Our time with God is one of the most potent weapons in our arsenal of tools for spiritual well being. Time with God is an opportunity for us to have an unhurried time of fellowship with God. A daily time of communion with God through Bible study, meditation, and prayer creates the environment for God to bring about dramatic change in our lives.

Vance Havner wisely stated, “Jesus knows we must come apart and rest awhile or else we may just plain come apart!” Augustine wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they can find peace in You. “ How is your time with God? Unfortunately, far too many Christians experience drudgery rather than delight. Christianity is not simply a religion but it’s a relationship. If we love someone then we want to be with that person. I have discovered that people often experience three stages in their spiritual walk:

1. The first stage is the castor oil stage – we know it’s good for us but it’s not pleasant – it’s a “have-to” rather than a “want-to”. Fortunately we don’t need to stay in this stage.

2. The next stage people often experience is the shredded wheat stage (I’m not talking about the frosted mini wheats but the plain ones that seem like straw). These don’t taste bad but they’re not great – it’s just okay. God however, doesn’t want us to remain at this stage.

3. The third stage is what I call the ice cream stage. This is what the Psalmist had in mind when he said, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)

So how can we experience the third stage? Here are three guidelines that may help you in developing a meaningful time with God:

1. Come with a humble heart

If you think that you do not need to meet with God, then you’re not inclined to make time with God a priority in your life. If you believe you can do life on your own without God then you think there is no reason to meet with God and gain His perspective and direction for your moral compass. The Apostle James wrote that we are to come in humility to receive the word implanted, which is able to save our souls (James 1:21b). This is why Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .” it is the humble ones who receive the grace of God. The Psalmist cried out to God recognizing his need to gain God’s perspective:

Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law. (Psalm 119:18)

2. Read with expectancy

Expect that God will speak to you through His word. Prayer is not a monologue – rather it’s a dialogue. God’s word has the ability to transform our lives (Romans 12:2)! I keep the following questions at the forefront of my mind as I read His word:

Is there a sin to avoid?

Is there a promise to claim?

Is there an example to follow?

Is there a command to obey?

Is there a truth to believe?

The prophet Jeremiah understood the power of God’s word:

“Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

Realize that the Bible, the written word of God, reveals Jesus, the living Word of God.

3. Go do what God says

In the North American church our problem is not a lack of information, but a lack of obedience. James admonishes us:

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (James 1:22)

It is not enough to know what the Bible says, we must put it into practice. We may have the false expectation that after Jesus comes into our lives that life will be easy. Jesus calls us to follow Him:

“If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:23-25)

Following Jesus is not hard – it’s impossible apart from the enabling grace of God’s Holy Spirit. The paradoxical truth is when we accept this fact, it ceases to have power over us and we live with a power greater than ourselves – the Holy Spirit. We transcend our natural fears and we experience freedom in Christ. We are learning a new way of life and we must realize that all change is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle, and beautiful in the end. This is the power of a habit. When we begin a new habit it seems forced and perhaps awkward. We must consistently practice the habit until it becomes a spontaneous expression of who we are. We must remember that we not only need to meet with God but that He wants to meet with us!

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University