Jesus Wants More Than 8 Minutes

One week sometime earlier this semester, I finished up my devotional time every morning at 8:08am. It’s weird that it was at the same time every day, but I have to tell you that I sat down to devotional time every morning between 7:57 and 8 o’clock. Believe me, Jesus wants more than 8 minutes. And I returned to God after glancing at the clock and said, “Hey, I want to dive deeper into You and You deserve more than what I’m giving you right now.” It was a little depressing to realize that I devoted to God a page of My Utmost for His Highest and a few verses from Psalms or Deuteronomy or whatever book I flipped through. I thought I had progressed to a deeper relationship with God and here I was crossing “God time” off my to-do list like a control freak. It hurt me and the people around me and I could tell.

I spent an hour in communion with God today as part of my college’s 24/7 prayer week. Every day this week, around the clock, at least one person is in our prayer (army) tent. During the evenings, a group comes to lead worship and group prayer. It struck me during my hour slot that I was not spending the time with God that I should. It made me sad. I mean, here’s God, the creator of the universe, who loves me enough to send his only son to die for me, and I can’t even spend an hour talking with him?

I heard somewhere that married couples are not spending enough time with each other. To have a healthy relationship, couples should spend an hour a day, a morning/evening a week, a day a month, and a weekend a year together in close, personal communication, alone together.

Then I realized that if I claim to have a personal and intimate relationship with my Savior, yet I am not spending time with him, what do I have? Since a husband and wife is a great metaphor to Christ and the church, we must realize that a marriage without close communication and unity (emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically) is hurting. Likewise with our relationship with Christ.

So my question is this: Have you spent time with God today? Have you heard his words to you? Have you bathed in his presence? Have you given him your heart? Have you placed your burdens at his feet?

A friend once told that God never gets tired of hearing my voice. What a beautiful thing to hear. God never tires of listening to you. He may chuckle or roll his eyes or shake his head, but he is listening to every word you say and every thought you think and every silent prayer you whisper.

So what if we spent an hour with God everyday? An hour in personal time devoted to him. That doesn't mean an hour of Bible reading, although that could certainly be it. Maybe it's an hour walk with no distractions or an hour in worship music. Take the time and give it to God.