Day 3: The King Requests Your Presence

Welcome back to 7 Days Start. I hope you've enjoyed the last two days. Today, we're going to take what we learned on Days 1 and 2 and use it to build another healthy, spiritual habit – daily, intentional time with God. We hope that as you continue through this first incredible week with Jesus that you start creating habits that will help you lay a foundation for your life with God. You've probably heard the old saying that it takes 21 days to build a habit. I don't know if that number is accurate, but I will say this is definitely true. Consistent repetition builds positive pathways in our brain and reinforces our desire to continue healthy ways. There is no spiritual habit more necessary, more impactful, and more transformative than regular time with God. In fact, spending time with God is deeper than just a habit. It can become a daily heart-to-heart with your best friend who knows you inside and out. God has placed His Spirit within you, and He is there to listen to every worry, to celebrate your joys, and to guide you through life's complicated decisions. He can be an endless source of strength, comfort, and wisdom. It will help you to start your day on a spiritual foundation and center your thoughts and actions on God. It also aids in decision making, it will bring you peace as you spend more time in His Word and in His presence. In fact, when Jesus needed guidance, He found it in His quiet moments with God. Jesus frequently went off alone to spend time with God in prayer. It isn't just because it benefits us either. God wants us to spend time with Him. God by His nature is love and belonging personified. God exists in what we call the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The early Church Fathers said that they were three persons in one substance, forming a communal love that He invites us into.

Imagine that. The person who spoke the whole universe into being, the King of all that exists, wants you to experience Him in a personal relationship. Here's just a few thoughts on how to find success with this and maximize your time spent with God. First, consistency is key. It is important to find a consistent time for your daily devotions. Find a location where you can focus with minimal distractions. A regular quiet time is going to help build a stronger relationship with God. The morning is best simply because it allows you to begin your day covered with prayer and focus your mind, will, and emotions in God's presence and purpose. If you absolutely can't make the morning work, any time is better than no time. But I encourage you to try. Give the first portion of your day to God the Father. Second, provide yourself with the tools you need. Having a Bible with study notes helps. In Day 2, we mentioned how to pick a translation. There were also a few helpful resources for studying the Bible. In addition to those, grab a journal or notebook so you can record your time with God and journal your prayers. Journaling your prayers helps you stay focused on what your heart is saying. A lot of times, our minds can wander off while we are quietly praying. That's totally normal. In fact, it's becoming more and more common in our oversaturated world. Writing down your thoughts and prayers will help you focus your mind, clear the clutter, and stay on track. Be consistent, write down your prayers, and as you continue to journal, you'll be able to look back and see your growth across your spiritual journey. Third, do not try to do this alone. Find a friend, a mentor, or a spiritual companion who will check in with you.

Having accountability from someone else will help keep you on track when you're tempted to hit the snooze button and skip your quiet time. You will be tempted, don't get me wrong, to skip or even shortchange your quiet time. But none of us can do this on willpower alone. We weren't meant to. God designed us for a life of uplifting and strengthening each other. How to Structure Your Time Now that you have what you need to succeed, here's some guidelines on how to structure your time. Be flexible. This isn't some magic formula. Your time with God shouldn't be rigid and formulaic. Don't feel like you have to stick to a clock or schedule. The more time you spend, the more you'll develop your own personal rhythm that works best for you. First, make sure you begin with prayer. Begin each time with a short time of prayer asking God to clear your heart, to clear your mind so that you can focus in on Him. Praying something like this, God, I am thankful for this time to meet with you today. Forgive me of my sins. that block your voice. Spirit speak to me clearly through your word today. Give me the faith to trust and to act on what you say. Second, spend time in God's word. On day two, we gave you a short walkthrough of how to read and study the Bible using the SOAP method. If you're on a reading plan or walking through a particular book of the Bible, read through it slowly and intentionally. Read it multiple times so you can absorb some of the meaning.

Allow God's spirit to reveal truth to you. If something is unfamiliar or unclear, that's totally normal. A pastor I know used to say, reading the word is a lot like eating fish. Find the meat that's easy to eat first, come back and work on the bones later if you're still hungry. Now, if you have a devotional guide you're reading, that will help you as a study aid too. But I'm going to warn you, don't treat it as a substitute for the Bible itself. Finally, close your time with God with prayer and journaling. Depending on how long your daily time with God is, it's wise to spend at least a third of that in prayer. If you plan to spend 15 minutes each morning, save the last five for time to speak with and, importantly, to listen to God. You can see below for a reminder on how to build a prayer around Jesus' model prayer from Matthew chapter 6. Prayer is a crucial part of quiet time, allowing for a direct conversation with God. You also can include some worship music. It will help you set the atmosphere for your devotional time. As you pray, mark down your prayers and revelations in your journal. Writing these and what you heard from God during your quiet time is a beneficial practice. It will help you process your thoughts and remember the times that God worked in your life. Remember, the goal of your quiet time is not just to fulfill an obligation, it's to deepen your personal relationship with God, to learn more about Him, and to grow in your faith. This practice is an essential discipline for Christians. It offers great spiritual benefits and a closer walk with the Lord. Over time, it's going to change you and we start to act more like Jesus. Below we've provided a passage of scripture for you to read and a reminder of how to structure your prayer time. Take the next few minutes and just enter into the King's presence.

He's waiting just for you.