This blog post is a continuation of a previous post on intimacy. If you have not read that, please click right here.

Intimacy has often been defined as INTO-ME-SEE. It is all about seeing into the deep areas of the person you are intimate with, where no one else can see and that person also seeing into you. It is a mutual effort and never single sided. The same applies in our relationship with the Lord. Intimacy with Jesus is seeing into Jesus as He sees into us. He’s always ready to pursue a deeper relationship with us but are we ready to respond?

“My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.” Song of Solomon‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

This has always been His invitation, to rise up and to go away to an intimate place with Him. One of the building blocks of this intimacy is Time.

Time is a very expensive commodity in our world. We pay for time in different ways without realizing it. For example, instead of walking for thirty minutes, you would rather take a taxi or drive for five minutes to get to your destination. You have saved your energy but more importantly, your time. This post is dedicated to looking at how time impacts our relationship with the Lord. We will look at the D-Y-C-E of time.

1. Duration

Spending time in an activity is investing part of your life in that activity. Giving someone your time is giving part of your life to that person. Time is an expression of value. When I take time off work or studies to spend it with my family, it says, ‘I value you’.

Similarly, spending time with the Lord speaks of your value and desire for Him. Of course, it is not easy spending a long time with someone you barely know, especially if you are new to this walk. My advice will be, start slow. If 10mins works for you, that’s fine, work with it. As you get to know Him more, the time may begin to increase but you will need discipline to keep up the duration. It becomes like that experience couples have where they do not want to stop talking and the conversation goes on and on.

2. Youth of Your Time

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”:” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I would apply this scripture from two outlooks. The writer of Ecclesiastes encourages seeking the Lord in the time of our youth. That is, when you have physical energy to invest in the things of God such as attending church meetings, building fellowship with strong believers etc. Make Him a central part of the time period you have strength, less responsibilities and more time. This is the time you can pursue Him without the major distractions of life. In your older days, He would have become woven into your very being.

I also like to read the scripture as, Remember now your Creator in the youth of your day. Think of your day as a lifetime, then your morning will be the youth of your day. That is when you are freshened for the day ahead, full of energy and ready to conquer another day. Remember to seek the Lord then! Give Him the best of your time not the leftovers. Not after the day is over and all you can do is crawl into bed. Scripture encourages seeking Him early in the morning. He could actually wake you up early just to enjoy your company.

““The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.” Isaiah‬ ‭50:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

3. Consistency & Constancy

In the above scripture, He awakens Morning By Morning. That’s consistency! Seeking the Lord at your specified time daily. Make Him part of your daily schedule. The part that cannot be skipped for anything. Careful planning and discipline are required for this principle to be a reality. There may be days that an unexpected happening occurs but let that be an exception. Even when that occurs, return quickly to where you left off. Let it not become a habit.

Constancy – the idea is to constantly be aware of the Lord during the day. Others refer to it as ‘practicing the presence’. It is to stay aware of His presence during your day. If you had a friend tagging along as you run your errands, of course you would have conversation. You can do this by asking Him questions during the day, “Lord, what do you think of this?”, “Lord, I really didn’t like that comment she made”, or something as simple as “Jesus, help!”.

4. Effective Use of Time

As we spend time with Jesus, it’s important to use our time well. That is in terms of making time for all the areas of communication. In communication, you speak and then you listen then you can speak again as you gain understanding. It is important that we allow time to hear Him after we have spoken. He speaks to us in many ways but primarily through the Word. He will speak to your heart, changing your attitude and your mindset. He will speak secrets to you. Take time to listen and to experience Him. Don’t be in a hurry. “Lord, I have only ten minutes to go. What are saying this morning?” Lol 😂 You’ll probably not hear Him with that attitude. Because He’s not your focus, your focus is whatever you are going to do next.

The Lord intensely desires to be with us – to have time alone with us and to guide us through our days. A pastor said something that struck a cord deep within me. He said, “MAKE HIM FEEL WANTED AND SPECIAL”. Spending time with Him is one of the ways to do that.

I hope you were blessed by this blogpost. You can share how time has played a part in building intimacy with the Lord Jesus in the comment section to bless other believers.

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