DEVELOPING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Purpose Statement: The purpose of this session is to motivate and equip you to develop your relationship with God through a daily time with Him.

Learning Objectives: This session is designed to help you:

1. Become familiar with a biblical example of meeting with God.
2. Understand various ways of spending time with God.
3. Understand how to plan a personal time with God.

Scripture Reference: Psalm 63

INTRODUCTION

With whom do you have a close relationship and what has contributed to this relationship?

God desires to have an intimate relationship with each of His children. In fact, He actively seeks your fellowship. He desires that you respond by pursuing your relationship with Him and having fellowship with Him.

It takes time to develop intimacy (closeness) in any human relationship. In the same way it takes time to develop an intimate relationship with God. David was called a "man after God's own heart," meaning he had a close, heart-to-heart relationship with God. Psalm 63 gives a vivid picture of David's deep, personal relationship with God. It was characterized by a seeking, thirsting spirit (Psalm 63:1,8).

I. DAVID PROVIDES A GOOD BIBLICAL EXAMPLE OF MEETING WITH GOD (PSALM 63)

1 O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. 3Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. 4I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. 5My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You. 6On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night. 7Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings. 8My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. 9They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. 11But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise Him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced. Psalm 63

What principles of a good Quiet Time do we learn from this passage?

A. David responded to trials by seeking God.

"He wrote this psalm (song) as a testimony of his pursuit of God and the results of His pursuit."

"He probably wrote it while living in a cave in the wilderness. Although he was King of Israel, his enemies were pursuing him in order to kill him and steal the throne."

1. David sought God in the desert (v. 1).
   "David was hiding in a desert without water but he was still seeking the presence of God."
2. David sought God in the sanctuary (v. 2).
   "David met with God regularly in God's house--though he could not do so at that time."
3. David sought God as the source of satisfaction (vv. 3-5).
   "David recognized that experiencing the love of God was better than life itself and resulted in a deep sense of personal joy and fulfillment."
4. David sought God on his bed at night (v. 6).
   "David's bed was probably the stone floor of a cave, yet he had the discipline to think about (meditate on) God."
5. David sought God for help and strength (vv. 7,8).
   "David knew that God's mighty right hand could help and protect him. He focused on God alone to meet his need."
6. David sought God for refuge (vv. 9,10).
   David trusted God to deliver him from his enemies, knowing his own strength was insufficient."
7. David sought God even though he was king (v. 11).
   "David was king--and he knew that one day he would serve again as leader of the entire nation. Yet his joy would be in God, not in power, position or wealth."

B. David was fulfilled in his search.

1. His soul thirsted (v. 1) but was satisfied (v. 5).
2. He was threatened (v. 9) but protected (vv. 7,8,10,11).

C. David's fulfillment came as a result of his walk with God.

1. David's fulfillment was not the result of empty activity performed out of obligation.
   "We can go through the motions of church activity, Bible study and prayer without ever truly meeting with God."
2. David was fully satisfied because he met with God.
   David talked about the satisfaction that his walk with God gave him as if he were enjoying a great banquet, calling it `the richest of foods (v. 5).' The richness did not come from the ritual of reading the Bible or prayer, but from a personal encounter with the living God."

II. PRINCIPLES FOR PERSONAL APPLICATION

A. Necessary attitudes.

1. There is no single formula for spending time with God. As in any relationship you will not always spend time with God in the same way.
2. Activities may vary, and ought to, but the goal is to spend time communicating with God.
3. Relationships take time. You need to plan regular times with God.

B. Various quiet time activities.

1. Read the Bible.
   "As you read, think about what you are reading, and what it means to your relationship with God."
2. Study the Bible.
   "Work on understanding what God says paragraph by paragraph and book by book. Are there commands to obey? Sins to confess? Promises to follow? Some truth about God or man to be aware of, etc.?"
3. Praise and worship God.
   "Spend time -- either alone or with others -- telling God what you like about Him, what you are discovering about Him, etc. This may lead you to the next idea: singing."
4. Sing or play music.
   "Music is a wonderful means of communication. Not only does it stir our emotions, but it is honoring and pleasing to God. In fact the Psalms are songs."
5. Pray.
   "Pray with others or alone. Pray in a `closet' or while walking. Tell God your needs, fears, feelings, joys, everything on your heart."
6. Pray through passages of Scripture.
   "As you read and study the Word, talk with God about what the passage says. Thank Him for attributes revealed in the passage. Pray about commands in the passage and ask Him to make them real in your life. Claim the promises."

III. DEMONSTRATION OF A PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD

"Good morning, Lord. Thank You for the privilege of meeting with You again today."

[Sing a couple of praise songs or choruses or play a couple of songs on a tape recorder relating to the fact that God is faithful.]

"Father, thank You for the reminder that You are faithful and in control of the world."

[Take up your Bible and turn to Philippians 4. Read chapter 4 aloud.]

[After you read verses 6 and 7, pause for a moment and then say:]

"Lord, I have been very anxious this week about all of the work that has been due. I confess that my worrying was wrong and I was not trusting You. I give all of my work to You and I give the deadlines to You as well."

"Thank You for Your forgiveness and thank You that I can cast all of these cares on You. Thank You too for this reminder from Your Word and for the promise that You will give me your peace."

[Continue reading Philippians 4 aloud. After verse 13 say:]

"Thank You, Lord, that You give me the strength to live day by day. Help me to remember this today."

[Continue reading through Philippians 4. Make any additional comments to the Lord that relate to Philippians 4.]

[Here you could sing/play another song or read a daily devotional booklet. Then pray aloud about some of your personal and/or ministry concerns for a few minutes.]

[You could end your quiet time by saying:]

"Thank You, Father, for spending time with me today. I appreciate You so much. Thank You for living in me and for being involved with me. I look forward to meeting You."

IV. APPLICATION

1. Determine how much time you will spend with God each day this week:
2. When will you meet Him?
3. Where will you meet Him?
4. How will you spend your time together?