How To Have A Meaningful Time With God (Part One)
When it comes to pursuing God in our private lives as God's children, we can all benefit from receiving helpful input to get us off in the right direction. The following two articles are designed to provide highly practical help for anyone who desires to have a meaningful time with God, day by day.
This first article is all about preparation. It may seem strange at first, but preparation is an important element of a consistently meaningful time with God. We know this to be true in almost every other area of life, and yet when it comes to our spiritual lives we sometimes mistakenly think that planning and preparation are somehow unspiritual. This certainly can be the case, but it most definitely does not have to be the case. Our pursuit of God is not a machine that can be pre-programmed by simply inputting the perfect formula, it is more like a dance. And yet, anyone who has been dancing knows very well that it is a lot more fun to dance if you are familiar with the steps. In that spirit, I offer the following pastoral help in the hope that this practical advice will strengthen your private walk with God and help you grow in your faith.
Part One: Planning To Meet With God
There are four basic questions to both ask and answer as we prepare to have a meaningful pursuit of God in our private lives.
First, what will you be reading in God’s Word? — Have a plan.
Many people approach their quiet time like they approach picking a spot for sunbathing on the beach; they just show up and plop down wherever they find first. Others take an approach more similar to shopping for pajamas; they naturally gravitate toward whatever is most comfortable. While we should rejoice whenever anyone is seeking God through his Word, we can also rightly identify approaches which are not only wiser, but far more likely to nurture a deeper, more meaningful walk with God.
Illustration: Have you ever seen a guy at the gym who had a huge upper body but an itty bitty lower body? How did that happen? Why does he appear so disproportionate? The answer is that he has only been exercising certain parts of his body, while neglecting others. The same can happen with our own soul when we only read certain aspects of God’s Word while neglecting others. However, there is one key difference: When we have this kind of practice, we don’t end up looking like a buff athlete, we look more like a lopsided basketball and our spiritual life can begin to bounce around just like one too. When it comes to making a plan for our daily pursuit of God, it is wisest to read whole books of the Bible, from every part of the Bible, bit by bit, as they have been given by God. In this way, we are most likely to properly understand and benefit from the whole content which the Holy Spirit has spoken for our good.
Illustration: Open to a random page in any book and read a sentence. What does it mean? Why does it matter? Is it a main point or a sub point? Why did the author choose to include these words? Would the story be any different without them?
Without context it is impossible for us to accurately answer any of these questions. When we read the Bible at random, we do a disservice to ourselves, the Author, or both. We do a disservice to ourselves because we will likely become discouraged quickly by the way the content feels random, arbitrary, or even like gibberish. We can also do a disservice to the Author (in this case, God), because we will likely misunderstand what he is communicating due to the fact that we will be interpreting it without understanding its contextual bounds. As a result, we may even end up inventing new and contrary meanings to what God has actually said that are out of accord with his will. There is a better way!
Characteristics of Good Plans For Bible Reading:
A good plan for reading God’s Word will usher you into the whole counsel of God. This not only includes reading both Old and New Testaments, but also reading all of the varied types of books within each—even the ones that can be more difficult for us to fully comprehend at first, (i.e. minor prophets).
A good plan for reading God’s Word will require a realistic quantity of reading for where you are at in your own spiritual maturity while also gently pushing you to continue to grow in your capacity.
A good plan for reading God’s Word will be simple enough in how it is laid out that it is realistic to maintain as a daily practice without being unnecessarily tedious or cumbersome.
Second, when will you be meeting with God? — Pick a time.
We make and keep appointments for all kinds of things in life—all of which are less important than keeping our appointment with God. Like anything else, we make time for what we plan for. Meeting with God should not be treated as something we will “try to fit in,” but rather it should be the main thing which everything else must bend the knee to and fit around. While life certainly happens and we are not always able to live according to our plans, having a regular set time that is unapologetically set aside for pursuing God is an essential key to growing in this Christian grace.
Third, where will you be meeting with God? — Choose a place.
Environment is not always in our control and we certainly need to be adaptable. However, in as much as it is within our control, I think we can all agree that some environments are more suitable than others for having a meaningful time with God. Jesus himself affirmed this truth in Matthew 6:6 saying, “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door…” He also affirmed this principle by his own practice in life, “[Jesus] often withdrew to desolate places to pray,” (Luke 5:16). It is good for us to remember that Jesus Christ is not only our precious Saving-Substitute, but he is also our perfect Christian example. After all, being a Christian literally means being a “little Christ”. As much as it is possible, pick a consistent place where you will be less prone to distraction and better able to focus your heart and mind wholly on God.
Fourth, why is meeting with God important? — Know why it matters.
Perhaps more than any of the above points concerning preparation, this one is most critical. Why is meeting with God important, dear Christian? Why is this worthy of your time, energy, and investment? Why is this daily practice more important than getting an early start at work, sleeping in for that extra hour, making it to the gym, or any other of the myriad of competing pressures and desires that we face?
Human beings are purposeful creatures; we are teleological by God’s design. It is built into our DNA to be interested in the purpose, meaning, and value of life and all that goes into it. If you do not have a robust answer to the question“Why is meeting with God important?” it is very unlikely that you will make much progress or persevere in this pursuit. Perhaps we can say it another way as well: Maybe the main reason you have not persevered very well in your daily pursuit of God thus far is for this very reason? I encourage you to take this question seriously and perhaps even take time to journal out your thoughts. There are no points for Sunday school answers here. Whatever is truly in our heart will, in short order, manifest itself in our lives. If you need a starting place, consider Jesus’ words in Luke 10:42.