I ended Part 1 by asking the question, "What does the quality of my time spent with God look like - and am I happy with it?"
Today I would like to share some practical things we can do to improve on this:
Make an appointment with God - When we desire a relationship with someone, we purpose to spend time with them. Relationships don’t just happen. We have to make them a priority and not let other things take precedence. Seeing our quiet time as an appointment with God and being consistent with it helps us build a relationship with Him. So decide what time is best for you and schedule it.
Make the effort - That may mean getting up a little earlier or staying up a little later but even 15-30 minutes can make a difference and can kick start the habit.
Plan ahead - Set your Bible, journal, and other things together in one place.
Eliminate distractions - Too often instead of reaching for our Bibles, we reach for our smartphones to check email, text messages, or Instagram. Leave your phone in the other room or turn it face down when you have your quiet time.
Prepare our hearts - We prepare our hearts by confessing any known sin (1 John 1:9)
Be quiet and still - Focus your mind on Him. Be reverent. Be expectant. Think about what you’re doing and expect Him to speak to you through His Word.
Keep a journal - You can jot down verses that speak to your heart. Write out quotes or thoughts from your Bible or whatever the Holy Spirit lays on your heart so that you can always refer back to it in future.
Discuss - A good way to ensure you adhere to the above is to hold yourself accountable to someone or asking a friend or family member to join you and share in this journey.
An important component to all of this is never to give up, even if you missed a few days, a couple of weeks, etc. There's always the opportunity to start over, to start again - God would want you to! And to always trust in His grace, love and faithfulness to help you each and every day. Amen