What Does Spending Time With God Look Like Biblically?
Have you ever noticed that nowhere in the Bible do we find the words or commands to “spend time with God”?
But even in the absence of those words, there’s no shortage of people demanding that we spend time with God. We read posts about it, watch videos, and many of our leaders are insisting that we spend time more with God. So if so many Christians are telling us we need to spend more time with God, why don’t we find those words in the scripture?
Can I point out that if you ever pressed someone on exactly how we’re supposed to spend more time with God that will nearly always come down to three steps/options:
- Read the bible
- Go to Church
- Pray
Now all three of those things are very important, and we at Jesus Without Religion always encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ to be active in each and every one of them. The Bible is the greatest book ever written and you’ll never find more wisdom in any other book. Our local church is where we can be with like-minded Christians and build each other up. And being in prayer is a beautiful way to talk to our heaven Father who wants to hear our every need and desire.
But again we come back to the question, why doesn’t the Bible tell us to spend time with God?
And the answer a simple. It is literally impossible for a Christian to not spend time with God.
- If you are a Christian God has promised he has put his Spirit in YOU
- If you are a Christian God has promised he will NEVER leave you or forsake you
- If you are a Christian God has promised when you are faithless he will remain faithful
And dare I say it? If you are a Christian, then you are spending time with God even when you live in a bad season of sin I am a bad choice after bad choice.
So we don’t need to be demanding that people spend time with God. The real question is what do we want to do with that time we spend with God? We can spend that time making poor choices or we can spend it exuding the love of Jesus. The choice really is yours and you’re free to choose either way. And even if you make the wrong choice, God is not going anywhere. If you’re going to be focused on pleasing the flesh, well, you’re going to have to do it with God, in you.
Throughout the globe, there have been and still are people who have never read a Bible nor logged an hour into a church building that has spent nearly their entire life with God. You do not need to read a Bible or go into a building to worship God or know how to live and make good choices. The scriptures tell us we have everything we need for godliness and daily living. If somebody thinks reading the Bible is the key to daily living they have sadly missed it. Jesus lives in us and guides us day by day, moment by moment, choice by choice. You have a new heart, and a new spirit, and I can promise you you genuinely do have everything you need to make every single choice that will ever come your way.
Now some would say, if that’s true then why read the Bible or go to church? And again, I would like to reiterate that I am not coming within 1000 feet of teaching such garbage. The Bible gives us the historical details about our spiritual heavenly Father. It reaffirms the things that have already been placed inside of us. But even before the Bible was written you’re told that when the Son of man (Jesus) was lifted up on the cross he will draw all men unto himself. Before the Bible was written, we were told by his creation we would all know that he is who he says he is and therefore would be without excuse on judgment day. The Bible does not make you more spiritual. It does not make you closer to God. It is one of the endless ways that we can spend time with God, and it certainly is full of so much wisdom and knowledge that I think your heart just wants to soak in it.
And why go to church? After all, we can spend time with God on the beach, which is more likely going to be quite a bit more fun for many of us. And like I said, we can worship God at the beach, or even while brushing our teeth in the morning. Worship is not about a place. Nonetheless, church is a wonderful place where we can also worship, learn, and most importantly:
[Hebrews 10:25] but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Again, singing at church, Bible studies, Sunday morning sermons, etc. are all good and wonderful and meaningful things for Christians. Please do not hear what we are not saying. But we go to church mostly so that we can encourage our brothers and sisters. So we can build each other up. And again, church is certainly a way to spend time with God, but the message today is to encourage everyone and remind them that spending time with God is easy as opening our eyes in the morning.
I’ll leave you with this. How do you want to spend your time with God? I know a lot of people who struggle to retain things they read and will not be fulfilled by logging in two hours a day to read the Bible. I also know a lot of people, some who rarely go to church, and others who attend church every single Sunday, and occasionally Wednesdays. However, many of them would not want to spend four hours a day at the local church. And that in absolutely no way suggest even remotely that they don’t have a heart and a deep love for Jesus. If anyone tells you differently, pray for them because they are missing Jesus in a big way.
So, if I can give a little bit of advice. Never forget that you are always spending time with God. Know that God is not obsessing over whether or not you’re reading the Bible or you’re walking through the front door of your local church. The heart of God is that you know Jesus and express Him. Day by day, moment by moment, you can show the world his Son by your patience, gentleness, kindness, and love for one another.
[JOHN 13:35] By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
