# Growing Your Time Alone with God

Key Passage: Matthew 6:5
Date: June 7, 2024

Matthew 6 and verse number five is where we’re going to start. We’re going to do just a little series, maybe three Sundays. I’m seeking the Lord on it, but it’s really about growing your time alone with God. That is really, if your time alone with God grows, everything else will take care of itself. It really will. Let me say that again. I don’t say that lightly. If your time alone with God grows, everything else will be affected and will really take care of itself. It is so important: your time alone with God.

Last Sunday we preached about drawing nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. That’s His promise. A little bit more practical how to draw nigh to Him. It’s not all of it; it’s not concluded, but it’s part of it. John 15—I love that passage where Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Now, the fruit is on the branches, not on the vine. So you’re vital, but it’s all about you abiding in Him. That’s where you’ll get the nourishment, the strength. Everything really is about abiding in Him.

We’re going to try, if the Lord would use it, and if you would allow God to use it in life, to grow really your abiding in Him. You’re connected; you’re getting strength and everything you need for your life. If these young people right down here in the front two rows—Patrick and Marlene, you are part of the young folk—if you young people would learn while you’re young to really connect with God and draw from God, man, your future is looking really bright. Growing your time alone with God is a vital part of all this. So for just a bit, we’re going to do a little series, and we’re really going to get to the Lord’s Prayer. We won’t get there today, but maybe next Sunday or the next will be to what’s called the Lord’s Prayer. But just a couple of verses leading up to it today. I hope and pray that in the next coming weeks you just say, “Lord, grow me in my time alone with You.” We sometimes focus on the things that everybody else knows about. That’s a little bit of the surface. The root is you’re abiding in Christ; you’re drawing out of Him. That’s really the root of the matter. So we’re going to try to work at the root thing here in the next couple weeks. I pray God just works in your heart.

Would you do this for me? I want to just briefly—and I wish I had been better organized, I’d probably had something written earlier last week for you on this subject, but I don’t—so I want to just do a two-question survey. I’m going to ask if you would in just a moment here to close your eyes because I don’t want anyone peeking on anyone else. Maybe the camera would just focus on the cross up here so nobody online will know, because I want you to be honest with me. I won’t remember who is raising a hand or not. I am interested in what percentage of our church family—soul winners that sometimes keep one eye open when you close your eyes—don’t do that right now. We’re not asking about salvation. Close your eyes, all right? No peeking. Everyone, I’m just going to ask two quick questions. Everyone, if you close your eyes, everyone be respectful of other people’s privacy.

Let me ask you: If you have time alone with God that lasts at least five minutes—I’m talking about a time where you’re just praying to God, and it’s planned, this is my prayer time—at least five days out of seven. You say consistently, “Five days out of seven, I have a time alone with God.” With your eyes closed, would you slip your hand up? If you don’t do that, don’t raise your hand, please. Be honest with me. All right, I guess around 50%. Thank you so much. Would you put your hands down? How many of you—and that’s impressive—how many of you say, “Well, my time alone with God when I pray to Him is sporadic”? And I would guess, talking about organized time, when you—it’s on purpose, you’re getting alone with God—I would guess maybe two out of seven is on average, maybe two times out of seven that I have a time alone with God. If that’s you, with your heads bowed, close, just lift your hand—probably about two times out of seven. All right, good, good. Thank you for your honesty. I would say that’s probably 30, maybe close to 40% of the people. Thank you so much. You can look right this way. Thank you for just being respectful of everybody else’s privacy. I wasn’t trying to point out anything; I just kind of wanted a percentage. I’m a little bit surprised that we got 50% somewhere along there, five times out of seven.

We’re going to go on this subject here: growing your time alone with God, right? Matthew 6, we’re going to start verse number 5. Matthew 6, verse number 5. Would you please stand just to show the Word of God respect? We try to show it any respect we can when we read the beginning here; we stand to show the Word of God respect. Thank you for participating in that. Matthew 6, look at verse number 5, if you would please. Verse number 5. Jesus is speaking here; this is the Sermon on the Mount, probably the most famous sermon He preached, very early in His ministry. Verse number 5, He says, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. And when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. We’ll probably get to that next week, but Hail Marys and different things like that would be included in that. Verse number eight: “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.”

