Life is a blur. Even during a pandemic, staying inside our house all day, we are experts at staying busy. Even when we are physically still, our mind is racing. We are thinking about the next thing we need to do. We are thinking about tomorrow. We are thinking about work. Some of us wake up to a crowd of thoughts all competing for the main stage in our minds.
This rushed inner world squelches prayer. We need to learn to slow down and be still. Because God is God—you know, the infinite, invisible, holy, Creator—it requires our full attention to interact with Him. That’s why God says:
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
—Psalm 46:10
“Be still.” It’s not merely physical stillness; it’s not just plopping ourselves in the recliner or the hammock in the backyard. It’s deeper.
Getting into a gaze
Think of the way people interact with art in museums. Because there are like 25,000 pieces of art to look at, most people just scan through it all pretty fast. Something that really catches their eye might warrant a full minute stare but then they move on. Some of the paintings may be by the greatest artists in the history of the world, and are works that took the artists decades to refine, but they only get a short glance from most people. I confess I’ve done this.
Sometimes though—and maybe this is you—you’ll see a person planted in front of one painting just gazing hard and long. Everyone and everything around them becomes invisible. The sounds of people talking become faint. They are totally absorbed in the art. They study it, muse on it and stretch to take it in. They aren’t just analyzing the technical aspects, but they are striving to feel what the artist wanted people to feel. This way of looking at art is very different and gives the viewer a special relationship to it.
I’m sure you already get where I’m going with that illustration. In order to know God in depth we cannot just scan him quickly. We must slow down and get into a gaze. There are things we see only when we fix our gaze for a long time. This is certainly true in viewing art. How much more in our viewing of God?
Time
Time is essential to go deep in God. Let me explain what this looks like. Giving God time is not a mysterious thing. It’s not any different than giving time to an important person in our life like a spouse or a friend or someone we are mentoring. We make time. We plan something. We put it in our google calendar. And because we are meeting our friend Thursday for lunch 11-1, that’s what we are doing Thursday 11-1. It’s that simple.
We need to plan time with God. I’m all for talking with God on the fly all day long—I do that—but our relationship with Him will be shallow unless we learn to shut away. Decide before the week begins when exactly you will spend time with God. If you just plow into the week with no specific plan to meet with God, it won’t happen. Plan it. And give it first place above all else. Don’t give Him the scraps of your time after you’ve spent your best time and energy on everything and everyone else. Give Him your best time and give Him a lot of time.
Attention
Once you set aside the time, and show up for your time with God, then you must give Him your full attention. I know some struggle more than others with this so I’m sympathetic, but we all need to work hard at this. Find a place without distractions. Put the phone away. Get alone into a quiet place. Like Jesus—
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
—Mark 1:35
Can I be blunt for a moment? I think we are way too easy on ourselves when it comes to devotion. We spend three hours at a football game, two hours watching a movie, four hours talking and laughing with friends … but spend 17 minutes with God. Or less! It kind of looks like we aren’t that into Him. Don’t let anyone tell you because you are a new Christian that you should start small. Forget that. Think big. You can do it! The Spirit will help you.
Some might be thinking, “But I run out of things to say.” That’s okay. We shouldn’t be doing all the talking anyhow in the presence of the King. It’s okay to just be silent before Him.
To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
—Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
What I do
Spending time with God doesn’t mean solely talking to God out loud or in my mind but might include worship, reading the Word and writing. I like to weave all these together. I tend to start with writing prayers, Scriptures and reflections to get my mind in a contemplative mode. It slows me down. I write in notebooks with a pen and I intentionally write slowly. I have my Bible open next to my notebook and often pause to read a portion that comes to mind as I’m writing. Sometimes I drop the pen, close my eyes and say some stuff to the Lord that’s too personal to put in writing, or too difficult. That might turn into just being still and being aware of God’s nearness. Lately, I’ve also been reading whole books (or sections of longer books) of the Bible out loud. Then some worship, without music, just exalting Him and proclaiming who He is with adoration. Thankfulness threads through everything. This is what I do. It’s a little different each day as the Spirit leads. Several hours fly by as I’m joyfully engrossed. Until my stomach growls. :)
I’m sure your time with God will look different than mine. Many people like to use devotionals, for example, or use resources like The Bible Project to get them going. Some people like to mix their time with God with walking. Others incorporate music. Do whatever works. Try different approaches. The important thing is to show up with a humble teachable heart. It starts by making a plan. As someone once said, “If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time.” Aim to give God your best time and your best attention and watch what happens! I’ll be doing the same.
Scott