|
|
by Dr. Foley Beach, A Word from the Lord
For many people this time of year brings more activities and people's schedules
get jammed and overflowing with personal obligations. Oftentimes, when this
occurs, a person's devotional times get squeezed out of their daily schedule,
and soon their relationship with the Lord becomes distant. Having a daily Time
Alone with God is vital to keeping a strong, vibrant, relationship with the
Lord.
I have found the following items helpful to consider
when one desires to have a daily Time Alone with God.
1. Have a TIME.
Either in the morning, in the evening, or during one's lunch break in the middle
of the day, set a time when you will meet alone with the Lord. For Jesus, he
often would get away early in the morning (Mark 1:35). Find the time which works
for you.
2. Have a PLACE.
Jesus encouraged people to go into their prayer closet getting away from
everyone else (Matthew 6:6). Have a special place you meet regularly with the
Lord. Some people have a special room, a special chair, or the back porch. It is
a place that becomes your sacred meeting place with the Lord.
3. Have a PURPOSE.
Your daily Time Alone with God is not just to go through religious routines.
Your purpose is to commune and fellowship with God, to hear from Him about your
life, and to take to Him your concerns and needs.
4. Have a PLAN.
It is helpful and more affective if you have a strategy for your Time Alone with
God. For example, in prayer some people use the ACTS Method: Adoration,
Confession, Thanksgivings, and Supplications for others and for your needs. Some
people use the Daily Office. Vital to your plan is a regular, systematic
readings from the Bible. Reading and studying God's Word and then talking to the
Lord are key components of one's daily Time Alone with God.
People often ask, "How long should my daily Time Alone with God take?" Length is
not as important as the quality of purpose and focus you put into it. I have
known people who spend seven minutes and others who spend three hours. I allot
one hour. Sometimes it takes less and other times spending one hour is not
enough time.
God desires to have fellowship with you. He has opened the door in Jesus Christ
and given us incredible access to Him. It is up to us to make time to get to
know Him better and deepen our relationship with Him.
See Also:
Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving
Jesus spent much time in prayer. On at least one occasion, He 'continued all night in prayer to God' (Luke 6:12), and no doubt a goodly portion of His prayer was thanksgiving prayer, as well as intercession.The essence of Lent: Learning and struggling to bend our knees, mend our hearts, and lend our hands
The prayers during lent remind us that there is no use of observing lent if we do not change inside. No amount of abstinence from food and other things will help us in any way if we do not bring about a renewal inside us.Why do we need to pray? by Rev. Ron Friedrich
If God already knows what we need, Why do we need to pray?Exploring a Life of Prayer by Jane E. Vennard
Prayer is our response to God's loving call. In this reflection I will invite you into activities to help you affirm and learn from these experiences of prayer. We will explore what keeps us from responding when deep in our hearts we long to be in relationship with God. I will encourage you to try different forms of prayer to discover which ones fit you best.
Great Lent Home | Sermons Home | General Sermons and Essays | Articles Home | Library - Home | Baselios Church Home
-------
Malankara World
A service of St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox
Church, Ohio
Copyright © 2009-2020 - ICBS Group. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer
Website designed, built, and hosted by
International Cyber Business Services, Inc., Hudson, Ohio
