Where does all the time go? The days go by, the weeks go by, and then the years go by. It seems like it is picking up pace the older I get. During the work week, my day starts early and, on many evenings, I am working on projects in the hotel room. Where is my free time? This week, as I was driving just outside of New Orleans, I was flipping through radio stations trying to find one I liked with a good signal. The only one with no static was playing an upbeat tune, so I left it there. It was pretty much background noise as I was concentrating on where the nearest coffee shop was that I remembered on this stretch of road. It ended up being a Christian radio station.
It was a not-so-subtle nudge from God that I was not spending enough time with Him. He was grabbing my attention. Do you find where you get too busy for God? You are so wrapped up in your day-to-day activities that you forget about Him. We need to spend more time with Him, but how do we do it?
When it comes to ideas and ways to spend time with God, it begins with making a choice to carve out time during your day to spend with Him. Intentional time with Him alone. Time is a precious commodity but the value of time with God doesn’t even compare to the cost. Consciously putting God as a priority in your life will completely change the trajectory of your path and will produce an outcome that you cannot even imagine.
When you consider the New Testament and the disciples meeting Jesus for the first time, it all began with an invitation. “Come, follow me.” Matthew 4:19. God also invites us as well to come and have time with Him. Whether that’s through prayer, or scripture reading, or simply “being” with God, we always have an open invitation to spend time with Him and walk with Him throughout our day. Our lives can be difficult and distracting at times, but that is even more reason to realize God is with us and we can step into His peace.
I can utilize a lot of my driving time to talk to God. It may be asking for direction in situations that arise or simply thanking Him for the many blessings in my life. Some people are a lot more disciplined than I am and read devotionals every morning. You do not need to copy what others do. Find what works for you and just do it. Carve out those moments throughout the day to talk to Him, praise Him, and most importantly, listen to Him.
I read this the other day and felt it was good practice. Have you ever considered “pausing” to spend time with God? We live in an instant gratification world. It takes discipline to pause before almost anything – speaking, listening, purchasing, or any decisions we make throughout the day. What if we began to practice pausing and seek out God in the pause? If we do this, we’d easily find so many moments to be with God throughout the day it’d be incredible! He is always there with us and communicates with us throughout the day. We just do not pay attention. Use this “pause” to listen. As Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
So, when I think about it, I am not too busy for God. I just do not have my priorities in place.
that is so true and I struggle with morning time but I either read 1 chapter in the Bible every night or I am reading a Christian oriented book a little every night and last but not least, I give thanks in prayer every night 🙏
Good job. People have lost focus over the years. That is a shame.
I admit I don’t devote enough time to communicating with God. I say a short prayer after waking up in the morning before I eat breakfast and go to work. As a member of my church’s prayer chain, I sometimes pray for a list of people, which takes me almost ten minutes. I also say my prayers before going to sleep at night. I’m reading a book about Mother Teresa, who prayed constantly. I should pray when I have some down time in the afternoon. Thank you for the reminder, Thomas.