Jesus set the example for us by setting aside quality time to focus on His relationship with His heavenly Father. He practiced daily and weekly rhythms that were not dictated by the demands of the crowds but rather by getting alone in solitude and prayer. In Mark 3:14-15, Jesus also led by example in going up to a mountain and calling the disciples to come be with Him. Jesus modeled true discipleship through presence and proximity. He gave them His greatest gift, Himself, by spending time with them and pouring into their lives as they followed, watched and began to live out His instructions.
How do you learn to slow down so that you can hear God’s voice and experience His presence in your life daily? The first step is to make sure you intentionally and ferociously protect daily time with Him. Whether you call that your quiet time, daily devotionals or your spiritual disciplines, the importance of a planned and intentional time is crucial to your spiritual health. You cannot afford to squander or waste this opportunity in discovering how to abide in Him. The goal is not to learn more about Him, but to live with Him in a close and intimate relationship. Jesus got up early to spend time with His Father.
You must be willing to pay the price to be alone with Him and focus entirely on Him. Our Lord and Savior desires to be known even more than you or I desire to know Him. Mature followers of Christ are not looking for less time with Him but are always seeking ways to spend more quality time by deepening that relationship. Abiding in Him (John 15) describes a dwelling place where you make your home in Him. God’s plan is to reside in us and for us to make our home in Him by pursuing an intimate daily walk with Him through prayer, Bible study and being in His presence.
Another important step in slowing down, besides developing a daily quiet time, is planning for extended times to seek His face. Jesus not only pursued the Father early in the morning but there were times He prayed the entire night. Bill Elliff said it like this: “If the Son of God needed extended hours with the Father, how do we think we could do otherwise and minister effectively?” You must remain submissive to His promptings and be ready to respond to opportunities that arise out of your need to hear from Him. This is the heart of the story of God calling Samuel, and he did not realize who was speaking.
Are you actively seeking to dial into God’s frequency and listen to His voice that is desiring to direct you? The goal of these times is to listen carefully to His direction, learn the lesson He is desiring to teach you, and then to follow Him by obeying His guidance. Abiding in Him must develop into much more than a 15 to 30-minute devotional time. Daniel prayed to the Lord in earnest three times a day. In Psalm 119:164, the Scripture teaches us that David praised God seven times a day. It is not just a practice but a spiritual habit that leads you into a 24/7 lifestyle of abiding in Him.
Have you considered scheduling a spiritual retreat or prayer retreat? Quite often, you can make more spiritual progress in a 24-hour concentrated time of focused fellowship with the Lord than you can in a month of scattered, limited moments. Please do not misunderstand, daily times are very important, but so are extended times of abiding in Him. A prayer retreat is simply a planned time you set aside to be alone with God, but you must plan it, or it will not happen. Busyness has been referred to as the enemy of spirituality. A life filled with constant activity can fight against quiet reflection.
Your always doing things for Jesus must flow out of your being with Jesus. Is there anything more important than spending time with the King of kings and Lord of lords? Bill Elliff reminded us of this reality: “The world can make it without you one day a month.” God created us with a need for rest, reflection and to remember Who He is and who we are not. Moses spent 40 years on the backside of the desert getting ready for God’s assignment on His life. Paul spent three years in Arabia preparing for God’s calling on his life. Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days before He began His ministry.
The third thing to consider in building an intimate relationship with Jesus is fasting. Jesus did not say “if” you fast but “when” you fast. Quoting Bill Elliff once more: “Life is loud. Our minds run constantly, our emotions drive us and our wills battle for control. There is nothing like fasting to quiet us and take us into the Lord’s presence.” If you are feeling detached or distant from the Lord, determine the length of a season for fasting to give your attention to nothing but Him. This is huge in resisting the world’s attempt at controlling you and striving to mold you into its image instead of the Lord’s.
Have you ever said or thought, “I have nothing to offer right now!”? This is a call to slow down and be with Jesus. What are you cultivating in your life? Are you being conformed to the world, or are you being transformed by the intentional renewing of your mind through your quiet time, extended times of spiritual retreat, fasting, and ongoing prayer? Are you becoming the message you teach and preach, or is it just a shallow challenge for others? What one thing could you focus on and do today that would move you in the right direction? Reach out to us for resources on any of these spiritual disciplines.
