Leadership Edge – Stay Fresh With God
By Stovall Weems
One of the most common questions I get from other people in ministry is how do I stay fresh or guard my daily communion with the Lord. The key here lies in what you believe about spending time with God. How necessary is it and how rewarding is it? The principle that I live by is that my time with God is the most necessary and rewarding thing that I can do. It is the absolute best use of my time possible.
It is a successful day if I connect with God through prayer and His Word. If I don’t spend time with God then everything else I do that day probably won’t accomplish what God wants it to accomplish. I really believe that. You have to really believe this in your heart or you won’t guard your time with God. There are so many important things I need to do and life is so busy, I just won’t spend time with God consistently unless I truly believe that my time with God is the most important thing on my daily schedule. My first meeting is with God and that is that. Everything else revolves around God being first in my day. So it is as simple as this (I didn’t say easy, I said simple).
- Truly believe this God-first principle: put God first on your schedule.
- Choose a time to meet with God where you can really focus on Him (first thing in the morning is usually best)
- Choose a place to meet with God (avoid distractions as much as possible).
- Have the things you need (eg. Bible, pen, journal, worship music, etc.)
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7 Responses to “Leadership Edge – Stay Fresh With God”
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As everyone has already said I could not agree more. Being in fellowship with God everyday is one of the hardest things for people to do and also one of the most important. They say you should never wait until bed to spend time with God and this also makes since in that God wants your first. I pray this all the time, “God I want you to be the first and last thought of everyday. The first words out my mouth to be to your glory.” If I managed this everyday my day would mostly go more smoothly, but alas I am human and not everyday is started perfectly. I have heard that if you set aside a time everyday it will become a habit and we are creatures of habit.
This is awesome to see God working in others; I actually began my “Trinity Training” back in August and it is in line with what this message is about.
Like Jason, I have combined my spiritual exercise with my physical. Only difference is that now I allow God to “train” me while I am running! He has taught me something new everyday I run (5 times a week now).
I start my day off with greeting the Master and then some Word.
Then when I get home from work I run and pray. God has impressed upon me the desire to get healthy for my job and also serving in the church (security).
God has blessed me soo much because He enabled me to exercise my body, soul and spirit, thus Trinity training by the Trinity
Keep up the good work sir!
In Him,
Brett
Amen Pastor!
Meeting with God in the morning for me does prepare me for the day. When storms rage during the day I am always reminded about my encounter with Him in the morning and the assurance is there that I am not alone. Putting God first every day is key to a fulfilled life. Thank thank you.
Pastor,
I agree 100% with you in this. My mornings get started really early. Usually around 5:30 in the morning I’m getting up and ready for work. I never go a morning without spending some time with God in prayer. Usually after prayer, I have a continuation of my time with God while I’m driving to work. I have the worship music going loud in the car and I spend time in worship while I’m driving and there has been times where I have had to pull the car over and just focus even more on God because the spirit is just so heavy. I love those times by the way! Being a golf teaching professional is tough and I know a big contributor to my success is God so its important to me that I spend time with him everyday before work. This job requires alot of patience so I feel God when his spirit moves on me a morning that those struggles at work become less of a hastle which makes a long day go by even quicker. I got to tell you, I just go back from a trip to New Orleans for work and we were teaching at TPC Louisiana and it was nice and our hotel was in the French Quarter and despite all the stuff to do around town, especially with Bourbon street a block away, God is so faithfull and becuase of me keeping my time with him consistant, he protected me this week and never let me go. Infact, my buddie had so many questions about my life and the way I live it and he could see that my life was different than his and wondered why I live the way I do. I spent the better part of 3 hours ministering to him in the middle of Bourbon street!!! I tell you, when God wants to go to work he will, especially on a street that is plum full on sin!!! I tell you, I’m just so excited about how God is working, despite the kind of surroundings I’m in from time to time. Thanks Pastor.
Wes Owens
Wow Jason! Good for you! I run in the morning, too, and spend that time with God. Sometimes I don’t know what exactly to say or what to pray for first, but that time with God keeps me straight.
I appreciate what you said, Stovall, about being “simple, not easy”. Celebration has been really speaking to me about incorporating God first, believing 100% in what God can do as opposed to what I think I can do, and forcing me to ask myself where my values are as I make decisions. Kind of ironic that God gave us free will……I don’t think I’m the only one that doesn’t use it to God’s glory as much as I should.
Especially enjoyed your message this morning sharing Celebration’s history. Even if you didn’t do what you described in your blog above (in putting God first), God has definitely used you and Kerri to do incredible work for his honor & glory. Thank you…….
Pastor,
Thank you for this post. I agree 100% with what you say, especially the part of putting GOD first in the morning. I start my day at 5:30 every morning in GOD’S word, followed by about 20 minutes of prayer. My son Nolan is 5 years old, and he usually wakes to join me in prayer berfore climbing back into bed with his mother. It is so important that our children see and FEEL our relationship with GOD, as I have seen the fruit this can produce first hand. Nolan is the most wonderful child a father could hope for, and even at this early age, is beginning to have an understanding of how our relationship with the LORD really works.
Putting GOD first in the morning can have other benefits as well. I started this regimen in February, and I weighed 296 lbs. I started running and working out after my prayer time the second week of February, and I now run 35-40 miles per week and have LOST 101 lbs.
GOD does show us what he has for us, but we need to seek him out and put him first.
IN CHRIST
Jason
That is right on Pastor!
While first thing in the morning may be a foggy time (before coffee,) there is no time in the day when our minds are less cluttered or busy.
While I always start my day with ‘Good morning Lord, what will we do today’, it is easy to jump right into the morning routine. If God is not part of the routine (or discipline), then sadly he can get put on the shelf or back burner.
Here are a few Bible verses about our morning time with God.
Psalm 5:3
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
Psalm 55:17
Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice
Psalm 88:13
But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night
Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul
Ecclesiastes 11:6
Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Ezekiel 12:8
In the morning the word of the LORD came to me…
If we think about it, giving God fellowship time in the mornings is another type of first fruits offering.
He should be our first thought when we wake and our last thought before we sleep.
Martin