You hear you “should” spend time with God daily. But how do you do that? How do you spend time with someone you can’t physically see or hear? What do you do during that time?
Call it whatever you will, time with God daily makes a difference in your life. And it’s not just for the super-spiritual. We ALL need Him with us every day.
“Why do it?” That’s an important question, but one for another post. This is about the How.
This also is certainly not an exhaustive list. What works for you may change during different periods of your spiritual life. Just like a relationship with a person, your relationship with God can and should grow and change over time.
So here are some suggestions for how to make it work.
- Believe God wants to meet with you. He really does, you know. If you have difficulty truly believing that, start by giving Him a chance. Just try it for a while.
- Choose a time. Like with most things, what doesn’t get scheduled doesn’t get done. Many people find first thing in the morning is best, but what’s more important is that you set a time aside when you will actually do it
- Deal with distractions. Your spouse or best friend would be very unhappy if you spent your time with them texting or checking email. God deserves your undivided attention as well. Turn the TV off, get away from the computer, no one else around, and be quiet.
- Don’t stress about how long you spend. Ten minutes truly in God’s presence can change everything. And with a good friend (i.e. God!), an hour or several hours can go so quickly. Don’t let anxiety about the time prevent you from trying. Start with perhaps 10-15 minutes.
- Choose your environment. Ideally you would choose a place that is quiet and comfortable: the back porch, your favorite chair, a quiet room, a nature trail, your home office. Physically go to that place.
- Invite God to be there. Say out loud something like, “Heavenly Father, I want to meet with you. I can’t see you, but I want to know Your presence.” God hears you. And so do your own ears.<
- Read something from or about God. Reading a few verses or a chapter from the Bible allows God to directly speak to you. There are also many daily devotional books that you can use. If a verse or thought speaks to your heart, stop and think about it for a moment. This isn’t for study: it’s for spiritual nourishment.
- Talk to God. This is one aspect of prayer, and it’s important. Spend a few moments telling Him what you’re worried about, happy about, or wondering about. Ask Him for what you need. Ask Him to keep stretching you.
- Listen to God. A conversation goes two ways! Spend a few minutes just quietly listening. Sometimes your heart will hear something specific from God. Other times it’s just letting your heart know you’re open to hearing whatever God has to say.
- Do it again. Like with any human relationship there are easier times and harder times in your relationship with God. If you don’t spend time with Him one day, don’t get frustrated. Just get up the next day and do it again.
From my own experience, I know these simple steps will help your relationship with God grow. I’m far from perfect here. There are days when I allow the busyness of life to take over, but my soul is always poorer when I have not spent time with God.
Other components of time with God that can be meaningful at times include journaling, worship music, physical movement, art, and more. Explore. Enjoy!
Try it out. He wants to meet with you!
Your turn: What have you found meaningful in spending time with God? Has your time with God changed during different seasons of your spiritual life? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
- 10 Steps to Spending Daily Time with God. It’s not that hard. Tweet This.
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