This is typically what is called the Lord’s Prayer. I’m not for us doing what it said about vain repetition, but there is nothing wrong with us quoting or reading this out loud together, and even if you mean it from your heart to the Lord, this Lord’s Prayer. We’ll start in verse number nine and we’ll go down through verse number 13. Here you go. Would you go with me? Here we go: “After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.”

Would you pray with me that God would work in our hearts and grow our time alone with the Lord? Would you pray? Ask the Lord to do that now. Father, Lord, we do come as a group of people. Lord, we do ask, would You grow our time alone with You? Lord, make it sweet, sweeter if You would, for Your people here, Lord. Make it where it’s a time where they connect with You and get to know You personally, intimately. Lord, they gain strength from You. Lord, You can speak to their hearts and maybe correct problems, reveal things to us, Lord. Father, would You grow our abiding in You through these next couple Sunday mornings? Would You do that, Lord, please? Father, we thank You; we’ll brag on You and praise You for what You do, Lord. Father, I’m asking this in Your Son, Jesus’ name. Lord, I’m asking You in faith. I believe You led to this, too, Lord. I’m asking in faith that I believe this is what You want. So, Father, we’re asking for all these things in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Would you look back real quickly here at verses five and six? When you look at it, I want you to know what to look for, all right? In the Bible, by the way, we use the Old King James Version Bible because everything in the Bible is important. Let me say why I’m saying that: “thee” and “thou” is singular. “Ye” and “you” are plural. I understand. So I want you to notice how the Lord is making this very personal. Would you look at five and six with that in mind? When you look at verse number five and verse number six, “when thou”—that’s talking to an individual, “thou,” singular—I’ve got that underlined in my Bible. “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are.” Notice that “thou.” He didn’t say “ye” and “you,” “Hey, when you pray.” He said, “thou,” that’s singular. “Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” Now I’ve got “thou” twice in verse five. Look at verse number six. It’s amazing how many times “thou” and “thy” come up. Verse number six: “But thou,” talking to you as an individual, “but thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. And when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

Anybody count how many times “thou,” “thee,” and “thy”? Somebody say it. Count it up real quick. Look at it. Let’s see. I think I got it right; I cheated. I counted earlier. I got nine. Somebody read it again. Let’s count it up together. Verse number five: “And when thou,” that’s one. “Prayest, thou,” that’s two. “Shall not be as an hypocrite.” For they love to pray standing in the synagogues in the corner of the streets that they may be seen of men. “Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” But “thou,” that’s three. “When thou,” that’s four. “Prayest, enter into thy closet.” “Thy,” that’s five. “And when thou,” that’s six. “Hast shut thy door.” That’s seven. “Pray to thy Father,” that’s eight. “Which is in secret; and thy Father,” that’s nine, “which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” There’s more than I thought. There’s ten. Wow. The emphasis is on Him talking about you getting along just one-on-one with God.

My wife and I, for 29 years—plus almost 30 years—every night before we go to bed, we pray together, and that’s wonderful, and I’m glad to do it. Now, sometimes my wife falls asleep; well, sometimes it can be the opposite of that, you know. But we always—we’ve always done that for years and years, and it’s right for couples to pray together—but it’s not talking about that. He is talking about when you are totally alone with God, one-on-one. “But thou,” He’s talking about you singular, when you just get away from everybody, everything, and it’s just you and God, one-on-one. It’s different. Can I say the thing He’s talking about here is different than church time? Church is a wonderful thing, part of God’s plan, but it’s not talking about church here. By the way, if I only ate three times a week, I would die. I typically need to eat three or four times a day. Somebody say, “Amen,” right there. I don’t need to, but I do. Church is what? But it’s not talking about church here. He’s talking about—by the way, talking about eating. Church is good, and it’s when someone stands and typically kind of feeds you. That’s biblical: feed you from the Word of God. That’s what God told us to do in First Peter 5. But He’s not talking about that. He’s talking about where you are feeding yourself; you’re drawing from God yourself. It’s very alone. He’s talking about a set time. Nothing wrong with Bible studies; I like them. Sunday school—we study our Bible. These Sunday school classes right here—that’s what it ought to be. By the way, we’re not offering self-help in Sunday school; we’re offering Bible in Sunday school. And that’s what we want. Studying the Bible is wonderful, but it’s not talking about a group studying here. He’s talking about you alone, singular: you and nobody else—it is you and God. That’s what He’s talking about. He’s emphasizing that: “but thou, thee, thy”—that’s the emphasis here.

