How to spend time with God
Jesus went to a lonely place to pray. If He
was God, how much more do we need
this?
Matt 14:23, Mk 6:46, Lk 5:16
Time with the Lord sets our
Compass
•We can be with another person in the same room and not connect
with them.
•In the same way, we can do Christian activities and not connect with
the Lord in the process.
•We can sing worship songs, listen to teachings, and go to meetings
and not really connect with God or encounter Him in a real way.
•Setting aside time with the Lord (without distractions) is not only a
great activity in and of itself, but it trains our hearts to connect with
the Lord throughout the day.
Leave the flesh and go to the Spirit
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Find a quiet place with no distractions
Lay down all of your rights
Give up all control
Let go of all of your plans
Forsake all of your opinions
If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Phl 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one
accord, of one mind.
Phl 2:3 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem other better than themselves.
Phl 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of
others.
Phl 2:5¶Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phl 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phl 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
Phl 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Become Converted
• And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted,
and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:3
• We are not always childlike and humble
• When we are not humble, we are not abiding in Christ.
• Become like a child
–Needy
–Dependant
–Small
–Unknowing
- Hungry
- Trusting
- Easily led
Believe the Truth
• You are clean because of the blood of Jesus 2 Cor. 5:21
• You are a treasure to God - Matt 13:44
• No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve
been, the Lord still desires to be with you and
love you – Luke 15:11-32
• You are in Him and He is in you. There is no
distance to travel. 1 Cor. 1:30, Col. 1:27
Believing is not forceful
•Believing is not making something true, but
it is letting go to what is already true.
•You are already clean because of the blood
of Jesus.
•You are a child of God, whether you are
aware of it or not.
“We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart
before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than
our heart and knows all things.” 1Jo 3:19, 20
Learn to Receive and Enjoy
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Eph 3:14-21
From a small place of humility, let go and trust
the Lord.
Receive Him
Enjoy who He is
Gaze at Him
Take in His love for you
Become lost in His presence and the person of
Christ.
From the Spirit, not the mind only
Paul make a distinction between our spirit and our minds.
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For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful - 1 Cr
14:14
What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the
mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.
1Cr 14:15
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in
view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
Eph 6:18
You must learn to connect with God with your Spirit, not just your
mind.
Helps and Hindrances
• Stillness
– Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests
against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. Psalm 131
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Avoid past and future (only this moment is real)
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Exodus 3:14 “I AM”
Learn to Wait on God.
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My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. Psalm 62:1
Become Like Mary
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Luke 10-38-42
Covet your time with the Lord and enjoy it.
Let it become the most important part of
your day and of your life.
Realize that it is really the only thing that is
necessary.
Become addicted to His life.
The role of scripture in time with
the Lord.
• The Bible is the perfect word of God.
• It is God breathed and God inspired.
– “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to
make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture
[is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness” 1 Tim 3:15,16
• The scriptures are not Christ Himself
– "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you
have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me. And you are
unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” - John 5:39
• We should use scripture to lead us to Jesus Himself
• He will also lead us to the scriptures.
Deepen your capacity for God.
Your heart is like a container.
Our hearts are often filled with things that are not God.
As you empty your heart of the things that are in it (yourself, the world, lusts for
other things, fear, etc.) - it becomes available for the Spirit of Jesus to fill it.
Let’s deepen our capacity for knowing the Lord and having His life in us and
among us.