Sunday to Sunday: How to connect with God

What stops you from spending time with God?

God’s always available and if the Bible shows us one thing, it’s that He goes to incredible lengths to connect with us.

So if He wants to connect with us and we want to connect with Him, what’s the problem?

Many of us answer that question the same way: our lives are busy and hurried and we have forgotten how to connect with God consistently.

Work, school, relationships and everything else that happens daily  crowd out our “God time”.

But trying to succeed in any of those areas without God is like saying we don’t need Him at all. We don’t think that, do we?

No, we believe that God is the source of our strength, identity and purpose in life. And we express that by making Him our first priority. For some of us that literally means making time with God the first thing we do each day.

And if that means getting up earlier, and maybe even going to bed earlier, it’s worth it.

What we do with our time and what we do with our money usually reveal what we value most.

God wants to deepen your experience of Him but He can’t do that without your participation.

So how do we set ourselves up to succeed in making time for God every day?

3 Essentials for Connecting With God

1. Choose a time.
2. Choose a place.
3. Have a plan.

1. Choose a time.

Jesus took time with God early in the morning, before the distractions of the day began.  

God will meet you wherever and whenever, but beginning your day like this helps you shape your day, rather than your day shaping you.

If you choose another time of day, just stick to it.

2. Choose a place.

Make where you have your time with God a place of minimal distraction. Turn off media devices and plant yourself somewhere you can focus.

3. Have a plan.

Ask God for guidance in designing your time together. Knowing more about how your personality connects you with God could help in your planning.

What difference can I expect to see in my life?

By prioritizing our schedules around God, we develop the habit of connecting with Him.

These moments are essential to sustaining a dynamic, intimate relationship with Jesus.

Any healthy relationship between two people involves commitment and time for that connection to develop.

Our relationships with God need the same things.

If Jesus, God in the flesh, felt the need to stop and focus on His Father without interruptions, shouldn’t we too?

How does communicating with God work?

It’s not as complicated as you might think. You talk, He listens. He talks, you listen.  Prayer is simply conversation between God and you.

• He talks, you listen.
  Let God speak to you through the Bible. It’s no use saying He never talks to you, if you’re not giving Him the opportunity to speak to you in the way He has chosen, through His written word.
  
  Read a passage of Scripture, highlight or write down whatever speaks to you through the verses. Then trust that the Holy Spirit is drawing your attention to something intended for you, and ask yourself why. Let God speak to you through His Word and be teachable to the truth.
  
  
• You talk, He listens.
  If you find that difficult to believe God is actually listening to you, ask yourself why? Do you think God is too busy for you? Do you think you’re not worth His time? Do you think God doesn’t speak to anyone anymore?
  
  If any of those things feel true, that’s okay, just begin your conversation by telling God that’s how you feel and invite Him to give you truth that will help you overcome those doubts. He will help you.
  
  Be completely open and honest with Him as you pray. Share your hopes, your failures, your worries.
  
  Most importantly, praise Him for who He is and thank Him for what He’s done.

Remember, God wants us to experience Him personally. He’s not playing hide and seek.

Just as a good Father chooses to do different activities with each of His children, He wants the two of you to discover your unique way of spending time together every day.

If this article was helpful, you might also enjoy How to Spend a Day with God.