Let me go back one. It’s a little different than praying without ceasing. We are to pray all the time, in our minds and in prayer. That’s right; that’s biblical. I understand all that. But He’s not talking about that because you can’t stay in your closet all day long. Later on, He tells you to go to the closet, but He’s not talking about praying all day long. I’m for that; that’s biblical. That’s not what He’s talking about. He’s talking about a special time when you and God, if you will, have marked off on your time: “This is when I’m going to spend time with God.” For me, if I don’t schedule it, there’s a real, real good chance I’m not going to do it. Probably you’re the same as me. We’re all busy. He’s talking about where you just carve out some time, and it’s just you and God getting along. It may be in the woods. I know of a man who would go out in the woods and had a rock he sat on. I remember him telling his friend, when his—I think he got cancer—he said, “Hey, if you need to borrow my rock, I’ll let you borrow it.” That’s what it’s talking about here.

Now, I’m going to do my best in the next couple weeks, with the Lord’s help, to try to help us grow our time alone with God. But here’s the thing, as a way of introduction this Sunday: Brother Aaron’s time alone with God is going to be different. It’s going to look different than my time alone with God. And Brother Jimmy, Miss Helen back there, their time alone with God is going to be different than mine. Because you are made uniquely; you can give God something I cannot give God. You just have a certain way that you can brag on God that I can’t brag on God. That’s why we all sing differently. Maybe in our time alone with God, sometimes you sing to God. I sing to God, but I don’t like when anybody else hears it because they’re like, “Oh, don’t do that, Pastor.” It’s going to be different for everybody, but you can sing to God like nobody else can sing to God. Caden down here, he can offer to God something I can never offer to God. Your time alone with God is unique. My brother-in-law, my wife’s brother—I think they have 10 kids, if I remember correctly. He said, “Don’t you know how many kids he has?” Look, if they have 10, you lose count after a while. Ten kids. But can I tell you, every one of those kids is unique. And that mom and that dad have a unique relationship because every one of those kids is so different. And that’s the way you are with God. It’s going to be a little different. Hopefully, maybe we can learn a little bit from each other what helps and what doesn’t help you. But at the end of the day, yours is going to be different. It’s not about comparing or doing it like someone else; it’s about you getting alone and getting to know your God like only you can.

As a way of introduction, let me say this: It’s not about a certain amount of time. “Well, I pray for an hour a day.” Well, I have to question your prayer time because if it was that wonderful, you wouldn’t have to go around bragging about it. It’s not about a certain amount of time. Sometimes you might be able to connect with God, boom, real quick, and you feel close to Him, and that’s really what you’re after. And sometimes, maybe you’re battling something, you may have to schedule some extra time to have a breakthrough, if you will, where you really get close to God. So it’s not about a certain amount of time. It’s going to take time sometimes, but it’s about getting close to God and connecting with God. Everybody’s different. Everybody’s going to connect a little different. You ever notice how couples connect? I know of a young couple. You know what they do to connect? They wrestle together. I mean, they kind of wrestle. Now, when you get older, you hurt after that’s over. Some couples go on hikes together. Some couples go out to eat together. Somebody say, “Amen,” right there. A couple said they sit on the back porch, drink coffee together, and talk. Amen, right there. There are just so many different ways couples connect. This is off the subject, but I want to get a little jab in there: Can I just say watching TV is not the best way to connect with each other? I know that’s off the subject, but it’s true. They connect so differently because they are different people. Some like playing games together. Some say, “We don’t play games together; we fight when we play games together.” Everybody’s different, and your time alone will be different. But it’s you and God alone, one-on-one. All right?

