7 Effective Ways to spend quality time with God

Lately, I have been thinking about effective ways to spend time in the presence of God each day. Let’s be clear: it’s not always easy. There are so many things that want to steal our attention during the day: friends, family, work, entertainment, social networks that we can quickly get addicted to, going out, etc. So many things can become priorities in our lives and make us forget what we need MOST: the PRESENCE OF GOD.

“All of us who, with our faces uncovered, contemplate the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, we are transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

I don’t know about you, but I thirst for God. I want to know Him more, to walk with Him, to serve Him, to go DEEPER in my relationship with Him. I love Him and I love His love for me. He is perfect. I also have struggles that keep me HUMBLE in front of Him and I understood one thing: growing in Christ takes a lifetime. 

At every stage of my spiritual life, and since March 21, 2010, when I gave my life to the Lord, I have learned that you never know God enough. When we think we have seen it all with Him, He shows us something new. He is wonderful! I understood that in order to walk in the VICTORY He won at the Cross, I had to MAINTAIN my relationship with Him.

I understood that to face all that a day can bring us a lot of joys, worries, stress, people, it was in MY INTEREST to sit in His Presence each day and pour out my heart before Him, proclaim His promises in every aspect of my life, and then let Him, in turn, pour out into me.
I know I can talk to God all day long. And in reality, that is PRAYER, they are not pre-established religious formulas. However, to go deeper with Him, to know Him more, and to discover the hidden treasures of His Word, I must give Him the most IMPORTANT time of my day.
For me, it is in the morning, sometimes at night before sleeping. This is where I have clear ideas and can prepare for my day.

Here are my 7 keys to spending QUALITY TIME with God every day and letting Him transform our hearts.

1. Have a secret place.

“But when you pray, enter your room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is there in the secret place; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ” (Matthew 6: 6)

Having a specific place to spend quality one-on-one time with God is super important. It can be the bedroom, the living room sofa, the kitchen, and even the shower! The main thing is to be calm, with no one to interrupt or disturb us. You can even set up a space of your own in a corner of the house where you will be comfortable; it will make you want to stay there longer, and even come back. There was a time when I was particularly fond of the balcony of my old apartment. Not very practical in winter but the rest of the time, a good lounge chair, a cushion, and a throw plus my bible, and here we go!

2. Have a specific time.

“Toward morning, while it was still very dark, He arose, and went out to a desert place, where He prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

Speaking of my balcony, I liked to sit there at dawn, around 5 am, when it is still a little dark, and feel the breeze. One must be able to feel at ease in the divine Presence. You can be in fellowship with God all day, but what could be better than having a special time with Him at a specific time? It’s like having a date with Jesus! The world is sleeping so I feel alone in the world, which in this case is a good advantage. I want to make the most of my communion time, without distraction. I am more alert to the voice of the Spirit. Some people prefer in the morning when waking up or in the evening before sleeping, it depends on everyone. Most? Waking up and declaring God’s PROMISES for the day prepares us for the obstacles that we may encounter in this one. Yes to romantic dates with Jesus!

3. Praise.

“… Maintain one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and celebrating with all your heart the praises of the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19)

We cannot repeat it enough, but God LIVES in praise. He loves it ! What better way to keep the atmosphere going than to praise Him? His Presence descends when we praise Him and thirst for Him. To praise God is to recognize who He is, His greatness. Introducing our time of fellowship with praise will help us to enter more easily into His presence and DISPOSE of our hearts to RECEIVE what He has prepared for us. You can do this by singing under the inspiration of the Spirit, by putting on a good gospel CD, by dancing.

4. To pour out his heart before Him.

“Get up, moans at the entrance of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water, in the presence of the Lord! ” (Lamentations 2:19)

I really like this verse because it shows us what it is to talk with God. It is simply SPREADING our hearts before Him, with humility. All that we feel, all that we desire, all that we think. He already knows it but as a dad wants an INTIMATE relationship with his children, God wants an intimate relationship with us. To confide in Him is to TRUST Him and even if He already knows us, we must take the trouble every day to talk to Him, to pray, to intercede for the things that are important to us. COMMUNICATION with God is important!

5. Read and meditate on His Word.

“Let not this book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, to act faithfully according to all that is written in it; because then you will be successful in your endeavors, then you will be successful. ” (Joshua 1: 8)

As the verse indicates, MEDITATION on the Word of God and ACT according to it brings SUCCESS in our lives. During your time in fellowship, it is important to go in the Word and let God speak to you. God sometimes speaks in one way, sometimes in another, but His Word is the key to knowing Him. She will also help you in the challenges and situations that you may encounter during your day. It is also the role of the Holy Spirit to remind us of the Word. Sometimes we make the mistake of spouting a flood of words before God and then getting up and going. Praying is also LISTENING, as in all communication. God desires our presence and He knows all the good His Word can do in our lives.

Read more:

• Ephesians 3:20 meaning
• Opening prayer for a meeting and Bible study
• Jesus Wept: Seek God’s Comfort in Times of Troubles

6. Write down what you have received.

I know not everyone is a fan of writing but it’s important because as the saying goes, “the words fly away but the writings remain”. Let us always take the time to write down what we have received during our time of prayer, our brain cannot memorize everything and often, we will have to go back on the words and the instructions that God has given us. I make a habit of writing what I receive in a notebook. I have so many notebooks at home! Some go back years. When I read them again, I laugh, I sniff, I remember. In short, I SEE the faithfulness of God in all the situations that I have been through. I also use it to write my dreams, so as not to forget anything. Also, during my one-to-one time with God, I sometimes write down my prayers instead of saying them out loud. For me personally, there is a time to declare, a time to intercede, a time to pray in my heart, and a time to write. God hears me

7. Thanksgiving.

“Give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

And yes! How do you end a super good time of devotion with God? By giving thanks. Thank Him for everything He has done and will do, thank Him in advance for our requests which have been heard and whose response is already underway, Thank Him for the protection, the family, the work, for everything that ‘we have and others don’t. God loves GREAT hearts.

Final words:
You can have personal time with God anywhere. Praising God and praying is not just limited to one place and thanks to His Spirit, it is something that one can do even while at work, on the bus, subway, etc. Let us not overlook the opportunities to spend time with Him because it is at these times that we will receive seeds that will change our mindset and break the negative cycles in our lives. Additionally, spending time in God’s presence makes us more sensitive to His voice and helps us love others. When we receive the love of God on a daily basis, we are more joyful, less irritable, focused on the essential which is CHRIST, more patient, and kind. We shine and the others do not understand why!