Spending time with someone you are fun of, friends, family, is the key to getting to know them. This means setting time aside to spend alone with that special person, but it also comes from living your everyday lives together- laughing, eating meals together, or just time talking together. The same is said for our relationship or shall I say, “intimacy with God”.
Spending time alone with God is an essential part of the Christian’s life. It’s a time when you can rest in His presence, read His Word, and speak to Him in prayer. One of the best ways that we can communicate with God is through His Word and prayer.
We should always put God first in our day, it will impact the way we face each day. When should we spend time with God? It is likely that Jesus spent most of his early mornings in prayer to God:
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” – Mark 1:35
When you spend that quality time with Jesus, everything you want will come out of that relationship. Adam and Eve spent time in God’s presence daily.
Mary spends time at the feet of Jesus. If you want your faith to increase. If you want to hear God’s voice. If you want to take your relationship with God to a deeper level, spend time in His presence.
Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)
In order for you to embrace a relationship with our heavenly Father, you need to spend time in His presence. What does it mean for you to spend time with God?
You’ll have to decide what spending quality time with God means to you. You can’t allow other people’s devotional time to intimidate you until you neglect to spend time with God.
If you want your faith to increase, you have to make it a priority to spend time with God. I want to share with you not only why you should spend time with God, but also some easy ways that you can include a quiet time with Jesus in your daily routine every day.
HOW TO MAKE TIME FOR GOD WITH A BUSY SCHEDULE
No matter how good our intentions are there are so many things that take our immediate attention. However, many of us are consumed by our busy lifestyles and responsibilities. As a result, we can easily push this time to the side and give it less priority.
The time we use to spend for prayer, we have now replaced with social media, Instagram, Facebook, or an extra 30 minutes of sleep.
And when the alarm clock go off the second time, then you are running trying to prepare for your day, and there goes the time with God.
No matter how busy your schedule, there is still time during the day you can spend with God. You can talk to God in your office. While jogging or walking alone at the park. Driving to work in the car. Preparing breakfast while the kids are getting ready for school.
As you spend time with God and learn about who He is and what He wants for you, you become more like Jesus. There is no way you will stay the same when you spend time in the presence of God.
I have found that the more time I spend in prayer, the less distraction I have during the day. The more time I spend in prayer, the less likely I am to get flustered and frustrated during the day.
There is a peace you receive when you spend 20 minutes a day in prayer before you start your day. When you make time for God, He is able to keep you in perfect peace because your mind is kept on him (Isaiah 26:3). This kind of peace which passes all understanding.
It is such a blessing to know, no matter how busy our schedules. No matter how fast the pace. We have a God that we can run to and spend time with.
It’s just like a close friendship with a friend. How do we grow closer to someone on a personal level? The most important way is by spending time with them—talking with them, listening to them, sharing your concerns with each other, and even helping them when they need our help.
And the same is true with God. God desires “alone time” with us. He wants a personal relationship with us. When we read or hear His Word, the Bible, He speaks to us. When we pray, we speak to Him. And when we worship Him and obey Him, we are doing His will and participating in His work.
Getting close to the One who loves you most isn’t as hard as it may seem. I like that quiet time in God’s Presence. Most of us hit the ground running each morning and forget to spend a little time in God’s presence before their day starts.
We spend our days accomplishing tasks, big and small, that keep our families and lives in order. With busy schedules and instant access to the noise of social media, it’s pretty hard to find any type of quiet time in our lives. The more time we spend with God, the more revelation we receive, the more we want to be in His presence.
Spending time with God looks different for every person, but there are six things that will help us hear from God in any season.
- Get to know and understand Him from His Perspective
- Start to see things from His perspective
- Hear from Him
- Know what He’s leading you to do
- Understand your God-given purpose
- Build our Faith
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SPENDING TIME WITH GOD?
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. MATTHEW 6:33
When we seek God first, He gives us exactly what we need. Exactly when we need it. We can trust Him. We are not to allow our busy schedules pull us away from God. He should be our number 1 priority.
God wants us to spend time with him! In fact, the more time we spend with God, the more he will be involved in our lives.
Just like with any other relationships we have (spouse, children, parents, friends), if we don’t spend time with them, we won’t cultivate those relationships. We won’t know who they are, what they like, or don’t like. If we don’t spend time with God, we won’t get to know him, or learn what pleases him, and what doesn’t.
He said, “when you seek me, you will find me when you search for me with all your heart. I don’t know about you; nothing should be more important than God. I want to know, when I need Him, he will be there.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SPEND TIME WITH GOD?
