Ready or Not? How to Make Time for God
“You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40, NIV)
Think of all the things that you do within a day’s time. How much time do you spend on these things? Why do you do what you do? Is it because God wants you to or because you want to? How can you give more of your time to God? What needs to go? What needs to stay?
Is There An Excuse for Not Spending Time with God?
As a college student, I know how easy it is to say what you have time for and what you don’t. We make time for class, homework and extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, we often make excuses when God calls us to do something. We say things like “I don’t have time to go to church on Sunday,” “I’m too busy to go to Bible study this week” or “I’ll just pray later.” When God calls us to do something, we often act on our timing instead of His timing. However, we need to learn to obey God immediately.
Anything that isn’t pushing us closer to Christ is pushing us further away from Him. We try to prioritize our time according to what we believe is important to do. However, we need to let God define our priorities. Nothing should take precedence over quality time with Him. Nevertheless, whenever life becomes too busy or too stressful, the first thing that usually suffers is our time in the Word and prayer. When we set these practices aside, it shows that we don’t trust God enough with our time.
I remember sitting in my dorm room complaining about how little time I had to do the things that I needed to do. Yet, I was not doing any of those things and was instead mindlessly scrolling through Facebook. Then, I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit and sensed Him saying, “You’d have enough time if you’d stay off Facebook sometime.” I couldn’t argue with God on that one.
We’re supposed to give God the best of our day, not what’s left at the end of our day when we’re tired and falling asleep as we try to pray. We’re supposed to walk with God every moment of every day, not just on Sundays. But how?
How to Start Making Time for God
If you are struggling to devote time to God, you’re not alone.
- Start by spending 5 to 10 minutes reading the Bible and praying in the morning or during lunchtime, when your attention can be fully focused.
- As you get in the habit of spending 5 to 10 minutes with God, challenge yourself to try 15 to 20 minutes, then 25 to 30 minutes, and so forth.
- You aren’t restricted to a certain time of day--do this whenever you have or can make distraction-free time.
I usually spend time with God late at night because I find that there are fewer interruptions than there are during the day, and I also feel most alert and focused at night. However, I know a lot of people are more alert and focused in the mornings and afternoons, so find what works for you and stick to it.
Always remember that any time spent with God is time well-spent. Jesus is coming back one day, and you will have to give an account for everything you did or didn’t do. Will you be ready?
See also:About the Author: Briuana Green is an athlete, rising author and student currently studying Psychology at Harvard University. She is involved with Christian Impact, a ministry of Cru, on campus.
