Spending Time With God

Prayer: Dear God, open my heart to receive what you want for me. Amen

Over the last 13 weeks we have spent time and effort to paint a picture of the plethora of blessings that come our way as we grow closer to God. We could continue enumerating a countless list of blessings. It has taken thirteen essays to list just a few. Now it will take only this one last essay to reveal how to set all this into motion, and make it happen. This is the most important essay because it is the key to the entire process. It is also extremely simple: we grow closer to God by spending time with the Holy One. That is all it takes, but it does take that. It has two components. One: spending quiet time listening to God speak to us, and two: spending time praying, speaking to God.

While these disciplines are simple and straight forward, we must be clear; they are absolutely crucial. There will be a direct positive correlation between the degree of our commitment to utilize these two tools, and the degree of closeness we experience with God.

 It is not enough merely to read these essays being sent to you. They are designed to open to you the potential of experiencing God at a more meaningful level. They are an introduction; now you must do the work!  God provides the power; you must connect yourself to its power source. That is where quiet time and prayer come in.

Quiet time spent with God may need some explanation and description as it may be a new concept for some of you. To iterate, it is a few minutes set aside every day to spend with God during which you focus only on being in God’s presence. Initially, it will take discipline both to set aside the uninterrupted time and to focus sharply on being in God’s immediate presence. The first few minutes when you first wake up, while still in bed, work well.

To begin, plan only three minutes of this quiet time. Set an alarm so you are not thinking about the time. Over a period of several weeks, increase the time to five minutes. As you gain experience you will become totally unaware of time, and become captivated by the experience. Then you can forget the alarm, except to wake up five minutes early.

At the outset, this experience is twofold. It begins with using our minds to set things up and get going, but then makes a definite shift, becoming a spiritual awareness - sensing God’s presence. Don’t be disturbed if this doesn’t happen for you for a while. Be patient. Ask God to make this presence evident. Then just be quiet and open to special thoughts God might put into your mind. Listen for these thoughts. The thoughts are not your thoughts, but become your thoughts as you listen.

The quiet time provides time for these thoughts to hatch and come to life in our minds. It is then we can act upon them with confidence. The closer we live with God, the more confidence we can have in the thoughts God puts into our minds. All of this is an internal spiritual experience with God - a true gold mine worth exploring.

 As for prayer - talking to God - there is no set form. Prayer should be conversational. It is about getting to know God and sharing with this special friend your concerns and feelings. It is also an opportunity to make requests - not deals (if you will. . . I will . . .).  Prayer can include an expression of your concern for the well-being of others - intercessory prayer - interceding before God on behalf of another.

 When should we pray? The spiritual practice of morning and evening prayer is more than worth the time it consumes. There is nothing more valuable than starting and ending the day with prayer. It provides valuable bookends for your day and night. It sets the stage for your day, and closes your day in proper attire.

Additionally, chatting prayers during the day are valuable and fun. Just chat with God anytime, on the spur of the moment. Example: “Thanks, God, that was a close call.” “What a beautiful sunset!” “I have a headache, can you make it go away?” Just chat!

 These suggestions of spiritual practice are simple to follow and become habitual in time. Until they do, however, discipline is required. As they become incorporated into our daily lifestyle - and they will - they will draw us closer to God, and visa versa; as we grow closer to God our prayer life and quiet time become increasingly important to us.

This essay should be printed and kept handily available for frequent reference.        To the end of beginning a transformed life!