Now let’s look at something else. I want you to notice about this passage as we’re getting into this thing here. Look, if you will. I want you to notice how God puts a negativity on man really influencing these things. First of all, the first couple of verses talk about alms. Alms deeds is when you do something for someone else. You ever shake someone’s hand, and either you have it in your hand first or they have it, but you—and there’s a $20 bill in their hand? Man, I like to shake hands like that when it’s near. Or maybe you’re giving it out, however it is. But that’s alms deeds; you’re doing something for someone. That’s the first subject. The second one is prayer; we’re right in the middle of that. Later on, He’s talking about fasting. But I want you to see how He really emphasizes this in the first part of the chapter. Would you look at verse number one, Matthew 6:1? He says there, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them.” God said, “No, when you do this stuff, you’re doing something—don’t do it to be seen of men.” That taints it, if you will; otherwise, you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Verse number two: “Therefore when thou doest thy alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.” So the purpose of it is that they may have glory of men. Just notice how God said, “I don’t want outward man influencing these things.” Look down to verse number five. He’s talking about prayer here, verse number five: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.” Their purpose is to be seen of men. God said, “Don’t do that. Don’t let man influence this thing. We want it just me and you.” Look in verse number 16; He’s talking about fasting over here: “Moreover when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men.” I thought the purpose of fasting was to get a hold of God, but these people were doing it unto men to fast. They have their reward. I’m just saying, notice the emphasis. God says, as far as when it comes to this thing—your service to God and these three things: alms, prayer, and fasting—we’re focusing on prayer. He’s saying, “Look, I don’t want there to be outside influence on this time. It’s me and you, buddy. Who cares what everybody else thinks about your prayer time and all that? You’re not doing it to impress anybody, to be seen of anybody, to tell everybody how great your prayer life is. You’re doing it to get a hold and get connected with God.” So erase all that out of your mind. Just take all that away. Who cares?

That’s why I was trying to make it very private. How many times do you pray? That’s between you and God. It’s a sacred thing. Often in pre-marital counseling, I’ll tell the young couple, “Hey, when it comes to the physical part of the relationship, typically after you get married, there’s going to be somebody trying to find out a little bit of information. You don’t give them a thing. That’s your time, just you. Not even Mom or Dad or anybody else. It’s your time alone.” Amen. There is a similarity here: This is your time with you and God. Nobody interferes there. Don’t do it to be seen of men.

Now let’s just keep going a little bit on the emphasis of being alone with God. Look in verse number four. It’s very interesting how he words God here. Look in verse number four, Matthew 6, verse four: He says, “That thine alms may be in secret.” Here it is. I want you to notice this phrase: “And thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.” Look in verse number six: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Notice the emphasis: “in secret.” “My Father which seeth in secret.” Look in verse number 18: “That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which seeth in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Did you notice, “Thy Father which seeth in secret”—three times? Now, the first time He puts in “Himself shall reward thee openly.” Three times you see that phrase. We’ve already read it very briefly, but in verse number six and verse number 18, another little phrase. Verse number six right there: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.” Verse number 18: “That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which seeth in secret.” Did God kind of say, “Hey, look, you want to get to know Me? You want to get close to Me? You want to have a father-son, father-daughter relationship with Me? You’re not going to do it in front of everybody. It’s going to be in secret.” When nobody else knows about it, you’re not going to tell anybody else, because that will be on your mind when you’re doing it. Forget about all of that. “Thy Father which is in secret. Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

I just want you to notice how God is really emphasizing the aloneness—just you and God. Verse number six, would you please? Something else here. Verse number six: “But when thou prayest, enter into thy what?” Now, I don’t think God is literally talking about your closet because shoes, especially if you wear shoes without socks, they stink, people. What is emphasized is not necessarily your closet; He’s emphasizing a place where you can take your personal, intimate things. You’re covering that you wear to everybody else so they don’t see your shame and things—where you can go to this place and you just get real; you can hang all that up, and you just get real open, real vulnerable with God. It’s just one-on-one: “God, I’m hanging all that up, what everybody else thinks about me. Me and You know the truth. I want to just get all that out of the picture, and it’s just me and You. We’re alone from what anybody else thinks or says or ever sees about us.” It’s just me and You. Notice something else. He doesn’t just say, “When you enter into…” Notice what else He says. It’s very interesting how God emphasizes this thing here. Verse number six: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. And when thou hast what?” He doesn’t just say, “Go to the closet,” but then He says what? “Shut thy door.” I want it to be totally away from everybody, everything else. You go to the closet where you hang stuff up, if you will, and it even says, “shut thy door.” Just you and God. Just you and God. You get away from all the influence of the world.