With the everyday hustle and bustle of life, the number one thing Satan tries to test is our faith in the midst of life’s challenges, and storms. How much time we spend with God directly correlates to how equipped we are to deal with those tests, and trials when they come.
The more we saturate ourselves with God’s Word, the more our minds are renewed so that we begin to understand and obey God’s will for our lives. The more time we spend with the Holy Spirit, the more He can direct out lives.
- Do not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
- Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)
When we make spending time with God, our number 1 priority, he promises to take care of all our needs.
Our relationship with God is the key to moving beyond knowing about God, to knowing Him personally. It’s the key to living a spirit-led, fruitful, and holy life that pleases God. And that our number one priority, is to please God. God want us to purposely pursue Him. He wants to be the One that you pursue above everyone and everything else.
And ultimately, it’s part of the process through which we’re transformed and become more like Him.
Every relationship needs time together to grow and deepen. A Christian’s relationship with God is no different. We need to spend time with God to know Him better, to hear His heart, and to foster intimacy with our Savior, and to follow Him. Spend time with God because you love him and want to know him more. If you’re not intentional about God, you’re just wasting your time.
Think about it this way… the more time you spend with anyone, the more they start to rub off on you.
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)
I am convinced more than ever, that spending time with God is the single most powerful way to change your life for the better.
And I believe that as you start spending time with Him, you’ll understand exactly what He called you to do.
WHY SPEND TIME WITH GOD DAILY?
Spending time alone with God rids our minds of distraction so that we can focus on Him and hear His Word. Abiding in Him, we enjoy the intimacy to which He calls us and come to truly know Him.
There are so many reasons why developing a habit of spending time with God in His Word and prayer each day are important! Here are just a few key reasons!
- As we spend time in His Word, we grow to know Him and His character more deeply. Just as we grow to know a friend better by spending time with them, so similarly we grow in our relationship with God by spending time with Him.
- The Bible is the main way God speaks to us and reveals Himself, His plans, and His purposes to us. As God speaks to us through His Word, we can respond to Him in prayer.
- His Word keeps us from sin and helps us to grow in Christlikeness. As we spend time with God, He reveals our sin, our need for Him, and begins the process of making us more like Christ.
- It should be our delight to get to spend time with Him! Because of Christ, we have the honor of having a relationship with the God of the universe, and it should be our greatest joy and satisfaction to spend time with Him! What a great privilege we have as believers!
Don’t just take my word for it! What are some key scriptures pointing us to why spending time with God is important?
HOW TO SPEND TIME WITH GOD DAILY?
Spending quality time with God means setting aside time specifically dedicated to your personal relationship with Him. It’s how you practice His presence and engage with Him. The key is making this time exclusively about you and Him. I call it my secret place with Him.
Whether you’re single or married, you know that double dating or spending time with someone you love, and other people is fun.
However, the time you two spend talking alone is when your relationship gets stronger. That’s when you really get to know each other. Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we’ll ever have.
God is my 1st love. So, I am super intentional about my time with Him.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH GOD.
You can spend time praying, reading the Bible, watching a sermon, having your own personal praise and worship time, etc. Let’s check out these 7 ways:
- Start with prayer – Start off with thanking Him for being your heavenly Father and everything He’s done in your life. Then, pray for your needs and those of others. Ask God to speak to you and help you understand His Word today. Thank Him for meeting with you.
- Begin to read the Bible and Spend Time in the Word – Remember your purpose is to communicate with God. The Bible is the primary way God speaks to us. Don’t read hastily just to get through the passage. Let God stop you and speak to you.
- Sit still in God’s presence – We are products of our rushed, busy schedules. Unfortunately, this tendency affects our time with God. We often rush through so we can get on with the next thing. Commit to purposefully slow down! Sense God’s presence? Then simply sit still and be with Him.
- Pray Using Bible Verses- Learning how to pray using Bible Verses is one of the best things to ever happen in my prayer life… and it’s about to be one of the best things to ever happen in yours.
- Designate a Place to Spend Time with Him – I have a special place in my home I call the Upper Room. It is my special place to spend quality time with God. Find yourself a special place to retreat to connect with God.
There are so many ways to connect with God: Use a devotional, bible reading plans, pray, or journal to connect with God! If this is new for you, start small, commit to it and God will grow it.
Spend Time in Praise and Worship Before Him
Listen to Praise and Worship Music. There is power in praise, and I think a lot of times we do not consider this as one of the powerful ways to spend time with God. When we spend our time praising God, our hearts change, the atmosphere changes, and God is glorified!
