Ron Aulbach

Let’s be honest, 10 minutes with God is not enough.

But let’s be honest, sometimes 10 minutes is all you got.

It comes down to priority. There will always be people that steal our time, meetings that suck our time, and to do’s that consume time. But the first part of our day should be the first part of our day given to God.  Andy Stanley has this great line, that our “priority determines our capacity.” We have the capacity to do a lot with our day, and the priorities will set the course when for what we do with the time God gives us.

So, hurriers and stop watchers, here is how to prioritize the precious time you think you don’t have.

1. Get Quiet – 1 minute – turn off your phone, Facebook messenger, Twitter alerts, morning news and weather. Now, listen. What do your thoughts sounds like? How about your breathing? The return of birds outside?  What is God whispering to you?  Step one is the hardest, but the most important, to “Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10
2. Get Loud – 4 minutes – turn on your favorite worship song.  I like Matt Redman’s “10,000 Reasons” or Hillsong’s “Blessed” and lots of new music by Citizens, Jeremy Camp, and Michael Gungor.  You pick.  Then crank it.  Listen to the words, sing the words. Push away the distractions of what you think you need to do today at work or home or school. It can wait, it’s not the priority right now.
3. Get Honest – 3 minutes – Open your heart to the things God wants you to acknowledge and confess. The time when you were short with your wife, or ignored the feelings of your kids.  Ask God to show you what you missed to see the first go around.  Note anyone you need to go apologize to  Give God your fears, dreams, and needs. 3 minutes will fly by. Be bold, ask!
4. Get a Word – 2 minutes – Read your bible, whatever passage you want, and look for what God wants to say to you. Example, you read “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).  How can you be a peacemaker throughout the day. What conversations can you have, what words can you choose today that will bring peace to the ears of listeners around you.

It’s true, when I say yes to God at the beginning of my day, God always seems to give me enough time to do all the other things that I think are important.  Because priority determines capacity.

10 minutes, you got this!