How to Spend Time with God

January 10th, 2024
by Laura Bailey & Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

How can you really know a God you can’t see? Aren’t relationships a two-way street?
God created us, loves us and wants to be our friend but there’s a problem. Our sin separates us from Him—a holy God.
The Good News is that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so He could have a personal relationship with us. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…”

Getting close to the One who loves you most isn’t as hard as it may seem. In a long-established Q&A column called My Answer, Billy Graham wrote about how to spend time with God. Graham, a preacher known and respected by Christians and non-Christians around the world, explained it this way:

Think of a human friendship: How do we grow closer to someone on a human level? The most important way is by spending time with them—talking with them, listening to them, sharing your concerns with each other, and even helping them when they need our help.

And the same is true with God. When we read or hear His Word, the Bible, He speaks to us. When we pray, we speak to Him. And when we worship Him and obey Him, we are doing His will and participating in His work.

Practical Ways to Spend Time with God
“Starting the day with the Lord and then consciously walking with Him throughout the day” is wise advice from Practicing His Presence by Charlie Riggs, a former Billy Graham Evangelistic Association director who helped thousands grow in their faith. Setting aside a designated spot to spend time with God—even for 10 minutes a day—is a good place to start.

Here are some ways to know and hear from your heavenly Father.

Read the Bible, which is God’s Word spoken to prophets and written down. Before you start, ask God to speak to you through its pages.
Talk to God through prayer. Start off with thanking Him for being your heavenly Father and everything He’s done in your life. Then, pray for your needs and those of others.
Experience God’s peace by sitting quietly with Him. To hear from God, ask Him to speak to your heart.
Memorize Scripture. Repeating God’s promises to yourself throughout the day reminds you that “he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27)

You can also join a Bible study. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk about the meaning of Scripture and how to apply it to our lives.
Lastly, fill your mind with uplifting Christian music.
God is waiting for you to reach out to Him. Jeremiah 24:7 says, “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”

What’s stopping you?