3 Ways to be Nourished by the Word

Years ago, when my husband and I were dating, he had a friend who worked in the kitchen of a very well-known sit-down restaurant chain. What I learned from his stories opened my eyes to what goes on behind the scenes in most restaurants, revealing a world to me that, in some ways, I wish I knew nothing about. 

One such revelation was that most of the food in these establishments is not cooked or prepared on site. Instead, most of these dining chains rely heavily on a system of mass-produced, pre-prepared frozen ingredients and mixes that are shipped to individual locations to be reheated and assembled.

​In one conversation, I remember this roommate saying that the joke within the industry was that one particular restaurant should be renamed “Microwave Garden” since that’s basically what was happening in the kitchen. 

Now, I don’t mean to throw shade on any restaurant. It actually makes a lot of sense why chains rely on these systems. They help keep the food and overall experience consistent, no matter which location you visit. They also make it possible to serve customers quickly and efficiently. With menus that big, it’s pretty practical and necessary to use frozen, pre-portioned ingredients just to keep everything organized and running smoothly. And generally speaking, they are successful at what they do — otherwise people wouldn’t keep coming back again and again.

That said, even though these systems and establishments definitely have their place, there’s still something to be said for restaurants where speed, efficiency, and uniformity aren’t everything. 
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Where we live, we’re lucky to have a few places like that—small, locally owned, “mom and pop” kind of spots. The menus are much smaller, but everything is made fresh and to a high standard. It feels less like a transaction and more like being invited over to a friend’s house for a home-cooked meal. Cooking like that takes time, care, and attention to detail, and the result is usually a real sense of community, connection, and warmth. It’s more than just being fed — it’s being nourished. 

As I’ve mused over all of this, somewhere along the way, it all started to feel like a metaphor for life, especially for how I walk with the Lord.

If I’m honest, I often approach my life — especially my spiritual walk and time spent in the Word—like a chain restaurant. I try to systematize everything so it runs smoothly and efficiently. I focus on output, on productivity, on doing more and doing it faster. I find myself chasing after shortcuts and “life hacks” that promise to optimize everything.

But in doing so, I can miss the slower, more personal work God is inviting me into—the kind that isn’t rushed or mass-produced, but formed through presence, patience, and relationship.

To be sure, there are seasons when we genuinely need those systems and shortcuts—times when life feels chaotic, overwhelming, or like we’re just in survival mode, doing whatever it takes to get through the day. In those moments, structure and efficiency can be a gift. But the danger is that what was meant to carry us through a season slowly becomes the way we live all the time.

And that’s where I find myself asking a harder question. I’m still doing the work—I’m reading the Word, I’m studying, I’m staying “fed” in a sense. But I have to pause and wonder: am I actually being nourished? Am I truly connected to the Father and experiencing intimacy with Him? 

Sometimes, in all the effort to stay consistent and productive, I can miss the quieter invitation to slow down, sit with Him, and actually let the truth sink in. And I can feel the effects of that ripple through everything—how I show up with my family, how I interact with friends, how I respond to my circumstances, and even what I experience in my own thoughts and feelings. 

All of this has brought me to a place where I want to truly slow down and simplify how I pursue my time and walk with the Lord. I want my time with Him to be meaningful, not just performed. ​

So, I’m intentionally slowing down and simplifying the way I come to the Word. I’m letting go of the tendency to rush through it or over-systematize it, and instead choosing to be present with it in a more honest, unhurried way. Here are three ways I’m trying to live that out each day.

1. Slow down by writing (and not just reading) the Bible
It is very easy for me when I am reading through a passage to focus on just absorbing the information as quickly as I can and moving on. But I really believe that God designed our minds for more than basic input and surface-level thoughts. He formed us for depth, reflection, and stillness. His desire has always been that His Word would not simply pass through us, but shape us from the inside out. This is why He wrote down His Word for us in the first place. It was given in a form that could be held, returned to, lingered over, and remembered in the rhythm of daily life. For me, writing out the Scriptures has become a way I can participate in that process. It slows my heart and mind enough for truth to be received, not rushed. 

When I was in college, I used to study for exams by rewriting all my class notes by hand. It turned out to be an incredibly helpful way not just to memorize the material, but actually understand it.

Because handwriting engages multiple senses, it creates a stronger “memory trace” in the brain. It also naturally slows you down—you have to think through what you’re writing, summarize it, and put it in your own words. In a way, it forces you to be fully present with the material instead of just skimming over it.

