13 Ways to Stay Connected to God (When You’re Already Busy)

Inside: Do you have trouble staying close to God throughout the day? Here are 13 practical tips to stay connected to God, even with a busy schedule.

It was a bustling, busier-than-normal day at work. I slipped into work mode on autopilot, barely squeezing in a break. I clocked out right on the dot with a sense of accomplishment.

 Then on the drive home, a pang of disappointment hit me: I never thought of God once during the workday.

I’ve noticed that the busier I am at work, the less I think of God. Yet these are probably the times that I need Him the most. You see, I am pretty good about setting aside a morning quiet time, but not so good about praying once the day gets started. 

But I want to stay connected to God throughout the whole day—not just parts of it. I’m guessing you do, too.

The Real Reasons People Struggle to Pray

If you’ve struggled with your prayer life like me, you’re in the majority. There are plenty of reasons we have trouble staying connected to God throughout the day.

Often, we’re simply distracted. The demands of work, family, to-dos, and our phones all clamor for our attention. The world around us is immediate and pressing, while God is invisible and intangible.

At times, we struggle to pray because we’re not sure God hears us or will answer the way we hope. Or, we’re so used to functioning on our own that we don’t feel our need for Him deep enough to seek Him. 

And sometimes, we simply don’t know what to say.

So What Does Prayer Look Like in a Busy Life?

Perhaps you’ve read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and wondered how it’s even possible: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV, emphasis added).

Prayer isn’t about adding another burdensome practice to our already overloaded lives. Rather, it’s about including God in our day-to-day activities.

Prayer is an ongoing turning toward God, anytime and anywhere. It can take a variety of forms:

• a joyful thought of thanksgiving
• a silent cry for assistance
• a muttered exclamation of surprise
• a heartfelt prayer for another person
• a weary groan of exasperation

God cares about every aspect of our thoughts and emotions. We already have a constant stream of chatter throughout the day. Prayer is simply learning to direct some of that chatter toward God—to include Him in our thoughts.

If we’re making (another) to-do list, we ask God for His guidance. When trying to solve a baffling work problem, we ask God what He thinks.

If we’re experiencing rejection, we process how we feel with God. And if we’re worried about an ailing parent, we talk to God about the concern—before giving it over to Him.

As we turn toward God more, we become more sensitive to His leading. We grow more aware of His presence, which is already always with us. And we hunger to know Him more.

This is the essence of walking with God.

What about Meditation?

If prayer is talking to God, meditation is slowing down to reflect on God’s Word.

If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate. Think back to your last sleepless night. You ruminated over a problem, turning it over and over in your mind as you tossed and turned in bed.

Meditating on God’s Word is similar. Instead of repeatedly turning a problem over in your mind, you turn God’s truth over in your mind. It’s the positive version of worry. If you get stuck in negative thinking, you can switch to meditating on God’s truth by saying to yourself, “Yes, but God’s Word says…”

Joshua 1:8 encourages us to reflect on God’s truth throughout the day: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”

In addition to Scripture, we can reflect on a devotional, Christian book, podcast, video, or worship song. We can also think about the meaning of a word of encouragement spoken to us. 

In the book of Luke, Mary offers an apt picture of what this kind of meditation looks like. She contemplates the shepherds’ words regarding her newborn son Jesus. Luke 2:19 says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” 

When was the last time you treasured God’s truth and pondered it in your heart?

The Benefits of Staying Connected to God

The Bible tells us that as we persist in developing a lifestyle of prayer and meditation, we experience many blessings.

1. God will draw close to us.

“Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).

2. God will grant us peace.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).

3. God will hear our prayers.

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Psalm 34:15).

4. God will strengthen us.

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

5. God will reward us.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

6. God will make us fruitful.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

In light of these blessings, let’s turn from our distractions. Here are 13 ways to stay connected with God throughout the day—no matter how busy you are. Pray about which one you can try this week.

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How to Stay Connected to God (Outside of Quiet Time)

1. Put away your phone for the first or last hour of the day. 

Have you ever had an “off day” due to having a frazzled morning? Or had trouble sleeping because you didn’t wind down before bed?

The way that you start and end the day will set the tone. It can affect the pace of our minds and the peace in our hearts.

God is always with us, but we’re often too distracted to be aware of Him. The more unnecessary noise that we allow, the more distant God will seem in our lives. To develop a life more focused on Him, slow down and quiet yourself during the first or last hour of the day.

2. Set a midday alarm to pause for 5 minutes.

Make a habit of stopping to pray mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Set aside a few minutes in conversation with God. If you use the Pomodoro technique to help you focus at work, use one of your break times as a time to connect with God.

If you struggle with distraction, a guided prayer time may help. Using a prayer/meditation app makes it easier to develop this habit. I list some of these below at the end as well.

3. Listen to an audio Bible on the go.

Audio Bibles are one of the best ways to fill our minds with God’s Word, especially if you’ve got young kids and can’t find time to sit down and read the Bible. If it’s difficult for you to follow along with a more literal Bible translation aloud, a paraphrase such as the New Living Translation (NLT) might be easier to process.

Think of it as having someone read you the story of God’s Word aloud. It’s a great way to keep our minds focused on Him and His truths as we go about our day.

You might do this while driving to pick up the kids, cooking—or folding underwear for the umpteenth time this week.

4. Shower with Scripture. 

Print out some Bible verses that speak to you in this season. Put them in an upside-down Ziplock bag and tape them to your shower wall. You can use this time to connect with God and His Word.

