This is the most basic thing we need to do in order to grow. Just as we discussed earlier, we were created to have fellowship with God – He died so we could be in a relationship with Him, not just to make us good. This relationship is the goal of Christianity and where the true joy in being a Christian is found, so if we neglect it, we’re missing the whole point.

Spending time with God is fun. Which doesn't mean its always easy. But once you establish a relationship with God, many people find that their time with Him is the highlight of their day. Or the part they most miss if they don't have the opportunity to spend time with Him.

We can relate to God just as we would a close friend. While this may be a hard concept to grasp at first, in time you will experience what it means to have God as your friend. Jesus made His time with God a priority (read the stories in Mark 1.25, Luke 22.39, and Luke 5.16) and set the example for how we are to relate to our heavenly Father.

There are many reasons to discipline ourselves to spend time with God. Here are some of the things that happen when we are close to Him:

• we can more easily find out what God wants for our lives
• we can refocus and get our mind off the world and worries around us
• we find it easier to worship Him
• we naturally become more like Him
• and most importantly, the more time I spend with God, the more I will love Him!

The main ways I can spend time with God are through Reading the Bible, Prayer and Worship.

Need Help Getting Started?

Spending time with God doesn't need to be difficult. In many ways, spending time with God is a bit like exercising. Many people find that when they begin an exercise program, the "fun" stage quickly wears off and it requires a lot of discipline to keep at it. But for those who do stick with it through this tough time, exercising regularly becomes fun, comes easy, and they can't imagine wanting to go without it.

So if you're still working to make time with God a part of your life, keep at it. Like any lifetime habit, set reasonable goals that you can maintain for a long period of time and slowly increase the time you spend with God as you mature in your faith. When the "fun stage" wears off, as it likely will, ask God to help you stick with it...He wants this time with you and will give you desire and discipline to make it through. The difficult times don't last forever, and soon you will find that your daily time with God is something you wouldn't even think of missing.

NEXT: Spending Time with God by Reading the Bible