We live in a world that is constantly pressuring us to stay busy. Our smartphones give us the opportunity to extend a 40-hour workweek to our already limited free time. Streaming options, social media, and a thousand other distractions ensure that we never have the right to be truly bored. Living in this kind of environment, it can be difficult to make time for being alone with God. Even when we wake up early or set an alarm for our quiet time, we have been so conditioned by today’s technology that we have trouble staying focused. How can we truly enjoy God’s presence when we can’t stop thinking about our likes and retweets on social media? Here are a few ways in which we can be alone with God while being part of this new world of gadgetry.
The first step to being alone with God is setting aside time just for Him. Similar to any other relationship in your life, the best way to spend more time together is naturally to make room in your schedule. You can test how serious you are about your relationship with the Lord based on how willing you are to sacrifice other activities so that you can enjoy time with Him. We can’t seriously complain about not having time for daily devotions when we are able to keep up to date with our favorite television shows and the nightly news.
What does it look like when we make time for Him? The most important thing about a quiet time is setting it up for whatever time works best for your schedule. Most people prefer to start the day with Bible reading and prayer, as it gives them the right perspective just before they go out into the world. Others find the morning too busy and would rather finish the day with a word of hope. Depending on what your schedule is like, maybe you could even take some time in the middle of the day for being in His presence. You want to aim for consistency as each completion of the task brings you one step closer to building a positive habit.
Don’t be afraid to tell your roommate, family, etc. when you want to have your quiet time either. Hopefully this will lead to less distractions as the people in your life recognize that certain times of the day simply belong to the Lord. If you’ve made time for the Lord, you should probably also think about how you will be spending this time. Let’s talk more about that.
No matter how spiritually mature you are, there’s probably been at least one time in your life when your quiet time with God has felt completely uneventful. You read Scripture, prayed over your day, and spent time meditating on His word, but something was missing. This can be discouraging for several reasons, most of all because it makes us associate our daily devotions with a waste of time. Spending the morning with the God of the universe should have an impact, right?
Sometimes we let the distractions of our daily life interfere with what God is trying to communicate to us through His word. Maybe a sibling got a medical diagnosis that threw you off guard or you’re focusing too much on your presentation at work. Whatever it is, you are distracted from your time in God’s presence. Even without something specific taking our mind off the Lord, life can be enough of a distraction. The kids caught a stomach bug, you’re out of milk, your significant other forgot to send in the utilities bill. So many things can pop up unexpectedly. The key to not letting them spoil your time with the Lord is to be still. That phrase comes from Psalm 46: 10 where it’s written “He says, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’” There has been a lot written about what that phrase really means, but when we look at the early verses in this chapter, we see the reminder that no matter what chaos erupts around us, God is in control. It doesn’t matter what is troubling us because there is a God who has dominion over creation and all the kingdoms of man. Try to release the worries of the day and simply rest in His grace and power.
Life is going to be difficult at times. There are days when we are going to be so busy our heads are spinning and others where our hearts are too heavy to express anything resembling joy. When we come before the Lord, we need to give that moment all of our attention. A quiet time is an invitation to shut out the rest of the world and simply bask in the love of God and seek His counsel.
Our daily devotions are a major component of the time we spend with God, but we can’t forget that He is Lord 24 hours a day, not just during the few hours spent at church and in quiet times. Another way to spend time with God is to involve Him throughout your day. Do you typically only talk to your spouse or kids once for a few minutes and then maintain radio silence the rest of the day? Then why should we do that with God? When you’re driving to work, as you’re making dinner, or while you wait in line at the bank, you have time to kill. These days we typically fill any empty voids in our schedule with a quick check of our news feed, but what if we spent this time praying through our day? There’s a good chance that you’ve seen something on the news or heard a request from a friend since your quiet time that could use a little prayer. Capitalize on dead periods in your day by praying for the needs that you see.
When we meet with God, we are spending time with the Creator of the universe. A being superior to any living thing walking the earth, wiser than the top philosophers and scientists, and more loving than can be imagined. A meeting like this should have a lasting impact.
How are we being changed by our time alone with God? Do we walk away feeling kinder, wiser, and less stressed? After we have taken the time to read from God’s word, we should consider what God is trying to say through scripture. When you pray, take time to rest and allow for an uncomfortable silence to linger. During this time you might get a word of wisdom from the Lord. The worst case scenario is that you’ll just have a nice, calm moment in your day. Your time with God is not a task to be checked off, but a time of training, rest, and worship that should make difference.
After you’ve had your time with the Lord, try to live out the rest of your day in a way that reflects the peace, wisdom, and love that comes from being with Him. One thing that can help you to stay in this spiritual mood is listening to Christian music. Whether it’s turning on K-LOVE or popping in your favorite Christian artist’s new CD, singing along to some God-honoring lyrics will help you keep a positive attitude throughout the day. At the K-LOVE Fan Awards, we know just how important time with the Lord is and how encouraging Christian music can be. That’s why we bring together the biggest artists and the biggest fans each year for an event full of worship and fun. Find out how you and your family can attend the next K-LOVE Fan Awards by clicking below.
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