Day 1: Spending Time with God

Scripture (All Scripture references in the 40 Day Connection Challenge are in The Voice translation unless otherwise noted. We chose The Voice translation because it will be a fresh translation for those who are very familiar with the Bible, and also very readable for those who are not. Feel free to use other Bible translations to pull out a fuller meaning if helpful): 

• Luke 5:16 Jesus repeatedly left the crowds, though, stealing away into the wilderness to pray.

• Mark 1:35 Early in the morning, Jesus got up, left the house while it was still dark outside, and went to a deserted place to pray.

• Matthew 14:23 Then, after the crowd had gone, Jesus went up to a mountaintop alone (as He had intended from the start). As evening descended, He stood alone on the mountain, praying.

• Mark 6:30-32 30 Now the twelve returned from their travels and told Him what they had done, whom they had seen, and how they had spread the news of God’s kingdom. Jesus (to the disciples): Let us go out into the wilderness for a while and rest ourselves. The crowds gathered as always, and Jesus and the twelve couldn’t eat because so many people came and went. They could get no peace until they boarded a boat and sailed toward a deserted place.

Consider:
Did you ever think about how often Jesus got away alone to pray? Why did He, the Son of God, need to have a quiet time? There are many reasons, but Jesus clearly wanted to maintain a close personal relationship with the Father. His model is to get away from noise and people, find a solitary place, and pray.

With Jesus as our model, let’s commit to 40 days of communing with God each morning. Determine the time, create a quiet space, and commit to being there each day to meet with the Father. Each day will have some time listening to what God has to say through His Word, and sharing your heart with Him in prayer.
 
Prayer focus: 

• Commit the next 40 days to the Lord. Ask the Lord to do a mighty work in your life. 
• Pray for any personal needs that may be weighing heavy on your heart.
• Spend one minute in God’s presence. 

Our worship pastor, Mick Wakefield, has put together a playlist to accompany the 40 Day One on One Challenge. Click below to add it to your Spotify library and listen along while you read, reflect, and sit in the presence of God!