Too Many Appointments!

Good Morning Guys

My wife and I were up early looking to see if the CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) that just reached the earth was causing any Aurora Borealis that we could see here in western Montana.  No such luck, at least not with a full moon and the first glimmerings of blue sky showing along the crest of the Sapphire range to the east.  Just a faint orange to pink trace of the sun glimmering off distant scattered clouds lit the east.

My calendar is full!

Life can get really busy!  I have appointments for finishing cabinets and delivery by early afternoon, a teleconference late this afternoon, a job to look at tomorrow morning and of course while not really an appointed time, I have my daily devotional blog to do which is usually early in the morning.  I have appointments stretching through the month of March, some in April and May already.  I know…. your calendar is probably the same.

There are some appointments that will get canceled and some postponed.  There are some that even though I keep them the other person will forget to show up and I will end up waiting in vain.  Now don’t think that I am perfect.  I have been the one busily working on a project when the phone rings and the voice on the other end says: “Hey are you coming still?  I’ve been waiting half an hour.”  Oppps!

There are some really big appointments that you don’t want to be late for.  Last night Tim Tebow was in Missoula for a fundraiser for a local Christian charity.  I didn’t have tickets but I know some people who did and I am sure they didn’t forget that appointment!

Imagine that you had an appointment with the President of the United States…. well ok someone you really respect and admire anyway.  This is something you would really be looking forward to.  You would prepare both how you looked and things that you might say.

Have you ever thought that way about meeting the God of the Universe who created you and everything around you?  I must admit that I don’t look at it that way very often.  I plan on praying every morning, but it is not at an appointed time.  I more frequently work it into my other scheduled activities.  Then throughout the day as things arise or come to mind I talk to God in those moments.   But appointments?  Not so much.  Am I too busy with the small things of life to make appointments for the Really Big thing in life?

Maybe it is a lack of motivation keeping you from making appointments with God.  If so here are a few thoughts that may help.

• Think about how much God loves you.  Jeremiah 1:4-7   4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”   6 “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”  7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.
• Realize that, as I talked about in yesterday’s devotional “Can You Hear Me Now?”, that any relationship needs to have communication to continue and grow.  A close relationship requires knowing each other really well.  That takes a lot of time and communication.  Luke 6:12  One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.  If Jesus needed to spend time in prayer then we probably do too.

Here are some things that I think will help me and hopefully be a help to you if the Holy Spirit is moving you to change your prayer appointments.

• Set a regular appointment time.  Start small, maybe 15 minutes a day.  As your relationship grows you will probably increase that but you will be motivated by your growing relationship not some formula made up by man or because you feel guilty.  Personally, I can tell you that I spend a whole lot more time in the word and talking to God since I started this blog in December last year.  And it is some of the most fulfilling time that I spend which makes me want to spend more.
• There is no specific way that you have to spend your time.  Think of it as getting to know someone by sitting down with them.  I like to spend some time just opening the Bible and reading wherever it opens to.  I believe that God speaks to me about specific areas of my life through this process.  It may be entirely different for you.
• Direct prayer should be a part of this time.  There are no hard and fast rules about praying to God.  Talking with God is no different in many respects than talking to a human you want to get to know.  I hope if you sit down to talk to someone you don’t just talk to them about everything you want from them.  That won’t grow a healthy relationship with humans or God.  God has your best interest in mind.  Without getting to know God really well I don’t think that you can pray very well about what is best for you.
• There is only one rule that comes to mind as not being productive in prayer.                                               Matthew 6:7 NKJV   And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the  heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
• What do you talk to God about?  Other people’s needs, your own wisdom and needs, that he will reveal sin in your life so that you can take care of it and grow closer to Him.
• Consider writing down what you pray about, and answers to prayer.   Also write down things that God reveals to you, thoughts and feelings.

Well, now I need to work on what I’ve been writing about.  Funny thing about writing a devotional; God is always talking to me about what he wants me to change in my life.  I guess I will close for today and go write some appointments in my appointment book.

Regular Joe

Quote for Today

Oh, how few find time for prayer! There is time for everything else, time to sleep and time to eat, time to read the newspaper and the novel, time to visit friends, time for everything else under the sun, but – no time for prayer, the most important of all things, the one great essential!

Oswald J. Smith

Biography

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