What to Do If Your God Time Is Dragging
A little while ago I spent about a month where my morning time with God had been a bit strained. My routine was to read my Bible and pray from 6 to 6:30am and then prepare my daughter's food and exercise between 6:30 and 7. It worked, but after some time I started to experience a lot of distractedness and lack of desire to dedicate this time to God. When I prayed for the various elements of my life, there always seemed to be a thousand ideas and inspirations that leapt into my head that I wanted to write down or do right away. For example, when praying for a group of men I met with regularly, I thought of texting them to check in on them. When praying for God to move in our family business, I thought of a new idea to build the Iris and Lark brand. None of these things was wrong, but I realized that these little things were consuming not only my time but also my passion for God. I had to ask this question: How can I stoke the fires of passion for God?
We should all be asking this question frequently as it helps us remember the things that get us moving toward God. Here are some ideas that I’ve encountered and found helpful:
#1 Remind Yourself of the Truth
Here are some of the verses I've been praying to get focused and remind myself of the truths I know and have experienced in God:
- Psalms 141:2 ESV - “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!”
- Psalm 16:11 ESV - “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
- Psalm 143:5-8 ESV - "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah. Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."
#2 Change Things Up
If you find yourself twiddling your thumbs and waiting for the time to run out so you can move onto the next thing, you may be overdue for a variation to your routine. Here are some ideas:
- Read a part of the Bible you usually don’t.
- Take some time to read through the Psalms one or two chapters at a time.
- Put on some worship music, preferably without words. A few of Bethel Music's Without Words albums are available for free on Amazon Music if you have Amazon Prime.
- Read through a smaller book of the Bible several times in one morning. This repetition can unlock some revelation that can only be seen by looking at something multiple times in one sitting.
#3 Stick It Out
While changing things up is good, it is not always the solution and it must be followed up with dedication. Here are some of the ways to stick it out:
- Make sure you always get up to your alarm (no snoozing!)
- Treat your time with God like the most important meeting you’ll have all day. Think how you’d act if the president of your company or the leader you look up to asked you out for coffee. You should be giving God at least that much attention and focus.
- Meet with someone at least once a month who will keep you on track with your spiritual life.
We were designed to be recipients of God's glory, which is a joyous, pleasure-saturated gift. We may experience times of dryness, but those are merely the ebbing of the water before the next wave of grace. Every person can break out of a dry routine by occasionally changing things up. Keep giving each morning your all in anticipation for what God will do. He will not fail.
What are some of the ways you've been able to break out of a dry spell with your time with God?