6 Simple Ways to Spend More Time with God
Written by Alivia Staggs
You did it! You got out the planner and scheduled time to be with God. But now that the hour has arrived… What do you do? Even when we crave quality time with God and carve it out in our calendars, we sometimes don’t know what to do or where to even start.
Early with my faith in Jesus, I thought I had to pray the Lord’s Prayer and read the entire Bible to spend time with Jesus. While there’s a lot of wisdom in those spaces, it’s not the only way to encounter God and spend time with him. Here are 6 simple ways to spend more time with God. Feel free to try them and adapt them in ways that make sense for you and fill your soul.
Journal
The word “journaling” probably fills you with either excitement or dread. I have been on both sides of the extreme when it comes to journaling. However, I especially like and advocate for this practice because it makes you pause and reflect. Once you have established this rhythm into your routine, you can easily build upon it with other spiritual practices. This is a great starting point and way to externally process!
For a week or even a month, try recording a gratitude journal. If you enjoy writing, you can do this with pen and paper. If that isn’t something you enjoy, record yourself with your phone talking about your gratitudes. Do this each morning or evening in order to externalize the things you are grateful for in life. At the end of the day, week, and month, go over the gratitudes and celebrate what God has done in your heart through gratitude.
An additional option would be to use your journaling time as a place for your thoughts, feelings, or questions. No need for it to be polished or presentable. Write or speak what you’re thinking and ask God to show you His grace. Keep your heart open and listen and if you hear anything, be sure to record it in your journal.
Pray
Prayer is a relationship. To pray to God is to have a conversation with God. As Mother Teresa said, “For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.” There are so many benefits to spending time with God in prayer. One of them is that you keep constant company with Jesus, whether you feel his presence or not. Prayer is also a beautiful reminder that the living God is present within you and can help guard your mind; so, your thoughts, feelings, and behavior flow from an ongoing conversation with God. Prayer takes on so many different forms, from breath prayers to centering prayers. I highly encourage you to explore and practice prayer so that you find a style that connects to your soul.
Read
Reading is a great way to spend time with God. You can choose to read the Bible or a Christian book, but you don’t have to. I love reading poetry and reflecting upon it with God. Did a certain sentence stir my heart or sit heavy? What might I learn from God or myself from what I read? Books are a great way to learn information and new aspects of the heart of God. One book that I absolutely love is Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun. When I don’t know what questions to reflect upon with God or what practice to try, I always start by reading this book.
Listening
If reading is not something you’d consider to be your jam, listening is a great alternative. You can listen to passages of the Bible in a translation that connects to your heart. If there is a verse that sticks out to you, pause and reflect upon it. I love listening to scripture because I can combine it with other activities like getting ready in the morning, commuting, cooking, working out, or while sitting in the park with a friend. Listening, when practiced actively and intentionally, is a great way to spend time with God.
Self-Care
As quoted by Adele Calhoun, “Spending time in self-care honors God by nurturing and protecting the limits and desires of the body, mind, and spirit. To spend time with God in self-care is to value yourself as God values you.”
Everyday things such as working out, sleeping, and eating are considered to be self-care. We are created in the image of God, and God delights in every inch of us; so, take some time to enjoy the body you’ve been given through the act of self-care. Enjoy a snack in the presence of God. As you eat, thank God for nourishing you. Make a list of things you like about yourself and praise God for creating you with those things. Care for your body by taking a bubble bath or a nap. Meet God in those spaces and thank Him for beautifully creating your beautiful body with unique needs and limits.
Hobbies
This one is my favorite because you get to find God’s presence in the things you love to do. Love Instagram? As you scroll, pray for people on your feed. If you enjoy walking, pray for the people you encounter along the path. Crafting and creating? You can spend time with God there, too. I restore furniture and find it truly soul-filling to make it a spiritual practice. I go in with a request and as I sand the wood, I pray that God would be refining me. As I paint or stain the wood, I pray that I would begin to see what God is restoring, even if the process of my healing or change hasn’t happened yet. When my project is done, I bring it into my house as a reminder that God is the ultimate restorer and that He is doing good work through me and in me. Whatever your hobby is, intentionally seek God in it. Invite God to join you in the things you’re passionate about and be open to having fun in the presence of God!
Spending time with God doesn’t have to be intimidating, overwhelming, or just another thing on the to-do list. It can be easy, restful, and creative. Although it may be simple or ordinary, it does not mean it lacks significance. Small steps over time make huge changes! So, once you know how you want to spend time with God, experiment with what your heart connects to and keep doing it! God will honor your desire to know Him as He knows you. As James 4:8 promises, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
Related Resources
Spiritual Rhythms from Ancient Contemplatives Worth Trying
I was 22 years old when I first heard the phrase “spiritual rhythms” or “spiritual practices.” I was over halfway through my Biblical Studies degree in college and went on a Spiritual Formation Retreat (also a new concept for me) when I was introduced to the world of...
Why Deconstruction Without Reconstruction is Harmful
“Deconstruction” has become a buzz-word in the Christian community in recent years. While deconstruction isn’t a new philosophical concept and it’s neither good nor bad, it’s important that we don’t conflate deconstruction with enlightenment. The form of...
5 Myths About Joy (and Happiness)
In my wildest dreams, I never thought my life as a New Yorker would be as hard as it has been over the past year and a half. Ever since I stepped foot on the sparking pavement in Times Square in June of 2001, the Lord has planted a beautiful, vast love for this city...
