Quality Time
One morning, during my prayer time with Jesus, He said, “I want intimacy with you. But intimacy takes time to develop. In the busy and rushed world you live in, it’s hard for you to set aside quality time with Me. But, there are rewards for sacrificing this time out of your busy day.”
I replied, “Help me set aside more time to be with You.”
He answered, “I will help you. Are you enjoying yourself this morning?”
I said, “Yes, I am!”
Jesus exclaimed, “I knew you would! Quality time with Me is what you’ve been looking for all your life.”
I said, “I didn’t know it was available to me until recently.”
With a smile, Jesus said, “Yes, I know. Other Christians had taught you it was forbidden fruit. For this reason, you’ll tell others how to walk and talk with Me. I desire to draw many to Myself, but like you once believed, they believe—it’s forbidden fruit. Set the record straight. When you do, many others will experience quality time with Me.”
Barriers, got any?
There was a time when I faced many obstacles to spending time with Jesus. I used to think that being intimate with Him was impossible and felt like a forbidden fruit. So, I avoided silence and filled my surroundings with the constant noise of worldly distractions like music, TV, and movies. This helped me avoid dealing with my emotional barriers to intimacy with Him. However, I eventually realized that sitting in silence brought up unprocessed traumas and heart wounds that the constant noise had buried.
I now understand that we are products of our rushed, busy, noisy culture that prioritizes escapism over quality time with Jesus. There are days when I rush through my tasks to move on to the next item on my to-do list. My internal time manager is constantly pushing me to keep moving. When Jesus asked me to set aside time to be with Him, I knew it would be challenging to discipline myself to process my past pain, patiently wait, and actively listen for His presence in silence. However, I am committed to making the effort because I know it is worth it.
Keys to Quality Time
I have learned that to spend quality time with Jesus, removing distractions and wholehearted worship are essential. This lifestyle requires intentional sacrifices of time and energy, but the spiritual result is a deeper heart-to-heart connection with Him. Please consider joining me to deepen intimacy with Jesus, enhancing our purpose-driven lives.
“I am the light that shines through the cosmos; if you walk with Me, you will thrive in the nourishing light that gives life and will not know darkness.” John 8:12 (VOICE)