I don’t know many church leaders who think they spend sufficient time with God. Our lives are busy, and it’s tough to add more responsibilities to our plate. Here, though, are some ways to spend more time with God, beginning today.
- Pray daily, “Lord, turn my heart to long for You.” If you genuinely want that change in your life, God will transform you. You will look forward each day to being with Him.
- Read the Gospels, and see Jesus intentionally spending time with God. He’s our master and model, so we should plan to live like He did: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying” (Mark 1:35); “Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed” (Luke 5:16); “He was praying in a certain place . . . .” (Luke 11:1).
- Be honest about the distractors that get in the way of your time with God. Sometimes they’re good things (e.g., ministry responsibilities). At other times, they’re just time wasters. In some cases, they’re actually idols that mean more to us than our time with God does. Identify your distractors, and don’t let them win.
- Subscribe to a Bible reading plan. A simple web search will direct you to options. If nothing else, the reading in your inbox every morning will remind you to get alone with God.
- Plan your daily time with God the night before. Life’s too busy and unexpected to wait until each morning to determine how/when you’ll spend time with God. Something else will fill your calendar before the day ever begins.
- Find the best place to be with God. For me, my office is NOT the best place. Much better for me is my home study, a local restaurant, or even a place in the woods in good weather.
- Find the best time to be with God, and prioritize that time. I understand the value of starting the day with God (thus, I do #9 below every morning), but some of us are more alert and attentive at other times of the day. Find the best time for you. Plan it. Keep it clear. Use it for God.
- Take advantage of your 10- and 15-minute opportunities throughout the day. Even if you’re convinced you don’t have an extra hour to be with God, you likely have these brief opportunities that will add up.
- Have a “verse of the day” sent early to your inbox. I’ve done this simple step for years, primarily to start my day well even if my more focused time with God is later in the day. You can read my thoughts about this strategy here.
- Use your driving time wisely. Listen to the Bible. Meditate on the Word. Pray.
- Schedule a quarterly day of Bible reading, prayer, and fasting. Go ahead and block the days – and let only emergencies cause you to reschedule them. Ideally, get away from your office and your phone to be with the Lord.
- Plan an annual leadership retreat that includes nothing but Bible reading and prayer. Jesus took Peter, John, and James to the mountain to pray (Luke 9:28), and that’s when His transfiguration took place. God often just does something when leaders of His church get alone to pray.
What other practical ways would you add to this list?