Weather you know it are not, praise is a weapon to use against the enemy. However, I’ve learned that praise will silence the enemy, give us strength, and lighten our load, and save us from our enemies.
Therefore, it’s an effective weapon. We can fight the enemy and even our own negative feelings with praise. Praise creates an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to work and move and for God to answer prayers.
“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2 (NIV)
Turn off Unnecessary Distractions
Finally, get rid of any unnecessary distractions. I don’t know about you but sometimes when I go to pray, I suddenly remember everything I’ve been needing to do. Suddenly, I always find something to do. No matter how good or important something is, it’s a distraction if it always comes up when you want to spend time with God. If you’re easily distracted, try putting away or turning off anything that could get in the way.
Bible Verses About Spending Time with God
The Bible has a lot to say about seeking God and spending quiet time with Him.
One of my favorite verses is Joshua 1:8 because it gives us a recipe for how to seek and spend more time with God:
- Meditate on His word
- Speak His Word
- Do what you learned from His Word
- Joshua 1-8 – “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
Joshua is exalting us to mediate, study the Word of God day and night. The Word that we study will make our way prosper, and we will have good success.
Here are a couple other verses that talk about the importance of seeking God and spending time with Him:
- Matthew 6:33 – “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
When we seek the Kingdom of God first, everything we need will be added unto us.
● Matthew 6:6 – “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
When we go into our secret place to pray to our Heavenly Father, we will be rewarded.
Psalm 119:9-11– “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
As we seek God with our whole heart and spend time in His Word, He guards us, keeps our way pure, and keeps us from sin. When His Word is stored up in our hearts and when we have spent time worshipping our Father, He changes our desires to match His and He keeps us from sin.
Spending time with God in His presence is an excellent way to seek God first and hear from him before you approach your busy day. God wants to fellowship with us daily, not just on Sunday for a couple hours at church. The Bible tells us to seek God first and then all that we need will be added to us. Many of us are doing it in reverse and wondering why we don’t have what we need. Seek God first in quiet time and watch your life transform dramatically.
Tools to help get you started:
List of great Bible Study Resources
Related: How to Spend Time with God with a Busy Schedule
WHEN YOU SPEND TIME WITH GOD HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRE OF YOUR HEART?
In Psalm 37:4, we read “Delight in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
What are you desiring? What are you believing God for today? So, what does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord? In delighting yourself in the Lord, it takes your focus off of what you’re waiting for and places it back on the Lord. Waiting brings strength, not weariness, if you are waiting on the Lord (Isaiah 40:31).
The key is choosing to live yielded to God, and in this case, delighting yourself in the Lord. Now, how does God care for those that honor him?
He will give them the land (9); he will give them land and abundant peace (11); he will turn back the plots of the wicked (15); he upholds them (17); he knows their days and their heritage will remain forever (18); he does not put them to shame in evil times (19); they have abundance in the days of famine (19); he will give them the land (22); he upholds their hand (24); he will not forsake them (28); they will dwell in the land forever (29); he will not allow them to be condemned when brought to trial (33); he will exalt them to inherit the land (34); he gives them salvation (39); he is their stronghold in troubled times (39); and he helps them, delivers them, and saves them (40). These blessings go along with receiving the desires of our hearts.
All it takes is a desire to spend time with God, and a willingness to incorporate him into your daily life. All it takes is just a few precious moments in His presence. Your life will never be the same. Once you begin to take those first steps, watch out! Because I promise, God will begin to do so much more in your life. Trust me, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
You can also embark on a 31 Day Bible Reading Challenge to keep you focused on the word during your prayer and quite time with the Lord.
The most important thing to remember is to stay consistent. Each day will give you a different reference scripture to mediate on.
Each day make it a priority to pray each scripture. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep you on track and to bring by to membrane what He want you to know.
Be sure to download HERE for your FREE Time with God Bible Reading Challenge (no signup required):
Prayer
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I commit to spending time with You daily in prayer, fellowshipping with You and submitting to Your will in every area of my life. Thank You for helping me to be faithful, loyal, dedicated and devoted!
Father, use me as Your vessel for working in the earth. Help me to always hear Your voice, and I will obey it. Show me how to walk in Your Spirit. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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Thank you for this!
Thank you Laura for stopping by. At the end of a lot of my post, there is a free printable gift for you. You are such a blessing to me. Much Love!
I haven¦t checked in here for a while because I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
You are wonderful! Thank you.
Blessings to you and your family!