Christians talk about having a quiet time. What exactly is a quiet time?

from the old testament

• The author of Psalm 1:1–2 encourages us to meditate day and night, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
• Psalm 119 extols the power of God’s Word and the importance of knowing and living by it.
• Daniel was not fearful of praying regularly during captivity (Daniel 6:10–13; 9:1–19).

from the new testament

• Jesus spent time alone and in public in prayer (Matthew 26:36; Luke 5:16; 9:18; 11:1).
• The apostle Paul prayed often (Romans 1:8–10; Ephesians 1:16; 1 Timothy 2:1).
• A person's prayer life and practice of reading the Word should be governed by reverence (Hebrews 12:28).
• Prayer should be done in spirit and in truth (John 4:23–24).
• We should be relying on God's promise to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
• We should draw near to Him boldly and without fear of punishment, like children coming near to their father (Hebrews 4:16).
• In John 17:17 Jesus prayed for His followers, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
• Second Timothy 3:16–17 affirms the importance of knowing Scripture: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

implications for today

The Bible depicts many of its righteous characters in prayer. It is interesting to note that the prayer lives of these men were completely different. Daniel prayed three times a day at his window, while Jesus prayed at random times of day and night, whenever He felt the need to talk to God. Paul's recorded prayers were focused on the needs of the believers, while David's recorded prayers are in the Psalms—mostly hymns and poetry extolling God's virtues or crying out to Him with personal, emotional needs. All of these ways of praying are correct.

The same dynamic can be seen in the different Bible characters' approach to the reading and study of the Word. In Psalm 119, David begs God to teach him, repeatedly outlining all the ways that Scripture is beneficial for spiritual health, growth, and understanding. Jesus is rarely shown reading the Scriptures, but He quotes the Scripture very often, showing that He had memorized large portions of it (Matthew 4:1–11). Paul uses the Word to argue and prove theological points (Romans 3:1–20), and the Word was carried directly to Daniel by the angel Gabriel (Daniel 9:20–23). And there are many other examples, throughout the Bible, of faithful characters' interaction with God and His Word. All of these are ways to spend time with the Lord and to grow closer to Him.

Quiet time should never be done out of religious obligation. If a quiet time is done at a certain time of day, or in a certain way, because someone else expects it, or because it's "the right way," it can quickly ruin joy and fellowship with the Spirit. That kind of ritualistic quiet time is to be avoided. Regular prayer and study are important and necessary to the spiritual life of the believer, but each person should find a time of day and a way of praying and studying that works for them.