all of us to make space for God — listening to his Word, growing in prayer, and allowing our faith increasingly to shape the way we live each day.
Start simply. Start today. And keep going.
Lectio Divina — praying slowly with Scripture
A traditional Christian way of allowing a short passage of Scripture to become prayer. Lectio Divina simply means “divine reading”. It is an ancient way of reading Scripture slowly and prayerfully rather than simply trying to gather information. You can practise Lectio Divina with almost any short Bible passage.
- Lectio — Read – Read the passage slowly. Do not hurry. Notice any word or phrase that particularly attracts your attention.
- Meditatio — Reflect – Stay with that word, phrase or image. Ask why it may be speaking to you today.
- Oratio — Pray – Respond to God. Tell him what the passage has stirred within you.
- Contemplatio — Rest – Spend a little time simply being still in God’s presence. There is no need to fill every moment with words.
- Actio — Act – Finally ask: “How might God be asking me to live differently because of what I have read?”
Lectio Divina can be especially helpful if you sometimes find yourself reading the Bible too quickly or treating it mainly as something to be studied.
