I talked with a pastor out-of-state who told me he has not had much quiet time in recent years. Specifically, he was talking about times where he spends time connecting with God through personal Bible study and prayer. Not those times when he is doing sermon preparation or preparing for a wedding or funeral or a men’s Bible study that he leads.
“I don’t very often sit down with my Bible and just be quiet in the Lord’s presence,” he said.
“Would you like to?” I asked.
“Oh, of course, but I can’t seem to sustain it with any kind of regularity.”
“What is your goal?” I asked.
“To be more intimate with God,” came his immediate reply.
“That’s great. So, when during the day are you most likely to pursue that kind of quiet intimacy?”
“Probably early in the morning.”
“Do you have actually time to do that early in the morning?”
“Yes,” he said. “Particularly if I don’t get on my computer first thing to read the news and sports and blogs that I find interesting. I often spend 30 minutes or more doing that.”
Our conversation continued and he said he is going to try and “be alone with God” at least a couple of days a week. He actually said starting the day by reading the news and sports and interesting blogs leaves him wanting more, particularly since he wants to intentionally connect more with God first thing in the morning.
I am glad. When it comes to intentionally connecting with God I think of the quotation by writer Annie Dillard. “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
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