The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

Spending time with God is important, but it is not just about attending church, prayer meetings or reciting scriptures, said some Christians. Followers must build a good relationship with God.

Crystal, a member of the Baptist Church told Tribune Religion she does not see why people go days without talking to God when they would not go days without taking a bath or brushing their teeth.

“People only see spending time with God on Sundays when you go to church. That is the time when they try to develop a relationship with him to reconnect with him. But if you want to develop a strong fellowship with God, you must commune with him on a daily basis and that can take the form of allotting specific times throughout the day to either pray, worship or anything that is in your heart to do that you feel would make that connection with him,”  said Crystal.

Stephanie, a member of the Catholic church added that what makes spending time with God easy is knowing that he is not as far as people may think he is.  She said he is close, and because she has become conscience of his presence, it makes it easier to talk to him.

“ For example, I may be at my desk at work, but at the same time I can also be communicating with him through my thoughts or if I take a bathroom break, I could whisper a soft prayer and that is just a way of acknowledging him throughout the day. It is all up to you and how you want to spend your time with him,” said Stephanie.

Heather Lindsey, founder of the Pinky Promise movement, explained on her website how she gave her life to Christ in 2003 and the time she spends with him.

“I heard from my best friend’s sister that I was supposed to spend time with God daily. So I got a journal, some gospel music, a bible I could understand and I found a local church that taught the word correctly. Whenever I slip on spending time with God I tend to be more touchy, more emotional and people tend to get on my nerves. Why? Because I’m empty. He fulfils me, not working a million hours at work, a man, a job, a marriage, kids or anything else. I can then sense God pulling on my heart, telling me that he misses me. Does God miss you? Do you acknowledge Him? Start today,” said Ms Lindsey.

For Justin, he told Tribune Religion that God knows the heart and that is why he is better than man. He said when a person wakes up in the morning, they should say thanks.

“ When you leave the house, ask for guidance and protection. When your co-worker says something stupid, ask for patience. Ten seconds of sincerity and gratitude could go a long way; you never know. Spending time with God should be an important aspect of one’s day. I can’t speak to how much time one should allocate, as you could do so all day, and still not really connect with him. But taking time out to say thank you and asking for help is really cool, but it helps you to remember that is not you behind your waking up in the morning, being able to breathe, see, touch, feel and what not. I do admit that I’m not as connected with God as I used to be. I’ve gotten distracted by work and other things, but God knows the heart,” said Justin.

Adding her views, Kayla, an Anglican follower said: “People don’t really understand what it means to spend time with God. It doesn’t have to mean taking hours and hours in prayer meetings or things like that, a simple, lord I thank you, is appreciated by God. Just like people appreciate a thank you for doing good deeds, I am pretty sure God appreciates it was well.”