Quiet Time..? More Like Loud Time!

Redefining Quiet Time

For a long time, I thought I was bad at what Christians call ‘quiet time’.

Here’s the picture - early morning, a Bible, a journal and a cup of coffee. Silence, focus and peace. Just me and God uninterrupted. Eek... that sounds exhausting just thinking about it (and I hate coffee haha).

Believe it or not, I could never attain this version of quiet time. Instead, my thoughts raced and my body fidgeted. The silence felt LOUD. I would have to reread the same verse multiple times and still wouldn't absorb it. I felt guilty, distracted, and convinced I was a 'bad Christian' because I couldn’t do it like most people said I should.

What I didn’t realise was that the problem wasn’t my ‘lack of discipline’ or my ability to ‘be still’. It was the definition of ‘quiet time’ I had gotten from a lot of Christians (for years!).

When 'Stillness' Isn’t Actually Still

I have recently been diagnosed with Autism and ADHD, and for many neurodivergent people (including myself), stillness very rarely looks like silence or a lack of movement. Since researching a lot into Autism and ADHD for over a year now and also looking back at my life in light of my diagnosis, so many things make sense. Especially, struggling with ‘quiet time’.   

Silence for people with ADHD can often be uncomfortable. I have learnt this is because the lack of external stimulation causes ADHD brains to go into overdrive, seeking dopamine and making focus difficult. So when people present ‘quiet time’ as sit still, clear your mind, focus uninterrupted, this then (unintentionally) excludes a lot of people.

God Is Not Afraid of a Busy Brain

One of the most freeing truths I’ve learned is this: God does not require a specific cognitive state to meet with us.

Scripture never says:

“Blessed are those with perfect concentration”

“Be still, but only if your mind is calm”

“Come to Me once your thoughts are organised”

God met people while they were walking, fishing, weeping, arguing, doubting, working, and resting.

Presence, not performance, was always the point.

And THAT is what was never represented or spoke about. It seemed to me that the only way people said you should connect with God was by having ‘quiet time’ (as described above). When I tried quiet time I was more focused on the correct behaviours, than actually connecting with God - which is very sad when you think about it. When I start thinking about when I best connect with God, it's when I'm outside in nature. It’s not inside four boring walls that, for me, don’t inspire creativity. So let’s just be clear: a racing mind doesn’t disqualify prayer. Movement doesn’t cancel reverence for God. Not doing ‘quiet time’ as described doesn’t mean your faith is weak or less than.

Quiet Time Can Be Sensory, Active, and Messy

For neurodivergent minds, quiet time may look like:

• Listening to worship music while pacing/dancing

• Reading Scripture out loud

• Colouring, doodling, or an activity while praying

• Short moments talking to God throughout the day instead of one long session

• Sitting in nature and noticing God through our senses

• Journaling in bullet points instead of full sentences

  
  

None of these are 'less spiritual'. Sometimes quiet time isn’t quiet at all, it’s whatever it means to be regulated. Many of us were taught that God is pleased with us when we’re disciplined, consistent, and uninterrupted.

However, above all, Jesus invited us to rest in Him. And that rest will look different from person to person.

That is what God is calling us to; to rest in Him. So if your quiet time leaves you feeling ashamed or disappointed that you couldn’t sit still for a time, it may be time to let the description of ‘quiet time’ go and change it. 

An Invitation

What if quiet time wasn’t about doing it 'right', but about noticing where God already is with you?

What if prayer could be brief, sensory, supported, or spontaneous?

What if stillness meant safety, not silence?

For neurodivergent minds, redefining quiet time isn’t lowering the bar, it’s removing barriers.

God is not waiting on the other side of your self-regulation. God meets you inside it.

You’re Not Failing at Faith

If traditional quiet time has never worked for you, know that you’re not broken! You’re not lazy. You’re not less spiritual. You’re human, with a brain God designed on purpose. And God has never required you to fit into a mould in order to be close to Him. Be guided by God and notice when you connect with Him best. And let that be your new description of ‘quiet time’.