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7 Ways to Find Time for God

Our Busy Lives

It's been said that you can make more money, but you can't make more time. If you are anything like me, there are many times that you wish that weren't true.  

Among the demands placed on us by work, family, and friends, the ability to generate one more hour would certainly be well received. Deadlines and responsibilities quickly fill the calendar, leaving us grasping for rare moments to spend on ourselves and the things we enjoy.

There are so many things we MUST get done, that even the things and relationships we treasure are left scratching for mere crumbs off any block of time not already committed. Sometimes health and relationships suffer strain because the time carved out is not enough to nurture them.

For any relationship to survive and grow, it requires time, communication, and connecting regularly and consistently. Relationships void of these begin to wither and die like plants without sunshine and water.

Our relationship with God can suffer from the same neglect. As a Christian, I encounter interruptions and distractions regularly that work to keep my time with God to a minimum. Many times, I would crawl into bed at the end of a busy day realizing that my best-laid plans for spending time with God failed miserably.

Why Do We Need Time with God?

We must be available for the important people in our lives. It's easy to get distracted by the daily "urgencies" of life and ignore our most important connections. Contact with parents, siblings, children, and friends gets pushed off until tomorrow, often to the final realization that tomorrow never comes.

Prioritizing those relationships is necessary for their survival, just as maintaining our relationship with God is critical. 

When we are in daily contact with God, we leave the time spent better prepared to face life's challenges. God desires time with His children and we are granted a myriad of benefits when we honor that desire.

Some benefits of spending time with God include:

• Hope and Encouragement
• Renewed and Stronger Faith
• Improved Character and Resolve
• Capacity for Forgiveness
• Peace and Contentment
• Positive mindset
• Superior self-esteem
• Improved recognition of His voice and direction
• Wisdom and knowledge to share

This post will benefit you most if you start with a fundamental belief that God exists. It is hard enough to maintain relationships with the people you can see and touch. It's much easier to allow distractions to replace time with Him when that contact is not in response to phone calls, emails, and texts.

Distractions can be difficult to address, but there are some ways to minimize their intrusion into time desired elsewhere, including time with God. 

You don't have to turn your life upside down to accomplish the interaction. It doesn't have to be complicated or overwhelming to shift some moments to nourish your connection with Him.

7 Ways to Find Time for God

1. Rework Routine

*In an earlier post I shared my daily morning routine (Read 10 Good Daily Habits...). Can you shuffle your routine to include time with God?

*You can start small. I did. Can you give God 5 minutes of quality time? It will be the best 5 minutes you'll spend all day.

*Establishing a regular routine allows some things to become automatic. It took a few weeks for me, but then it became a habit to start my day with God. It's not easy to form a habit, but once created it makes things a steadfast part of your life.

"Does a young woman forget her jewelry, or a bride her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me." 

-Jeremiah 2:32 NLT

2. Rewrite Schedule

*Your daily to-do list reflects your personal priorities. Does it include time with God?

*It's hard to find anyone today who doesn't have a cell phone glued to their hands. Use it to set an alert for a scheduled time to share alone with God. I'm a morning person, but if you are not, choose a time that fits you personally.

3. Remove Distractions

*Whatever the amount of time, great or small, be proactive in making it quality time. The more earnest you become in setting time aside, the more diligent the assaults on that time will be. Work to minimize distractions ahead of time.

*Some methods I employ include silencing my phone, turning off the radio, enabling the focus function on my laptop, letting others know to not disturb me, or wearing noise-canceling headphones. Do what works for you. Treat the time like any important meeting.

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone," 

-Matthew 14:22-23 NIV

4. Resist Dead Space

*I used to overthink things in my attempt to be available for God. However, I eventually learned that there was so much dead space I could fill with time for Him.

*I could spend time praying in my car, while walking the dog, running on the treadmill at the gym, or waiting for meeting participants to arrive. I didn't need to carve out one big block of time. Those little snippets throughout the day gave me rejuvenating shots of interaction that kept me going.

*What dead space in your day could you put to better use? Pray small prayers throughout your day while the need is fresh in your mind. No need to save for one lengthy list later.

Read: 6 Ways to a Better Prayer Life

5. Rethink Connection

*The Bible is the best connection we have with God. It is His love letter and instruction manual to us. But often it's a challenge to find time to open and read without interruptions. Look for alternative ways to make your connection with Him.

• Listen to Christian podcasts
• Use Kindle, Audible, or a similar app to use audio versions of the Bible or good Christian books.
• Listen to Christian music 
• Watch sermons and lessons on YouTube.

*Those are different from in-depth study time with the Word but it's a wonderful start to increasing your time with God.

*Jot down some biblical affirmations or Bible verses and place them around the house, on the fridge, or on the bathroom mirror, for quick review and connection.

*Memorize some Bible verses. Committing even a few parts of God's Word to memory will make sure you carry a portable and encouraging resource to maintain your connection with Him.

6. Review Blessings

*God is worthy of our praise. What are you grateful for? Praise and Worship can be done anywhere and is a perfect conduit for experiencing quality time with God.

*I spend time throughout each day, small portions of time each, being thankful for what I have. I am thankful for my wife Barb, my children and grandchildren, my mom, my brothers and sister, my Aunt Karen, friends near and far, a home to live in, food to eat, the sunrise, the majestic mountains, etc. 

*There is so much to be grateful for. Coming to God with Praise and Thanksgiving creates an atmosphere where you can experience a beautiful connection with Him.

Read: 80 Things to be Grateful For

7. Resist Regimen

*Don't make your search for quality time with God a tedious endeavor. Relegating time with God to something you check off a list could strain your relationship with Him. 

*The amount of time is not as important as the quality of the time spent. God looks at your heart. How you approach Him is more vital than the number of times you reach out. 

*However, consistent time creates a solid foundation necessary for the relationship to grow. Start with quality, then increase the quantity of time spent until you are confident that the relationship is healthy.

Some things the Bible says about spending time with God:

"Be still and know that I am God;"

-Psalm 46:10

"I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me."

-Proverbs 8:17

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

-Matthew 6:33

Final Thoughts on Finding Time for God

I was guilty in the past of making time with God harder than it had to be. I would try to find an hour here for Bible study and another hour there for prayer. Often, I found that the absence of those large blocks of time led to me spending truly little time with my Creator. 

Finally, I realized that God is always present and deeply desires to spend time with each of His children no matter how busy our schedules are. He always answers the call. He is always faithful. He never swipes the decline button out of spite because too much time passes between our attempts to reach out to Him.

Even as a former Youth Pastor, I would sometimes feel like I was bothering Him with my trivial pleas, or I'd become ashamed if too much time went by between prayers or devotions. It's truly a blessing to realize that no matter how busy we get, or how much time has passed, we serve a God that we can always run to and connect with.

God is closer than your closest friend. He knows every secret, every imperfection, and still desires a personal relationship with each of us.

I repeat that the purpose of this blog and any of its posts is to help you live your best life. You cannot leave God out of the equation and do that.

There is no way that you can remain the same person once you prioritize your time and spend some of it in the presence of God. You fulfill His desire and reap monumental benefits for yourself.

It is true that priority determines capacity. We can always find time for what we deem to be important.

Find time for God today.

Reach out. He'll take the call.

Now go live your best life,

Dan