I like it if I can go somewhere—I can’t always do it—but if I can go somewhere where I can pray out loud, it helps me. Maybe it just helps me get into it. I can hear myself pray. I’m not sure, but it just helps me. If somebody else can hear, you know, I’m not going to say some things. But He’s emphasizing getting alone. Keep your finger there. Would you go over to Psalm 46? Psalm 46 and verse number 10. Praise the Lord, all those pages turning! Man, that’s good. I like that. You’re turning in God’s Word. Psalm 46 and verse number 10. And he says there, he says, “Be still.” That’s hard to do in our hustle-and-bustle society. You have to work at that. “Be still, and know that I am God.”

If you have a lot going on in your world, and it just seems like you’re getting pulled from every angle and a lot of pressure, and maybe for young people you can’t please Mom and Dad and everybody—whatever may be going on in your life—it’s going to take a little time, and it’s so good to just go alone and be still and know that I am God. You don’t have to do it, but for me, creation really helps. Man, just going out somewhere alone with God. Isn’t the fall time beautiful? Man, these leaves turning? Wow, that’s just beautiful. I love it. And the weather, man—somehow we could just kind of put the weather on pause and leave it. I mean, 72 degrees in the middle of the day. Somebody say, “Amen,” right there. Come on. Awesome. Brother Mark says, “Amen.” No more air conditioning, break it down that way, you know? But that helps me to get in Christ: go somewhere and be still and know that I am God. Look at the rest of that verse: “I will be exalted among the heathen.” God’s saying, “Hang on. I know the news and the politically correct crowd and what all they’re saying, but I’ll take care of them in My time. I will be exalted. Every knee will bow before Him.” Doesn’t matter what they say; they’re going to bow one day. “I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.” Yeah.

It’s just when you get totally alone, just you and God, away from the world, away from the outside influence, away from what everybody thinks about you—just you and God one-on-one. You must have that from time to time. It’s a sacred time. I use that word on purpose. It’s a time when you get totally real with God. It is so important. The songwriter writing about “Sweet Hour of Prayer”—I thought Fanny Crosby wrote it, and I looked it up. It was actually a blind lay preacher that wrote it, William Holford, I think, if I remember right. But I like the first line of it: “Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care.” That’s what you want, where you’re sharing with God your deepest, darkest secrets and needs and vulnerabilities, wounds. You’re just taking all the armor off, and you’re just making your chest bare where God can see your heart. Some things you’ll tell God during that time, you’ll never tell anyone else in the world. And that’s all right. Praise the Lord, you’re taking it to whom you ought to take it to. That’s what you want. God can do something in your heart during those moments, and boom, like that, that you cannot do for yourself in three years, 30 years, 50 years, a lifetime. It’s so important.

You’re in Psalms already. Would you look over in Psalm 62? I think he’s really describing this thing in Psalm 62 and verse number eight. Psalm 62, verse number eight right there, he says, “Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Good times and bad times, trust Him. When your schedule allows time to pray, when your schedule’s busy, trust in Him at all times. Did you notice that phrase, “He is a refuge”? That’s where you go when you are in time of trouble; you go and get refuge here. Did you notice that phrase? “Pour out your heart.” You pour it out. “God, I’ve tried to overcome this thing in my life about a million times, and I can’t do it.” Pour that out to the Lord. God might be able to reveal to you some root problems while you’re having so much trouble with this thing here. But you pour—you just pour everything that’s in there. When you pour something out, you can’t say, “Well, all right, I’m going to…” If you have Kool-Aid, you don’t pour it out and say, “Well, I’m going to pour the sugar out, but not the water,” or “I’m going to pour the Kool-Aid out, not the dye.” You can’t; you just pour it out. Everything comes out. That’s what He’s talking about. Bitterness in there? “God wouldn’t like me.” Friend, God looks at your heart. He knows what’s going on in your heart. We never hide anything from God. Just pour everything on Him.

