I am sure we have all heard of or read books on how to ... how to be better at something, how to be more confident. how to attract or get on, the list is endless of how to books.
Possibly one of the hardest things to achieve in any walk of life is consistency, many of us get bored or fed up quite fast, expecting results too rapidly is a human condition. Relationship with God takes time, time for us to learn to trust him, time for us to learn to hear him, time for us to learn to be in his presence, over praise and worship and talk with him.
No amount of how to books work on this front, they may give us some good and useful ideas but what is needed is discipline, time and a faith in the God who is among his people. What is needed is a heart in us that wants to find its place with God, in relationship, conversing with him regularly.
The simplest of beginnings can produce the most spectacular results - in prayer in bible reading, in listening, prayer and fasting, in worship. When we look to the giants of faith, their example can be too daunting and so put us off. Wesley and his multiple hours of prayer a day, Martin Luther spent 2 - 3 hours at the start of the day. But if we could ask them I suspect it started with a few minutes regularly that built in time as their experience of this time and its impact built faith in them and a desire to spend more time in this way.
If you struggle with daily spending time with God in these ways, try a few minutes at a time, see what a difference it will make daily in your life and in your relationship with God.
Oh and if you like how to books, try Richard Fosters "A Celebration of Discipline" or one that I am currently reading on reading the bible "Life With God" - but without discipline they can't produce results in your spiritual life.
Possibly one of the hardest things to achieve in any walk of life is consistency, many of us get bored or fed up quite fast, expecting results too rapidly is a human condition. Relationship with God takes time, time for us to learn to trust him, time for us to learn to hear him, time for us to learn to be in his presence, over praise and worship and talk with him.
No amount of how to books work on this front, they may give us some good and useful ideas but what is needed is discipline, time and a faith in the God who is among his people. What is needed is a heart in us that wants to find its place with God, in relationship, conversing with him regularly.
The simplest of beginnings can produce the most spectacular results - in prayer in bible reading, in listening, prayer and fasting, in worship. When we look to the giants of faith, their example can be too daunting and so put us off. Wesley and his multiple hours of prayer a day, Martin Luther spent 2 - 3 hours at the start of the day. But if we could ask them I suspect it started with a few minutes regularly that built in time as their experience of this time and its impact built faith in them and a desire to spend more time in this way.
If you struggle with daily spending time with God in these ways, try a few minutes at a time, see what a difference it will make daily in your life and in your relationship with God.
Oh and if you like how to books, try Richard Fosters "A Celebration of Discipline" or one that I am currently reading on reading the bible "Life With God" - but without discipline they can't produce results in your spiritual life.
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