*The India I Know*

When it comes to spending time alone with God, there are two questions people typically never ask. Answering those questions will help you cultivate a more serious relationship with God.

When? The question of when, has to do with establishing a time each day when you will get into the Word, think, pray and engage with God. Many people never think through this question. The result is that their time with God is quite haphazard and sporadic. Basically, it has become more like, “I will spend time with God, when I can”. Humbly, I do not think you can sustain a vibrant relationship with God like this. You do not do this in your marriage, and if you did, your marriage would not be much more than a peaceful coexistence, if that. Thus, you need to establish a time and place to communicate with God, alone. I am not suggesting that spontaneity is bad. I like it. Sometimes it is actually helpful. However, if your walk with God has become all spontaneous and unplanned you will more than likely have an anemic relationship with God at best. So, plan you time with God.

Example: Working as a pastor, it is essential that I have time to restore and replenish. After the end of a long week and a loaded Sunday, I desperately need to replenish. I need to “fill the tank”, so to speak. For me, that means that I give my Monday mornings to getting alone and away with God for extended hours for the sole purpose of being refreshed and recharged.

How? The second question we must ask ourselves is how. The question of how, has to do with establishing a plan for what you will do when you spend time with God. What do you need to do in order to establish an effective time alone with God? It is not enough to simply have a time, you need to know what you are going to do with that time when it comes. Being really organized by setting aside a regular time each day, only to be sporadic with the use of that time has a canceling effect. In that case, the time you set aside will be wasted because you do not have a plan for how to use that time well. I hesitate to suggest what that should mean for you. I only am stating the fact that you should have a plan. Whatever that plan is, presumably, it should be something realistic and attainable with a proven track record of yielding fruit. If you have a time, place and plan, are being faithful to those things and still not seeing fruit, you need to re-examine your time, place and plan.

Example: Be aware of distractions. It is important, to be aware of where your affections are. On the negative side, what things do you love and have a hard time going without? If it is sleep you love, you need to go to bed at a reasonable hour and get up early to spend time with God. If it is TV you love, you need to get away from that distraction before you try to spend time with God. If it is social networking and tooling around on the internet occupying your affections, you need to get away from that. Practically, this means don’t go to Panera and try to have a quiet time with your laptop on the table.

Some distractions are long-term and have become patters that work to create an overall sense of distraction. Sports are a key example of this dynamic, particularly for men. If you are consistently emotionally affected by whether or not a 20-year-old boy catches a ball, this should be an immediate indication that this has become way too important for you. Think about what that is saying about your affections. Among other things, it communicates that you are more affected by that game, than by the God who made you. Work to crucify inordinate affections.

On the positive side, what are things that create affection for the Lord? Maybe it is singing, listening to a good worship track, hiking on the trail admiring God’s creation, fellowship with a friend in prayer, and hopefully the gathering of your local church on Sunday morning. Whatever the case may be, pursue these things. Learn to create a climate and context that nurtures your affection for God.

In summary, you must have a time, place and plan. You must ask yourself these two questions: When will I spend time with God? How will I spend time with God? If you are faithful to ask these questions and work hard to follow through on them, you will do well.

Labels: Bible Reading, Devotions, Prayer in the Holy Spirit, Quiet Time, Spiritual Disciplines, Time Alone with God