It’s important to spend time alone with God, especially as a new believer.
When you think more about it, it makes sense. How do you get to know a new friend? By spending time with them, of course. It works the same way with God. You’ll learn more about him as you spend time alone with him.
Of course, life gets busy and sometimes it’s hard to carve out time for God. Still, it’s important that you do carve out that time – just as you would with a friend.
Here’s how to spend more time with God during the busyness of life.
Spending Time With God Bible Verses
The Bible teaches to draw near to God’s presence, which means we should be spending time with him.
Here are some Bible verses about spending time with God:
- Matthew 6:22 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (ESV).
- James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded,” (ESV).
- Psalm 119:11 – “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (ESV).
- 1 Chronicles 16:11 – “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (ESV).
- Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God,” (ESV).
- John 15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing,” (NIV).
Importance of Spending Time With God
Why is it important to spend time with God?
There’s a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Here’s an analogy. As Americans, we know who the president is but we don’t know him personally. We know about the president but we don’t really know him.
Here’s what the Bible says about knowing God:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV).
Examine yourself and see where you stand. It’s easy to be self-deceived and think you’re in right standing before God. But really take a moment to think about it.
Do you know about God or do you truly know him in a personal and intimate way?
This is important. You don’t want to stand before God and hear him say, “I never knew you”.
Benefits of Spending Time With God
There are many benefits to spending time with God. Some of these benefits include:
- Being at peace with God
- Having a deeper intimacy with God
- Being fully satisfied in God
- Learning more about God
- Experiencing his presence
You’ll never regret spending regular time with God. As you learn more about him, you’ll desire to draw closer and closer.
How to Spend More Time With God
Carving out time for God is important because it’s nourishment for your soul. Here’s how to spend more time with God.
#1 Spend more time with God through prayer.
Start by spending more time in prayer. The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thes 5:17 ESV).
Jesus would often withdraw from others to pray to the Father (Luke 5:16). It’s good to get away from distractions to be alone with God. It’s easier to hear God in the silence rather than during the busyness of life. Find a place where you can be alone with God and pray.
We can’t always be alone though. Life requires us to be around others and doing other things. You can fulfill praying without ceasing by praying throughout the day, whether out loud or in your mind. You don’t need to go to a place to pray. You can pray wherever you are.
#2 Spend more time with God through his word.
God’s word is how we hear from God. The Bible says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart,” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV).
You can’t know a person without spending time with them. The way we spend time with God and get to know him is through his word. It’s where you learn about who he is.
#3 Spend more time with God through fasting.
Fasting is a great way to draw near to God. The Bible says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you,” (James 4:8 ESV).
Fasting is a time where you devote yourself to abstaining from food and/or other things in order to grow closer to the Lord. Fasting is a spiritual discipline practiced by many characters in the Bible, including Jesus himself.
8 More Creative Ways to Spend Time With God
Maybe you’re already practicing the spiritual disciplines listed above (prayer, reading the word, fasting). Or maybe you’re seeking more creative ways to spend time with God. Here are 8 creative ways to spend time with God.
#1 Spend more time with God through journaling.
A creative way to spend time with God is through journaling. Journaling is therapeutic and a good and creative way to communicate with God.
Think of journaling as a method of talking to God. It doesn’t have to be fancy and look like prayer. You can simply think of it as like a diary entry. You’re telling God about your day and including him in it. You can also use journaling for gratitude. Listing off things you’re thankful for to God keeps you humble and appreciative.
#2 Spend more time with God during your drives.
Many Christians have told me they use the time they’re driving to talk to God. Of course, not with your eyes closed. During your commutes, use this extra time in the car to pray.
During your drives, put on Christian music if it helps set the mood for you. If you’re on your way to work, this is a perfect time to pray about your work day and being a light to others through your workplace.
If not, just think about your current situation and how you can pray specifically for your life as well as for others.
#3 Spend more time with God through music.
If you know how to play an instrument, use that skill to worship him through music. If not, that’s okay. You can still worship God through music by just singing praises to him.
Choose some of your favorite Christian songs and have a jam session with God.
#4 Spend more time with God by studying with a friend.
Sometimes the Bible is hard to understand, especially for new believers. If that’s where you’re at and studying the word is hard on your own, opt to study the Bible with a friend.
Studying the Bible with someone who’s wiser and more mature in the faith is beneficial for your walk with Christ. They can help you on your faith journey.
#5 Spend more time with God by writing scripture.
Another unique way to spend more time with God is by writing scripture. Writing scripture helps you retain more of the information that you’re reading and writing.
Writing scripture doesn’t have to be super time-consuming either. You don’t have to write a lot. You can choose to write out 1 or 2 verses a day. This will still help you meditate on the word.
#6 Spend more time with God by memorizing scripture.
Spend more time with God by memorizing scripture. Scripture memorization is fun and a good way to tuck the word of God in your heart.
I thought I wasn’t good at memorizing scripture until I actually tried to. It’s not as daunting as you might think. You can start small by memorizing one verse per week.
#7 Spend more time with God by watching sermons.
Spend more time with God by watching sermons online. Watching sermons online will help you learn more about the Bible and God.
Some pastors I would recommend are James White, John Piper, RC Sproul, and John MacArthur. If you do watch sermons, just make sure that you are also reading the Bible yourself. It’s very easy to be deceived by teachers because they’re in authority.
#8 Spend more time with God by researching questions you have.
Another way to spend more time with God is to do your own research. As a new believer, I’m sure you have a lot of questions. A good resource that’s helped me answer my questions is GotQuestions.
GotQuestions is basically a search engine for Christians. You type whatever question you have in their search bar and it comes up with multiple articles about it. It’s a quick and easy resource to use.
Spending Time with God is Crucial
Spending time with God is crucial. It’s the crux of being a Christian. If you don’t spend time with God, your faith starts to dwindle and fade. Spending time with God rejuvenates you. I hope this article has helped you. If it has, please leave a comment below.
How do you spend time with God? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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