What in the world does it mean to seek God? To make Him our first priority?
How do you spend time with someone who is invisible?
For the longest time, I had no idea. But over the years, I’ve learned a few practicalities that provide some answers to these questions and might help start or enrich your personal time with Him.
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Choose a Location in Your Home
Jesus had a certain and solitary place where He went for prayer. (Luke 11:1; Mark 1:35) We also see that modeled by others in the Bible.
- Abraham built an altar
- Moses went into the Tent of Meeting
- Daniel went to an upper room
- Habbakuk climbed up on the ramparts
Establish a certain place in your home where you spend time with God. And make sure it is as free as possible from distractions. For me, it’s my sitting room or living room. I’ve personalized and made it my space. It’s become one of my favorite rooms in my home.
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Choose the Time of Day
Choose the time that’s best for your schedule. As I’ve shared before, morning is my favorite time. My mind is clear and not muddled by the noise or news of the day. Scripture says,
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place.” Mark 1:35
“He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.” Isaiah 50:4
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Put Your Devices Away
There are many different translations and resources available through Bible apps on our devices, but nothing replaces the Book on your lap! Not to mention, when our devices are in front of us, it’s way too tempting to get sucked into unrelated distractions of news, pictures, emails etc. and lose focus.
Get your Bible, open it on your lap and leave the devices for later.
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Start in Prayer
I love to start my time with God in prayer. I praise Him for Who He is, thanking Him for a few blessings, and inviting Him to direct my thoughts. I want Him to give me His mind.
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Have a Plan Ahead of Time
It’s important to be on reading schedule. If you’re new to spending time with God, maybe start with a good devotional. But always, always, look up the Scripture and read the verses around it for context. See what God may be wanting to say to you.
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Internalize What You Read
Ask yourself thoughtful questions about your reading. What stands out most to you? Is God instructing or teaching you a new truth? Comforting you? Giving you wisdom or a certain perspective? I like to write down in my journal what I sense Him saying and refer back to it.
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Make a Choice to Obey
One of the worst things we can do is to forget or not apply what we learn during our time with Him. Live out what you glean and share with others any truths of encouragement He may have given to you. Chances are, someone else needs to hear them and will be blessed!
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror, and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” James 1:22-24
HOW TO HAVE A QUIET TIME: Tuesday, January 26th
HOW TO PRAY AND JOURNAL: Thursday, February 4th
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