Author Unknown

Usually our days are filled with the demands of life crying for our attention; that’s why we need to plan personal retreat time to be with the Lord – four, eight, or twelve hours with nothing on our agenda except to bask in His love, to thank and worship Him, to listen to Him, to intercede for others, to lay your life and activities before Him and let Him give directions. The Bible promises us in James 4:8, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” He is waiting for you!

Don’t rush. The objective is to spend relaxed, uninterrupted time with God, not to go through a format. These are mere guidelines. Let God be your guide.

• Preparation

Find a place where you can be alone and free from distractions.

Bring your Bible, a notebook and pen, and worship music.

• Thanksgiving – Begin with thanksgiving. Read Psalm 100:4

Thank Him for His patience and forgiveness.

Thank Him for the privilege of coming into His presence.

Thank Him for what He has done in and through your life in the last year.

Take time to list what God has done for you. Be specific. Think through every area of your life.

• Confession – Ask God to search your heart. Psalm 139: 23, 24

Confess any sins the Holy Spirit reveals. Psalm 19:12

Remember the certainty of forgiveness. I John 1:9

Make certain you are walking and praying in the Spirit. Ephesians 5:15-20

• Praise – Become still before the Lord. Psalm 46:10

Consider who God is. Psalm 103

Praise Him for His attributes. Psalm 145

Rejoice in your fellowship with Him and that He delights in you. Proverbs 15:8

Read passages of Scripture and pray them back to God. Psalms 146 150

Sing to the Lord.

• Intercession – Pray your way around the world with unhurried, detailed intercession for others. Ask God to reveal the world to you from His point of view as you read Psalm 33.

Begin with your non-Christians, friends, relatives, neighbors and others the Lord puts on your heart.

Pray that the people who have never heard about Jesus would have an opportunity to hear and understand the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9

Pray for those in authority – federal/national, provincial/state and municipal/county government leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1, 2

Pray for Christians, using Paul’s prayers in Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12, Ephesians 1:16-19.

• Personal Life Evaluation

Ask for understanding as you read an entire book of the Bible. Record insights God gives you.

Ask God what He thinks of your life. Wait. Listen for His answer.

Evaluate the use of the time, talent, treasure, education and experience God has entrusted to you. Are they glorifying to God? Do you need to change what you are doing?

Discuss with the Lord your joys, your sorrows and decisions you are facing. Find promises and directives in the Bible which you can record.

“The greatest answer to prayer is that I am brought into a perfect understanding with God, and that alters my view of actual things.” – Oswald Chambers

Concluding Your Day With God

Praise and thank God for the fellowship you had today. Schedule the next “Day with the Lord” in your appointment book. Share with someone about your day.

The above article, “How to Spend a Day With the Lord” was written by Author Unknown . The article was excerpted from www.wnop.org website. May 2016.

The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”