I’ve never met a Christian who was completely satisfied with the quality and quantity of their time with God. We all feel the need to pray more and pray more powerfully. But how?
Routine.
It’s much more exciting to have a Bible fall off a bookshelf or have an angel visit in a dream, but the best way to connect with God is to create a consistent time and place. If you create a place to meet with God, God will meet you there.
In his book The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson tells the remarkable story of a woman named Elizabeth Dabney. Mother Dabney and her husband moved to Philadelphia in 1925 to pastor a church in downtown. The neighborhood was rough, and the church wasn’t having much success, so Mother Dabney prayed and asked God to give her husband some type of spiritual victory or success to help give the church some momentum. She felt like God wanted her to go to the Schuylkill River at 7:30am the next morning, so she woke up and went the next day. When she arrived she felt like God said to her, “this is the place” Mother Dabney responded to God that day by praying this prayer,
“Lord if you will bless my husband in the place You sent him to establish your name if you will break the bonds and destroy the wall of partition, if you will give him a church and congregation I will walk with you for 3 years in prayer both day and night. I will meet you every morning at 9am sharp; you will never have to wait for me. I will stay there all day and devote my time to you. Furthermore, if you will listen to my prayers and breakthrough in the wicked neighborhood, I will fast 72 hours each week for 2 years. On the days I am fasting, I will not go home, I will sleep in the church.”
Mother Dabney followed through on her promise to God, and God followed through on His promise to her. God did miraculous, incredible things all because one person decided, “I want to get really close to God.”
What is your plan to hear from God? Do you have a place? Do you have time? Do you have a plan? Every day won’t feel magical, but if you create a place to meet with God, God will meet you there.
Listen to a sermon I preached recently on creating a time to meet with God.
P.S. My new book Daily Faith: 101 Devotions and Stories To Help You Connect With God releases tomorrow. I can’t wait for you to read it.
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