I sat down with my good friend K’miya Brownlee to learn how she sets a cozy environment for her quiet time routine, what study materials she uses, and how she chooses what to explore during her session.

THE ROUTINE.

I would love to have my quiet time in the morning but the way that my life is set up I can’t get out of the bed. So, I usually do after work/before I go to sleep and that gets my mind right. I aspire to have quiet time three times throughout the week…but it’s usually one or two times out of the week. My sessions are typically 30-60 minutes, but sometimes it’ll extend to 60-90 minutes.

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MY QUIET TIME IN THE MORNING BUT THE WAY THAT MY LIFE IS SET UP I CAN’T GET OUT OF THE BED.

When I am getting ready for a Bible study session, I like to pour my happy place drink, cran-grape juice, or orange juice. Once that is set, my routine usually looks something like this:

Step 1: Put on comfy clothes. This includes my favorite sweats which are super soft and an oversized t-shirt with fuzzy socks.

Step 2: Pray and get my mind in the right spot before I start reading the scripture.

Step 3: Light candles. I like big candles with warm scents… I’m not a fan of candles that smell like food. If the whole room smells like cupcakes that’s a problem, because I’ll be hungry.

I usually do Bible studies in my bed unless I feel like I am going to go sleep and then I’ll sit at a desk.

Step 4: Get my study materials together. I take out my in hand-Bible and my phone. My go-to Bible is my study Bible HCSB version. It breaks things down really well. I use my phone for a couple of apps that help guide me in my study. The first is the Dictionary app. When I get to a word I don’t understand or don’t recognize I’ll look it up. Secondly, the YouVersion Bible App, for its plans.

Sometimes I grab a notebook but I usually don’t. I might get out any other books I might want to read. I always grab “Prayers That Rout Demons and Break Curses” by John Eckhardt.

I read a lot of Christian books. Often times, a chapter or paragraph will refer back to a scripture. If I read one that stands out to me, I’ll underline it and that might trigger a Bible study.

MY GO-TO BIBLE IS MY STUDY BIBLE HCSB VERSION. IT BREAKS THINGS DOWN REALLY WELL.

Step 5: Set the Music. For background music I like the Kari Jobe station or album and turn it all the way down so I can barely hear it. Hillsong is definitely a go-to as well. I also might type in “soft Christian music” or “worship music” into Apple Music or Pandora.

Step 6: I’ll decide what to study. Depending on where my focus has been lately (i.e. dealing with depression), I’ll go to the prayers book (mentioned above) and look up the topic. The book lists scriptures that relate and I’ll go to them in my Bible. If I understand it I’ll read it and meditate on it. If I can’t quite comprehend, my study Bible directs me to other places to go for similar scripture. The bottom of my bible even tells me why the scripture I’m looking at was worded in a certain way.

MORE HELPFUL HINTS/FUN TIDBITS FROM K’MIYA.

I used to have a system. I would only underline in my Bible at my church and I would only highlight when I was reading the Bible for myself. That system died because I would forget a pen.. but it did work really well because I could see both what I studied at church vs. at home and could remember to refer back to what I was learning in church. I would suggest this method to you, just remember your pen!

I added Bible tabs to my Bible that I purchased from Etsy. They are one of my favorite purchases that I’ve made for my Bible study. I record the sermons at my church and listen when I get home and sometimes scripture is fired off super rapidly–the tabs help me to flip quickly to the reference.

I ADDED BIBLE TABS TO MY BIBLE THAT I PURCHASED FROM ETSY. THEY ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE PURCHASES THAT I’VE MADE FOR MY BIBLE STUDY.

Because I usually have my Bible studies in my bed, I change positions all the time to keep myself awake. I also make my room as bright as possible. I take the shade off of the lamp on my nightstand.

PLANS OPEN ON K’MIYA’S YOUVERSION APP RIGHT NOW.

Path of a Worshipper
21 Days to Beat Depression
Being a Woman of the Word
Enemies of the Heart
God’s Grace: Devotions From Time of Grace

I hope you enjoyed this read! I’m curious, do you have a quiet time routine that you want to share? We’d love to know. Email us at info@beinnotof.com to be featured in an upcoming blog post!

WRITTEN BY NIYAH SIMONE

The Keys to a Cozy (and Productive) Quiet Time Routine ft. K'miya Brownlee

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