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“‘pray without ceasing,… “
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV
Staying connected to God is important as you walk out His plans for you. Even though He’s already mapped out the entire blueprint for your life, He wants to strengthen His relationship with you as He shares it bit by bit.
But sometimes, we find ourselves not spending as much time with God as we would like. My regular morning routine sees me getting up at 3 or 4 am and spending a couple of hours in worship, reading the Word, and just talking to God. But when I agreed to foster some orphaned kittens all that went through the door. They were about two weeks old and just like babies, need to be fed every couple of hours. I found myself awake for midnight feedings when I was used to being in bed by 9:30. My early morning routine flew straight out the door.
It was frustrating at first but the Lord reminded me of a time when children were much younger and I had moved from freelancing to working a full-time job. It was early in my Christian walk and because my time was flexible, I was used to getting up early and spending lots of quiet time with God. Working outside of the home meant I had to leave home earlier and things like household chores now had to be done on evenings or weekends. Suddenly, my quiet time shrank from hours to 5 to 10 minutes when threw myself over the bed in the evening to recharge after battling traffic.
But the surprising thing was, in that short time, God ALWAYS showed! And sometimes the download I would get in those few minutes was equivalent to the hours of time I used to spend in morning devotions.
What I need you to understand is… seasons change. Like me, you may have moved from working in the home to a full-time job. Or maybe you had a new baby. But God hasn’t gone anywhere. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re in a season where you only have a few minutes to spend with Him. It’s the quality of the time we spend with Him, not the quantity.
There are quite a few ways you can take advantage of that time:
- Remember He’s always there. Create a habit of talking to him throughout your day. Even about the little things. He’s your Father and He WANTS to talk to you. He’s interested in all aspects of your life, not just the super-spiritual stuff.
- Take advantage of the quiet moments, even if it’s just a few minutes. Deliberately focus your thoughts on Him. Tell Him how much you love Him. Give Him thanks for who He is, or something He’s done, or even thanks in advance for something you’re expecting Him to do. The connection you make with Him in those few minutes may surprise you.
- Find a short devotion. Sometimes the only devotion I had was listening to Adventures in Odyssey in the car on our way home from school. Kat Lee’s Hello Mornings book was also a good resource. It allowed me to start small with a three-minute devotion; that really took the pressure. It’s also a great resource if you’re looking to create a morning routine.
Remember, God is always there ready to spend time with you and you can talk to Him anytime.
Prayer: Father, help me to remember that You are always with me. Whether I’m in a season where I can spend hours of quiet time with You, or whether it’s just a few minutes, I can talk to You anytime and You will hear me. Help me to cultivate a habit of talking to you throughout the day as I stay connected to You.
© Deborah Ruck @ As Bold As THE Lion blog
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