When you hear spending time with God what easily come to mind is praying or reading the bible.

Spending time with God means to spend time with the Lord, meaning you come to him spend time and talk with him. No prayer here, you just sit down or stand and you talk. It doesn’t always mean he will talk with you. Sometimes it’s both of you reasoning like you do with your fellow man; reasoning with God in your heart, and sometimes you just stay in him. So, you talk with the Lord it comes to an end, he goes his way and you go your way. This happens with your eyes opened not closed, so you are not praying. When you pray you close your eyes, and maybe groan having an image of something in your mind, but when you spend time with the Lord it is more like talking with someone. This is not prayer; you discuss with God. In the mist of it he can answer your prayer or tell you something that blesses your life but the purpose for the meeting is not for that but is to sit relax and spend time with God. You have to practice this. Have it in mind that you are actually relating with a person someone just like you, not of thundering or some shaking -God manifesting his power. Sometimes he does not have anything to say to you, he just wants you around, he’s lying, sitting or standing with you; you just spend the time with him. This type of fellowshipping will take you out of religion.
Example of spending time with God is when God came down and visited Abraham on his way to Sodom. He didn’t come as God to Abraham. Abraham saw them and they sat together, ate and talked. God then decided to give him a gift of information. God shows us here he had good relationship with Abraham. Jesus had the same thing with God. When he went to raise Lazarus he spoke to God in like manner. He wouldn’t have spoken like that If he never had a relationship with God. You can’t have this without first having a good relationship with God, just like you can’t start having a deep discussing with someone new to you. The way to start having a relationship with God is to start obeying his word.

Prayer is actually not spending time with God but making a request for something you want from him. Praying is different from having a relationship with God. It is acknowledging the sovereignty of the Lord. Prayer, no matter how long it lasts even if it is in tongues is for edification, connecting with God for something.
So what is it, how are we to approach it? Praying is when you acknowledge that this friend of yours is your God so you no longer have this ‘friend image’ of him. You are actually bowing to a God acknowledging his sovereignty and then you pray. In prayers like this you receive answers, just like Jesus prayed at Gethsemane. This time he needed to hear from God, not really to have a discussion with him. It was a pouring out of the heart in humility recognizing a God, and God answered by sending an angel. Jesus had prayers like this from time to time. You will be pouring out your heart & spirit to the lord, submitting to his sovereignty not just talking. This prayer builds & equips you as you ask and receive from God. Earnestly expressing your heart to God, you might not get your answer immediately but you continue, this is prayer.

Reading your bible has nothing to do with spending time with God. God is in heaven in his throne as a person. The bible is the written word of God made available to you, not the Person himself. Spending time with the book about the person doesn’t mean you are spending time with the person. You can’t spend time with him if you do not have a relationship with him.

Also spending time with God is not spending time with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God came to teach you things. If the Spirit calls you out to show you things that’s not God and it’s not spending time with God. The bible says truly our fellowship is with the father and his son Jesus.

For those who have a relationship with him you sometimes find yourself wanting to pray or praise him but when you remember you are here to spend time with him you stop. If you know this is not your story and you desire it then you need to first start building a good relationship with him because you can’t spend time with someone you don’t have a relationship with. God loves us, he wants to be a part of our lives. He loves us that much. You observed this with Abraham. God came to visit Abraham and they discussed about both their affairs. This is not only for Abraham, desire it too. You will have to work with the lord with this very strong passion then he’ll begin to take you through the steps, bringing you to that stage. It may take some time but as long as you have that desire in your heart you’ll come to it.

#JesusTheKing

By Goodnews Okpara