I couldn’t shake the answer out of my head, and it has stayed with me to this day.

If I were asked the same question, I would have said: “Because I have a personal relationship with God”—which might have been considered the “right” answer.

The reader’s answer, however, haunted me. It was an answer that God would use to probe the motivations of my heart.

Quiet time was one of those spiritual disciplines that I was taught soon after I became a Christian. I was told to set aside time to read God’s Word every day, and to pray and focus on God, so as to be strengthened in my faith.

To be sure, the practice helped me in my foundational years as a Christian. In fact, a fond memory of my university days was having quiet time at a study bench, in between lectures. But when I started work, I struggled to keep up the practice daily, especially when I was busy. Often, my quiet time with God became sporadic and short.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m reading the Bible for the sake of doing it. After reading the passage, it doesn’t seem like God is speaking to my current situation. But I try to keep to the routine anyway.

Perhaps what made me uneasy about the reader’s answer was this:

It reminded me of God’s criticism of the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:2–4. Though their exemplary works, diligence, and perseverance were praiseworthy, He had this against them: “You have forsaken the love you had at first” (v. 4)

In all honesty, however, I don’t think Jesus had ever been my first love, even when I first believed in Him. Is it possible to leave a first love that never was?

Don’t get me wrong. Over the years, my love for Jesus has deepened as I grew in my understanding and appreciation of what His death and resurrection has accomplished for me. But it’s not the same as the anticipation and joy that you would feel when meeting the one you love, face to face.

Maybe it’s because I was like the older sibling in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), dutiful and rule-following.

As part of my exploration of convictions about reading God’s Word, I asked a friend, Benji, how he strives to never miss a day of quiet time.

His commitment, he explained, stemmed from his background. Although he had attended mission schools for 12 years—and was even able to share the gospel at the age of 7—he remained an atheist throughout the time.

So, when he finally decided to give his life to Jesus later, he recognised that simply knowing about God wasn’t enough to sustain a relationship with Him. “I didn’t want to believe in God blindly,” he told me. “This fear led me to guard my relationship with Him fiercely, and quiet time is one of the forts.”

After months of reflecting on what it meant to encounter God, Benji received inspiration from Exodus 34:4–7: Moses declared the attributes of God while bringing to the Israelites the Ten Commandments chiselled on the stone tablets. He then realised this:

If he could know God intimately through His Word, Benji reasoned, he would endeavour to read the Bible every day.

Benji’s story reminded me that it is the Holy Spirit who grants us the desire to have the mind of God (Philippians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 2:14–16). We cannot stir up a yearning to spend time with God by sheer willpower or resolve.

We have different reasons and motivations for our regular quiet time with God. And different reasons can carry us through different seasons of life.

But I believe that God is always calling His people to himself. No one reason is better than another, and in His love, He will refine our hearts so that we naturally desire to spend time with Him. He is always pleased by our obedience, and will honour our efforts and commitment to spend time with Him.

Common are the days when I feel tired, with little energy to read God’s Word. But I still make sure to set aside time to turn to the Bible and pray to Him, hoping that it will stir up my love for God.

If you were to ask me now, “Why do you have quiet time with God?”, my answer would be the same: “Because I have a personal relationship with God.” Or: “Having my quiet time is part of my commitment to God.”

But I would also add: