Has this ever happened to you?
You wake up with your mind racing through a long to do list. You promised yourself you’d set aside more quiet time with the Lord, but other things crowd into your day so that, no matter how hard you try, you barely spend a few minutes with the Lord. I get it because I’ve been there . . .
I’ll never forget the day. I was a new Christian and sat down for what I knew would be barely a 5-minute Quiet Time. Convicted, I confessed to God, “I know something has been standing in the way. I wake up and rush to work and barely spend a few minutes with You. I’m sorry, Lord.”
Can you relate?
Later that night, I heard someone on TV talking about fasting. Right then and there I decided I should fast. But I knew nothing about fasting. From what should I fast? And for how long? The next morning, after fixing my coffee, I sat down to pray and asked God, “From what should I fast, Lord?” The answer was as unexpected as it was unappetizing.
“Your coffee.”
“Oh no, Lord! Not that! I don’t think I heard you right.”
“You look forward to your morning coffee more than you look forward to Me.”
Ouch.
A New Perspective
But I knew He was right. I poured my coffee down the drain and spent the entire day with a fierce headache. Whenever it demanded my full attention, instead of reaching for a cup of coffee or taking an aspirin, I prayed. I thanked God for my job, prayed for my co-workers, the progress of my book, or whatever else came to mind – anything to get my mind off my headache. At about 4:30pm, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I was in between meetings with 20 minutes to spare. Grabbing my cell phone, I stepped outside to call my best friend. After listening to me whine about my headache and the 30-day fast I had started, she asked,
“Did God actually ask you to fast for 30 days, or was that your idea?”
“Uhhh…I didn’t ask about the time. I just assumed a fast was supposed to be 30 or 40 days.”
“Well, then why are you wasting time talking to me? You should talk to God and ask Him what He really wants.”
Whether as new Christians or after many years of walking with God, it’s easy for us to jump to conclusions or set expectations that God didn’t even ask of us. Thankfully, He is always willing to help steer us back onto the right path.
Putting God First
With still 15 minutes before my next meeting, I walked outside to my car and slumped into the passenger seat. Pulling out the pocket-sized bible I kept in the glove box, I began flipping through the pages. My eyes fell on Psalm 94:3, “How long, Oh Lord?” Taking the verse entirely out of context (by the way, I do not recommend this ;), I looked up at the roof of my car, and pitifully cried out, “How long, Lord?” Amazingly, He answered:
“As long as it takes.”
“To do what?”
“To put me first. You see, my child, the headache you have is just a picture. This is how you suffer spiritually when you deprive yourself of time with Me in the morning.”
It was a quite an “ah-ha” moment. It is not that God wants to see us suffer, or to deprive us of something we enjoy, such as our morning cup of coffee or tea. He simply wants it moved out of first place. First place is reserved for God. That’s why the length of the fast was never clear: it’s not about time, it’s about position.
When we choose to give God first place each morning, we invite Him to pour His Spirit into our soul. And as we drink in His reviving goodness each morning, we will be filled with the strength, confidence, and spiritual vigor to face whatever may come our way.
“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3 NIV
Do you need some fresh ideas to help kick-start your Quiet Time”? Get your FREE guide: 7 Simple Ideas to Refresh Your Quiet Times. If you’re looking for something more hands on, I am also available for virtual coaching. May the Lord bless you as you seek to grow closer to Him!
Shadia is a passionate Bible teacher, author and speaker who has a heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is author of the powerful “Behind the Seen” Bible studies series, including TAMAR, HAGAR, and LEGION.
Thanks Shadia! I needed this reminder. God would check in with me every morning as I drove to work and I would pray. Now that I’m retired, my mornings are different. This post reminded me to set time aside each morning for our daily “check in.” :-))
I’m so glad it spoke to you, Angie! Blessings!
Ah, a great story to make a great point. Your right, he doesn’t want to deprive us of things or their enjoyment but he does want to be first … Ah, forgive me, Lord ……
Amen, Keith! And praise God that through Christ, forgiveness is already ours! 😀
Shadia: God sure used you to speak to me today about “position”, Thank you, I am pouring thru your blog, You connected with me on FB, I firmly believe there are no CHANCE meetings even on Social Media… So grateful God loves Me…. and thank you for your ministry and allowing God to use you in His service for so many others…..
Blessings, Jodi. I’m honored that God used these words to minister to your heart. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement!
Thank you, Shadia, for this devotional and the reminder about God having our highest priority. It was good to meet you at Mt. Hermon and I applaud the endorsement you received on your Hagar book.
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Margery!
Hello family, am new here but i was meant to , i Know am late . Today i made a decree to do a full 3day water fast because recently ive been struggling with gluttony and i failed . I feel so bad for i don’t ever wish to grieve the Spirit.
Thank you for your sharing & reminder. Many time I ask for what I want & fast instead of ask the Heavenly Father what He want from me.
Yes, Lucy, and praise God that He is so gentle with us as we learn to walk closely with Him and listen for His voice. Bless you, dear sister!
I was going to hop in the shower… no I want to have my QT (quiet time) first…before my mind starts going 100 mph. So I put my tea water on to boil and opened your devotional. It made me smile… esp since I have a headache this morning. Have a great day Shadia. Sitting down w My Dad and Hagar (and a cup of tea)
Bless you, Jill. I love God’s sweet timing in our lives 🙂 May the wonderful presence of the Lord bless you today as you walk with Him.
This really spoke to me, Shadia! Same topic, slightly different angle: We were asked during a workshop recently to state what our life “non-negotiables” are. Of course, mine included morning coffee and Quiet Time with my Bible. Before. Anything. Else. The next day my Quiet Time was challenged by circumstances- then also several days in a row, including running out of coffee! Woah! Confusion! This does “not compute”! However, I heard God say, “that’s just fine, I want ALL of you today…
Blessings, Michele. I’m so delighted the article spoke to you! (Although I’m sorry you ran out of coffee, lol). Ps. I hope you enjoy my free guide re Quiet Times! Blessings on your day!