ANXIETY THE MONSTER

Spending Time with God
by Laura Spurlin

In one of the darkest times of my life, I can remember asking a friend, how am I supposed to get better?

The lies were greeting me in the morning, attacking me throughout my day, and torturing me to sleep at night. I knew in my heart that the only way I would feel close to God was to intentionally spend time with Him in His Word.

I remember thinking, “But, I can’t spend all day with God. I need Him all day long, but how? How can I spend time with Him throughout my day?

In our last article, we were presented with the challenge that God is only as close as we allow.

That statement can feel scary, condemning, and too much. Our time is already split between so many things. We have so many baskets we are already juggling. Nope, let’s not add on the guilt of one more basket to juggle. Instead, let’s think of spending time with God as the nourishment to keep us juggling all our baskets.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLT

There are days when our feet hit the floor running, and other days we can sit down in a cozy spot to be still with God. Each day is going to look different, but we must search for ways we can spend time with God. Not in a, oh I’ve got to spend time with God today, but in a, my soul needs to spend time with God today, so how can I make this happen?

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” James 4:8 NLT

Our time with God can be anything we want it to be. It can be quiet time in the morning that sets us up for the rest of our day, during our lunch or a break, any windows of time we have, before bed to soak over all the mishaps and wins of our day, or it can be in the middle of the night when we are searching the darkness desperate for sleep. There are so many ways and opportunities to interact with God. Here are some of my favorite ways to spend time with God:

I knew in my heart that the only way I would feel close to God was to intentionally spend time with Him in His Word.

Ways to spend time with God

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Quiet time in the morning with a reading plan of God’s Word and a devotion to accompany The Word

Praying and prayer journaling

Listening to an uplifting, Christian podcast while I clean and tidy

Singing songs of praise in stressful moments

Listening to a Bible teaching in the car

Listening to a podcast with weekly prayers to pray over my children

Reading a devotion about marriage

Reading a book about praying for my children

Texting a friend what God has done for me or a cry for help when I am drowning

Recalling scriptures I have “hidden in my heart” (Ps. 119:11) when the lies set in

Reading a Christian book

Just like breathing is vital daily – so is spending time with God. Especially, spending time in His Word. The Bible is not just a book of stories, but a message of God’s unconditional love for each of us. There is hope, healing, instruction, understanding, and grace throughout scripture. Nothing can replace reading God’s Word.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us
realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 1 Timothy 3:16

 

I can’t help but smile when I think about that newly stay at home mom gasping for air at all the fear, guilt, and demands around me. Drowning in the mom I wanted to be instead of celebrating the mom that I am. But friend, we can find a way to spend time with God throughout our day, and there is space to learn what that looks like on other days. Our time with God is going to look different from person to person.

Yes, some days are going to get away from us, but the Word of God must be the foundation of our time with God. We can read His Word, listen to His Word, or both. Sometimes I like to listen to His Word being read as I read along in my Bible (cue the memories from our school years). Start working on a plan for how you can spend time in His Word and how you can spend time with God daily, so that when those days come that you are so busy you cannot think straight – you have a plan. I encourage us to find out what our time with God looks like.

 

until next time, Laura

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Laura Spurlin is a nurse who boxed up her scrubs to be a stay-at-home-mama to her two kiddos. In this season of motherhood, her anxiety hit a soaring peak and her depression hit a deep low. With this battle came a stronger, deeper, and more surrendering (on her end) relationship with Christ, and a love for writing what He places on her heart about mothering, marriage, and mental health.

Find her here on instagram