Are you a Christian? Do you want to grow spiritually? Do you desire strength to overcome temptation? Do you long to know God’s will? If your answers are yes, you need to take time with God every day.
What
It is a time for you to be alone with God, once each day, to listen to Him, to worship Him and to speak to Him. Your time with God should consist of three main parts
1) A time of Bible reading and Bible study. You start by listening to the voice of God as He speaks to you through His Word.
2) A time of worship when you respond to what He has said to you about Himself and you praise Him for who and what He is.
3) A time of prayer when you bring your own needs and the needs of others to God.
Why
The Bible encourages us to ‘increase in the knowledge of God’ (Colossians 1:10) and ‘to draw near to God’ (Psalm 73:28), and if we do, we “shall be strong and carry out great exploits”(Daniel 11:32). We are told to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
But this does not happen automatically. You need to set aside a period of time each day when you can be free from the main responsibilities and activities of everyday life and give that period of time to God and buildup your relationship with Him.
The purpose of your time with God is not just to acquire information about the Bible. You want that information to become application and you want that application to result in transformation. Here is a practical and simple plan to follow:
1) “What does this verse (passage) teach me about God?”
2) “Is there a command in this verse (passage) that I need to obey?”
3) “Is there a warning in this verse (passage) that I need to heed?”
4) “Is there a promise in this verse (passage) that I need to claim?”
5) “Is there an example in this verse (passage) that I need to follow?”
When you get the answer to one of these questions, meditate upon it and then resolve to put it into practice throughout the day.
When
The important thing is not when to have it but to have it. Time with God requires discipline and organisation. It will be well worth it! It should be somewhere which is quiet and away from people.
Its quality is more important than its length. On the one hand, you should not compress it into a few hurried minutes. On the other hand you should not aim too high. It is better to start with a shorter time and then increase it as you feel the need to do so.
Remember that time spent alone with God each day will help you to know Him better, help you to grow spiritually and prepare you for the challenges and problems of the day ahead.
Worship
When you worship God you are not thinking about yourself, your needs or your blessings. You are thinking about, and focusing on, God and what you have learned about Him. As you read the Word of God and learn some truth about God you should express that truth to God and tell Him how wonderful it is.
Are you willing to plan a time each day to be alone with God—to listen, worship and pray?