When I slow down and take the time to write out God’s Word, my mind becomes fully immersed in what God has to say. All other thoughts get crowded out. Now, I’m not just reading quickly or skimming over familiar words—I’m actually engaging with them. I’m thinking through them, absorbing them, and letting them sit with me longer. And in that slower pace, I am better able to actually hear and focus on what God is saying.

“Keep My commands and live; keep My teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 7:2-3

2. Slow down by praying the Bible
​Praying the Bible simply means letting the Scripture shape the way we talk to God. Rather than relying on our own thoughts and words, we take what God has already said to talk with Him. This is particularly helpful on days and in seasons where my thoughts feel scattered or my emotions are trying to run the show. It reminds me of what God has already said, what He’s already promised, and who He has already revealed Himself to be.

When I do this, I have noticed that over time, something really subtle but powerful happens. The way I pray starts to shift. My words become more shaped by His Word. And even the way I see my life, circumstances, struggles, and questions begins to change. This happens because I am learning to look at everything through the lens of what God has already spoken. My prayers become less about asking for what I want or saying just the right words and more about simply abiding in His.

Kristyn Perez, a writer for The Daily Grace Co., provides a great framework for how to pray using the Scriptures. If you’ve never done this before and need some help to get started, I highly recommend checking out her method here. 

“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding . . . Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:103-105

3. Slow down by making time to meditate on the Bible
There’s a story in my family that we often retell that has actually created its own motto. When my brother Stephen was around four years old, my mom caught him sitting rather sadly on the sofa one day as he waited for a ride to soccer practice. He looked longingly out the window and sighed as only a four-year-old can. My mom asked him what was wrong. He looked at her and said, “Life is just so busy, I don’t even have time for staring anymore. Everyone needs a little staring time.” 

This is so true. Everyone does need time to just pause, stare, and reflect. This is especially true when it comes to meditating on God’s Word. So, often I have told myself at the end of my time in the Word that I will try to bring it back to my mind throughout the day and reflect on it. But honestly, life gets busy fast. Between everything competing for my attention, that kind of reflection doesn’t usually happen naturally or consistently. 

The truth is that meditation isn’t some haphazard thing. It must be intentional. I have to be proactive and protective of the time set aside to ponder and reflect on God’s Word. 

And here’s the part that's a little hard to admit. So often, I say I don’t have time to meditate. But if I’m honest, I usually do—I just don’t always choose to see it that way. If I actually looked at where my time goes, all those small moments of scrolling, “me time,” or just decompressing, I could probably find at least 10 minutes—maybe more—that could easily be redirected. Time to step away, quiet my surroundings, remove distractions, and sit with what God has done, what He’s teaching me, and what He’s revealing through His Word.

And I know I’d be better for it. Because while things like social media, TV, or other forms of rest aren’t wrong in themselves, they don’t nourish my soul the way Scripture does. They don’t form me the way lingering with God’s Word does. 

“His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree
planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:2-3

All of this has really brought me to a simple but important realization: I don’t want to be simply efficient in my walk with the Lord—I want to be formed by Him. I don’t want my time in the Word to feel rushed, overly systematized, or something I squeeze in between everything else. I want it to be unhurried, present, and real.

In a way, I’ve started to notice how easy it is to approach my spiritual life like a chain restaurant—focused on systems, speed, and consistency, trying to make everything run smoothly and efficiently. And while those systems can help in certain seasons, they were never meant to replace the slower, more personal, and deeply relational work God has for me. 

I don’t want my walk with Him to feel mass-produced or transactional. I want it to feel more like a meal made with time, care, attention, and presence, where the goal isn’t speed but nourishment.

Because the ultimate goal isn’t just to get through Scripture—it’s to get Scripture into me. To let it slow me down, fill me, and draw me deeper into a relationship with God, not just a routine with God.

I am starting to see what slowing down really looks like. It’s about making sure what I am doing is meaningful and matters. So my goal is to listen, to reflect, and to immerse myself in what He has to say.

If you find yourself in a season—or even just a pattern—where your time in God’s Word feels a bit flat, rushed, or lacking depth and authenticity, I’d gently encourage you to sit with what I’ve shared here and reflect on it. Consider whether the Lord might be inviting you, even now, into something slower, more rooted, and deeply nourishing.

I hope that what I’ve shared becomes a small encouragement toward a return to a quieter, more attentive way of being with God, where His Word is not just read, but received—and where your soul is not just fed, but truly nourished.

What if, instead of approaching God’s Word to complete a routine, you approached it to be deeply transformed by His presence?