You can also do the same thing on the bathroom mirror, kitchen, or exercise bike. Or use the Bible App widget to put a Bible verse on your phone’s home screen. You’ll see a verse every time you pick up your phone.

5. Choose content that points you to God.

Another way to keep our minds focused above is to replace some of the noise we consume with Christian content. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

If you scroll through social media or the news more than you’d like, use Feedly to subscribe to your favorite Christian blogs and compile them in one place. This method also keeps your e-mail inbox less cluttered. Read them like an online magazine when you have downtime.

Similarly, you can subscribe to your favorite Christian YouTubers and watch them instead of yet another four-season series you didn’t really want to watch.

6. Set aside time to process your workday. 

Use your commute home to talk about your workday with God—the good, the bad, and everything in between. This is one practical way to walk with God.

Your mind will be clearer when you get home because you’ve mentally reviewed your day in the car, rather than at the dinner table. (Your family will thank you for it!)

7. Stash a couple of devotionals in strategic places.

Take the time to find a couple of devotionals that you enjoy and put them in your car, work bag, living room, or nightstand. Read one entry in your car before you go into work, during your lunch break, or before bed.

You’ll be surprised how much this helps you refocus on God. If you scramble to get out the door most mornings, getting to work five minutes earlier to meditate on a devotional will help your morning go smoother. I share a list of devotionals for every reason at the end of this article.

8. Spend time outside (especially if you work indoors). 

Don’t let the spectacular wallpaper on your computer be the only taste of nature that you get. Get outside and take in the beauty of God’s creation whenever you can because this helps our hearts worship the Creator of the universe.

Eat your lunch outside when the weather is nice. Make it a point to spend some time in the backyard at the end of the day. Go on a long walk on the weekend.

If we look, we’ll find beauty in even the most sprawling of urban landscapes. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” But we’ll miss this truth if we don’t make time to notice it.

9. Write in a bedtime journal. 

Often, it’s easier to put pen to paper than to try to formulate a prayer while dead tired at the end of a long day. The tangible act of journaling helps us quiet our hearts in preparation for bed.

Write down 3 things you’re grateful for and 3 prayer requests in a bullet-point format. Keep it short and simple. You’ll be surprised how a few minutes of reflection can help re-center your heart on God before you turn out the lights.

10. Maintain white space in your schedule. 

Just as graphic designers maintain white space on a webpage so they don’t overwhelm readers, we also need white space in our schedules.

Stop trying to cram in another task whenever you have free time (I’m guilty of this, too!). Put down your phone between appointments. Use the downtime to catch your breath and talk to God instead. 

RELATED: Living with Margin: 13 Ways to Create Space in Your Life

11. Engage with God through a creative hobby.

Like everything in life, we can engage in our hobbies with or without God. First Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Find a creative hobby to use as a special time to talk with God. As you create, keep Him in your thoughts and offer your hobby as an act of worship to Him. Praise Him for the gifts He has given you to enjoy.

12. Challenge yourself to a Gratitude Hour. 

Gratitude is like a muscle that we can build. Challenge yourself to spend an hour purposely looking for ways that God has blessed you as you go about your day. Thank Him for these blessings!

This kind of proactive gratitude is God’s will for us. First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

13. Don’t wait for a better moment than now.

A little time is better than no time. Occasionally, we think that because we missed our whole morning routine today, we shouldn’t try at all until tomorrow when we can “do better.”

Or we wait until we can talk to God later when we have a quieter moment—but that moment never comes.

Think of your dedicated quiet time with God as a date night. Just as you wouldn’t wait for a date night to talk to your spouse, we can talk to God at any time, even in the least ideal moments. Our day-to-day communication is what makes up our day-to-day relationship with God.

There’s no better moment to talk to Him than now.

Walking Humbly with God

The goal here isn’t to become a “super Christian.” The idea is to implement little habits, rather than try to upend our schedule all at once. Pick one sustainable, realistic habit to implement at a time.

God will meet us where we are and give us the grace that we need. 

We’re cultivating a rhythm and lifestyle of humbly walking with Him. The more we do this, the more peace and joy we’ll have. The more fruit we will bear. And the more that auto-pilot mode at work will include God—not exclude Him.

In what areas of life do you unintentionally omit God? What can you do today to stay connected to God more consistently?

For more on this topic:

How to Keep the Sabbath in Modern Times

Living with Margin: 13 Ways to Create Space in Your Life

How to Make Bible Reading a Habit That You’ll Stick To

From Duty to Delight: How to Actually Enjoy Reading the Bible

Resources to Stay Connected to God

Audio Bibles:

YouVersion Bible App (free)

Bible.is (free)

Dwell (like Spotify for Bible verses—it allows you to listen to scripture verses by topic)

Prayer/meditation apps:

One Minute Pause App (free)

Lectio 365 (free)

Abide (also helps with sleep)

Devotionals for Every Reason:

For something light and uplifting: Be Still and Know: Morning and Evening Devotional

For men by men: Stand Strong: 365 Devotions for Men by Men

For work and career: The Word Before Word by Jordan Raynor

For vacations: Refreshed: Devotions for Your Time Away by John Hindley

For renewal from burnout: Restoration Year by John Eldredge

For depression and anxiety: Hope For Today: 365 Days of Prayer for Depression & Anxiety

For a difficult season: Streams in the Desert by L.B.E. Cowman

For when you don’t want to carry around a physical book: Morning and Evening Devotional Readings by Charles Spurgeon (online blog)

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Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash