Giving things up to spend time with God?

[DawnTillery]

When we sacrafice our time and give something up to spend alone time with God... Is that like fasting or is that just being sincere about your time with God?

 

[Sketcher]

More like being sincere about your time with God. Often, when I have some time and I'm deciding what to do, the test presents itself. Do I play a game, watch a movie, or spend time with God? None of them are wrong, but I ashamedly have been known to do something else when I clearly felt God "knocking on the door." If you haven't spent any time in the Word or in prayer (not a quick one to help you get to work on time) and you have some time, why not spend it with God? Those things are like food for your spirit, and you'll be surprised how much of a difference a meal of 10-15 minutes will make in your life. We need focused, relational time with God if we are going to continue to grow spiritually.

Now this does not mean a monastic lifestyle. But it does mean that we include God in our day not just as something on the side, low on the priority list. Don't feel guilty if you can't dedicate a two hours block to time with God. But do make some time for just you and Him, and if something else that comes to your mind can wait, it can wait. That is the time sacrifice we must all make.

 

[DawnTillery]

More like being sincere about your time with God. Often, when I have some time and I'm deciding what to do, the test presents itself. Do I play a game, watch a movie, or spend time with God? None of them are wrong, but I ashamedly have been known to do something else when I clearly felt God "knocking on the door." If you haven't spent any time in the Word or in prayer (not a quick one to help you get to work on time) and you have some time, why not spend it with God? Those things are like food for your spirit, and you'll be surprised how much of a difference a meal of 10-15 minutes will make in your life. We need focused, relational time with God if we are going to continue to grow spiritually.

Now this does not mean a monastic lifestyle. But it does mean that we include God in our day not just as something on the side, low on the priority list. Don't feel guilty if you can't dedicate a two hours block to time with God. But do make some time for just you and Him, and if something else that comes to your mind can wait, it can wait. That is the time sacrifice we must all make.

Thank you. I was preparing a Lesson for two days now for the kids at the Youth Class tonight. I was going to challenge them to give something up each day this next week then come back to class and discuss how rewarding it was to give that up and spend time with God instead.
I just wanted to make sure that was right, cause I was looking over at the fasting stuff and I kind of was thinking it was the same..
Im using Mark 1:35 as my example of giving things up to go into prayer, devoting time to reading etc.
Thanks for a quick reply.. God Bless

 

[Anwar]

Im a person who definitly has trouble with giving up things for God, I feel so ashamed after the fact though

 

[DawnTillery]

I'm not sure if I have a problem giving things up, I just do a lot of reading, studying and time here reading scripture others have left. I guess maybe I have became so accustom to doing this, im not really giving anything up anymore.. Does that make sense?
I told the kids tonight I would do the challenge also. Most of the kids were excited about it.. I only asked them to give up 20 mins, but it had to be at a time where they normally would watch a 30 min show or their video game time. Just not when they had time to do it.. My kids range from 5-10, sometimes i have a few older, but not often.

 

[ImHisServant]

Spending time with God, in prayer and in His Word, is like food and water to the soul. It says in the Word, that it is VITAL!!!

What an awakening for me... for I too struggle in my consistancy of time with God.

The word vital means we need it to live, or without it we will DIE - if I had to go get a dialasis each week for hours - and I needed it to stay alive - you'd better believe I would change my schedule to make the Hospital appointment. You see, spending time one on one with Him is like getting hooked up to the machines at the hospital - they give and sustain life.

Also, if I hadn't eaten all day and it is 6 or 7 at night and I am extremely hungry - that is all I will think about until I eat. If there is nothing at home, I will go out and get something. If I am driving a long distance, I will pull over. We would never purposely starve ourselves. Yet the nurishment/food we get from the Word is also continually needed - I would go so far as to say, NOT spending time in the Word and with God is fasting. Don't starve yourself. I pray that if any of us go too long without drinking the living water to eating in the Word - that we will get hunger pains and will not let us go on until we satisfy them.

Also, jot down how you spend your day for a couple of weeks. Then ask yourself if the things you are doing are producing fruit. I'm not saying you can't have recreation - God wants us to enjoy life - but don't put it before God. And if it doesn't glorify Him - maybe that would be what He would have you to prune in order to get "Hooked up" to Him.