Why Personal Time with God Matters
Our culture is busier and more distracted than ever, and Christians are not exempt. From the moment we wake up, we’re bombarded with to-do reminders, a flood of information from social media, a packed schedule and a variety of relationships that require time and attention. Often, by the time we collapse into bed at night, we’re left wondering where the time went, realizing we didn’t spend any dedicated time with God that day.
We are all being pulled in so many directions all day, it’s no wonder we struggle to make personal devotion time a priority. Everything else feels more pressing, so we push time with God to the back burner. But if we’re going to go deeper in our relationship with Him, we have to focus on the important, not just the urgent.
Many of us fall victim to the “tyranny of the urgent” — letting the things that feel most time-sensitive draw our attention from moment to moment. If we can take a moment to pause, zoom out and prioritize, we can put our values back in the proper order. It’s not an easy task, but it’s possible. And knowing why you’re doing it — why personal devotion is so important — will help you commit.
It deepens your relationship.
Relationships require connection, and connection can’t happen unless you spend time with another person. It’s the same with our relationships with God. Spending time with Him not only helps us get to know Him better, but it helps us truly connect with Him. We’re creating space and intentionally pushing away distractions so we can hear Him more clearly. Through His Word, we can learn more about His character, which draws us closer to Him. Through prayer, we live in an active relationship with Him. By listening to the Holy Spirit and reading His word, we discover what living in obedience would mean practically in our lives. We don’t earn His favor by ticking the “quiet time” box every day. But the more time we spend with Him, the deeper our relationship becomes and the more impact it has on our lives. After all, being with Him is what we were made for.
It aligns your perspective.
When we spend time with God regularly, without distractions, we are reminded of who we truly are. We reconnect to our purpose and our identity. We feel more grounded, rooted in a story bigger than ourselves. Suddenly the to-do list doesn’t seem so overwhelming. The frustrating thing our child did or that email we received from a coworker doesn’t weigh so heavily. When we keep our eyes on what matters most, it helps us keep a biblical perspective in the midst of our day-to-day challenges. This can be the most helpful when we spend dedicated time with God in the morning with the rest of the day ahead of us. We are reminded of how loved we are. We cultivate gratitude and refocus on our callings as Christians. When it comes down to it, we are simply here to worship God and love others. And sometimes when the world weighs heavily on our shoulders, that’s exactly what we need to remember.
It transforms your life.
Regular time with God is an important part of our transformation as Christians. Even in our earthly relationships, we become more like the people we spend time with. It’s the same with God. When we intentionally create space in our lives for Him, He will fill it. His Spirit is powerful, and when we invite Him in, he will change our hearts. Over time, our minds will become less focused on the things the world deems important and more focused on what He says is important. Our affection for him grows, and so does our joy. We are most satisfied in our lives when we find our satisfaction in Him.
As you decide to create more space for God in your day-to-day life, you might find it challenging. That’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong or you’re not a good Christian. Sometimes we get caught up in thinking it has to feel “warm and fuzzy” all the time, or that we have to receive a revelation from God for a devotion time to be meaningful.
But we have to trust what God is doing in our lives over time, even if we don’t feel it in the moment. Regular time with God is a spiritual discipline. It’s not a quick dose of happy feelings to start out our day or just another gold star for our Christian sticker chart. We’re putting in the time to develop a real long-term relationship. We’re in it for the long haul.
So if you haven’t done it consistently before — or even if you have — it’s normal for it to feel challenging. Remember, we also have an enemy who is actively trying to deter us — to make us feel like it’s not worth it if we can’t do it perfectly, or to distract us with things that feel more urgent. If we can put in the work to make it a priority, God will use that time to change our hearts and glorify Him. And the more we do it, the deeper our relationships will be. The deeper our relationship, the more our spirits will be inclined to spend time with Him.
Remember also that you don’t have to struggle alone. As Christians, we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Pray that God would move your spirit and give you the strength to cut out distractions and focus on time with Him. It doesn’t have to be an hour-long prayer session (though it could be!). Start small if you want, but you’re not being graded on the number of minutes spent or chapters you read. Just bring your full attention and heart to Him and see where His Spirit leads you.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to go deeper in your relationship with God or have questions about what that means for you, please reach out to us any time.
