Prime Time With God

I'd like to share something with you that I call "Prime Time With God." I took this expression from a pastor I knew when I was younger, and although I don't remember exactly how he used the expression, it has come to mean something very important for me. "Prime Time With God" is a period of time where I find a private place (without any distractions), and I go to meet with God one-on-one. During this time my primary agenda is to draw near to God so that He might draw near to me and I could know Him better (James 4:8). I'm generally not interested in praying for specific things or people during this time (although this can happen on occasion), but I simply want to have sweet fellowship with the Glorious Creator of the Universe who created me to love Him as the sole Treasure of my life!

While spending "Prime Time With God," many different things can happen. The Lord may give me insights into His Word or some aspect of Christian life. He may provide me with direction for my own life or clear up something I have been confused about. He also may lead me to examine myself before Him to see if I have offended Him in any way so that I might recognize and turn from my sin and strive to honor Him in this area of my life in the future. I can often evaluate my behavior in light of God's Word much better while having "Prime Time" with Him, so this is my ideal time for self-introspection. Finally, sometimes nothing too exciting at all happens when I spend "Prime Time With God." However, I still view these times as beneficial, because I get the chance to get away from the world and sit in the presence of God, even if I don't feel His presence next to me or gain any profound insight.

For me, regularly spending "Prime Time With God" has been more important than anything else (except for His grace) in regard to the health of my relationship with the Almighty. The importance of this time with God can really be understood when considering one's relationship with his or her spouse. Imagine what would happen if you only talked to your spouse when you needed him/her to do something for you. Your spouse would probably notice that you do not truly enjoy being around him or her, but rather you view him/her as your servant who is there to assist you when you need it. Also, it would be impossible to have an intimate, loving relationship with your spouse if you rarely took time to get to know him or her better. Because God wants to have this kind of relationship with His people, it is imperative that we seek Him regularly if we are to truly love Him like He deserves to be loved!

There is a passage in the Psalms that is written by a man who has really experienced the amazing joy and satisfaction of knowing his Creator. Notice how this man's profound longing for God leads him to express his great desire to spend "Prime Time With God" -

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:1-2)