Seeking God should always be our priority as Christians!
Many times, We just get too busy living and watching others live; that we forget the One who gave us life…That’s what one of my favourite Gospel music artists (Jonathan Mcreynolds) said in one of his songs. I couldn’t agree more with the song.
One would think that 24 hours in a day is a good enough amount of time to get so much done and still be able to spend a reasonable portion of that time alone with God but that’s not always what happens.
As I grow older I’ve come to realize that the concept of time can be quite tricky and that time is quite fleeting. You blink once and then day has quickly turned into night and summer turns into Autumn.
I myself can understand what it means to be busy and have to find ways to keep seeking God and not let my spiritual walk suffer. In between, being a wife, homemaker, a mom and also an employee seeking to thrive in her career; I’ve had to desperately find creative ways to spend quality time with God.
I strongly believe that one of God’s love languages is quality time. Just imagine being in a marriage where your partner hardly has time to sit down and chat with you.
It’s the same thing with us as believers, we are Jesus’ bride; we should not go a single day without investing in our relationship with Jesus by spending time with him. Not just time talking to him or at him but spend time listening to him and delighting in his word.
As a charger is to a phone so is quality time spent with God to a believer; it recharges and empowers! I don’t know of anyone who would like to go about their daily activities with their phone battery on 1% without plugging it to a charger. Why do we as Christians think we should go about our day running on empty when we know God is our source and time spent in his word and prayer is what recharges us.
Life can indeed be busy but there’s always a way to maneuvre around a busy schedule to ensure that time spent with God remains a priority. Remember that popular Ryan Blair quote “’If it’s important you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.’?
Matthew 6:21 also says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” No matter how busy you are, there will always be time you can allocate to spend with God no matter how small.
Here are a few tips for anyone looking to consistently spend time with God despite a very busy schedule:
Understand that your times and seasons belong to God
It’s important that you first of all realize that all your time is God’s time and all your time is yours by his delegation. God owns our time yet he has given us the freewill to manage it however we want to; and he entrusts us the responsibility to use the time for good. We can choose to use the time God has given us by chasing worldly pleasures or we can lay idle or actively engage in Kingdom business; but we must know that in the end we will all account for the time God has given us and how we spent it.
Seize every opportunity to pray
We are admonished in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to Pray without ceasing; in other words, pray every time and at any opportunity that you get because prayer can never be too much.
I remember how In the first few weeks of my son’s birth, I was always feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for a newborn coupled with the fact that I was still healing from my cesarean section. I only had the help of my husband who was also feeling exhausted and drained as well.
One day, I had gone to use the restroom while my son was safely asleep in my husband’s arms. As I sat on the toilet seat in a toilet void of the cries of my baby; right there it dawned on me that it was a good time to pray and talk to God about needing help for the new phase I was in. I wasted no time and began to pray, worship, and pray in the HolyGhost. The restroom was not the perfect place to pray and worship but it was sufficient at the time.
If your mornings are filled with the struggle to catch an early bus or train to work; or school runs or you are not just a morning person, it’s ok to pick a time at night to pray. It also helps to make use of commuting or travel times to pray. I have had times when I had to quietly pray and meditate on the train or the bus during my commute to work.
The importance of prayer in a believer’s life can never be overestimated. I have found that prayer helps me get through the most hectic days and roughest of times. Prayer can help get you through your day, free of anxiety and worry because you know you have committed your day into the care of the one who holds the world in his hands. The Bible says to Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him And He shall direct your paths.
Pray the prayer of thanksgiving and of intercession.
Don’t stop Praying about anything and about everything.
Pray anywhere and when you can’t articulate your burdens in words; pray in the spirit!
Find creative ways to study and meditate on the word
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Our relationship with God is not just a one way street where we are the only ones who do the talking. God is interested in speaking to us and one of the most common ways he speaks to his children is through his already written the word the bible.
Studying the word of God is crucial to our spiritual Growth. One of the true marks of being a mature believer is having the ability to recognise God’s voice and one of the important ways of mastering the art of hearing God’s voice is through diligent study and meditation of God’s word.
I once heard of someone who had sticky notes with different bible verses written on them posted in various nooks and corners of her house. This helped to keep her mind stayed on God and his word throughout the day. Imagine going to the fridge in your kitchen to grab a quick bite and just before you open it you are reminded of God’s perfect nature because you have a sticky note with Deuteronomy 32:4 written on it. For other people, listening to an audio bible makes it easier to meditate on the word while others enjoy listening to biblically sound teachings on youtube because it inspires them to dig deeper into the word of God. Whatever method you employ, make sure that you are getting a healthy diet of God’s word.
Eliminate the distractions
Many times it’s hard to focus on God when we are largely surrounded by all the things that were exactly made to keep our hearts off God. Spending quality time with God might require quieting the noise around you.
Sometimes, all it takes is plugging in your air-pods or headphones with some soothing worship music during a short break at work. That way you aren’t distracted by your colleagues’ boisterous laughs or noisy chatters. Other times, you might have to turn off your phone or take a much needed break from social media for a few hours or days or even weeks so that you can pray and study the word more.
Fill your daily routine with things that keep your heart stayed on God:
In my own experience listening to worship music in the morning just makes the whole day better. When I listen to worship music I tend to not only go into worship mode but also prayer mode. Listening to hymns and gospel songs while you do the laundry or deep clean your home also lets you spend time with God. Even in that moment while you are getting daily tasks done, God is able to reach out to you, meet you right where you are and speak to you.
Thankfully, technology has made life a whole lot easier so it’s quite easy to listen to edifying sermons and christian podcasts on the go; whether you are busy completing your daily workout on the treadmill, or deep cleaning your apartment.
Have a circle of like minded believers who are passionate about seeking God
God never intended for us to do life alone or live out our christian faith in isolation. This why the bible talks about Not forsaking the assembling of other christians and to continue to encourage one another.
It’s much easier to stay steadfast in the pursuit of the things of God and his kingdom when we are surrounded by other believers who have the same interests and pursuits.
Do an audit and find out what works best for you
While Christianity is not a faith that is specific to only one person, you have to realise that your daily schedule is different from that of others and that there are unique characteristics about your walk with God. Another person’s method of seeking or spending time with God might not work for you.
Are you a morning person? Would you rather have your quiet time with God in the early morning before the hustle and bustle of the day starts or are you a night crawler who would rather have quiet time with God late at night when everyone else is asleep?. Finding what works for you makes it easier for you to manage your time better and be consistent in spending time with God.
Spending time with God is essential for our spiritual growth. The more we spend time with God the more we want to spend even more time with him and we become more like him. In other words, the reward for a hunger and thirst for God (and his kingdom) is even more hunger. The psalmist says in Psalm 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness
At the end of the day, all of our busyness amounts to nothing if we do not acknowledge God or seek him. I’m reminded of how Jesus said to Martha the busy bee in Luke 10: 41-42 “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
We should have a goal to be like Mary, soaking up God’s word and relishing the beauty of his presence.