How many here in the front two rows think—you think at least sometimes—that your mom or dad favors your brother or your sister, at least sometimes? Boy, hands went up quick on that. All right, all right. Tell God about it. If that’s in your heart—and boy, it was in somebody’s heart, it went up quick—tell the Lord about it. Now, I don’t know what God’s going to say to you about that, but learn. Here’s the thing: If you didn’t have a dad or a mom you could be close to when you were growing up, or other people, it’s going to be a little bit more difficult for you. You have to learn to get vulnerable, and you’re not used to that. We build up these walls of defense and this personality and all this machismo and all the rest of that because we’re building barriers so often, and sometimes that’s because there are major wounds inside there. I’m not saying that’s bad, but sometimes it’s going to take layers to come off where you’re really, really, really getting real open with God, and you’re pouring your heart out to Him. That’s what He’s talking about. He said, “I want you away from everybody.” Getting in the closet, and more than just getting in the closet, I want you to shut the door to the closet. He’s emphasizing you’re getting away from everybody, everything—alone with God now.

Before we can move to the next point—we’re running out of time—we’ll briefly mention it. He wants to meet with you. He’s waiting to meet with you. I mentioned to our young people right here that, you know, you think Mom, Dad, everyone’s why they favor your brother or sister, whatever. God wants to talk to you about that. He does. He’s waiting. He’s waiting to meet with you. He’s longing. I was talking to someone this week whose grown daughter just moved in because she lost her place, and she has his son, his grandson. They moved in, and he was sharing with me all the problems with his ex-wife and all this stuff going on. But the thing that really made it worthwhile for him, he told me, “I came home the other day from work, and when I came inside, my grandson was just so glad. He just ran, ‘Hey, Grandpa, glad to see you!’” He was like, “I’ll go through all that trouble,” because he said, “Man, that was like something when my grandson would just wait for me to come home and gave me that hug.” All you grandparents, I see you smiling and saying yes. Everybody else is like, “What?” But grandparents understand. I give that illustration to say God is like that with you. He’s waiting. He wants to meet with you. That’s why He saved you—so He can meet with you for all eternity. He longs to have that moment. Now, one more thing, and I’m just going to briefly hit verse number 11. Verse number 11. Let’s read it out loud together, would you please? Here we go: “Give us this day…” All right, I’m going to wait for you to find it. You don’t know what once we say it anyway. Verse number 11, just briefly. We’re back over Matthew 6:11. We’re going to hit this daily part real quick and be done. Matthew 6:11. Here we go: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Did you notice the “daily”? Here’s the temptation: we get connected with God like this from emergency to emergency. Now, I’m not saying that’s bad; that’s a start, praise the Lord. But that’s not necessarily what He’s talking about. Daily. Every day is not going to be a super high where I got along with God, I got vulnerable with God like I wanted to. It’s not going to be like that, all right? I’m going to be honest about it, but keep at it. Consistently work at it.

In just a moment, the invitation, I’m going to ask you—and I’m going to tell you—I’m going to ask you: Would you commit? Five minutes, at least five minutes getting alone with God, at least five times out of seven? Just commit to that. We’re not going to check if you did it or not. You won’t be excommunicated from the church if you don’t. We’re not doing all that. But you’re just trying. I’m going to make a commitment the best I can: I’m going to meet with God five minutes a day for at least five days out of a week. I’m going to ask you to commit to that. There are going to be some good times, and there’s going to be some bad times. At first, let me say this: At first, it may be a little awkward. You know, you haven’t met with someone you’re not real close to, and you go out to eat or share something. It’s kind of a little awkward at first, but that’s the way you start relationships, and you get close. So it may be good days and bad days, but you’re just working at it. I’m going to actually commit to that: five out of the seven, five minutes. When I was a teenager, my youth director did a wise thing. He said, “I challenge you guys to pray to God five minutes a day.” I thought, “Five minutes a day? Man, that ain’t no problem. Five minutes—I mean, come on now. That’s nothing. I can clip toenails for five minutes.” And he said, “I want you to get your watch out and time yourself.” So that night, I got my watch out. I said, “All right, dear Lord, bless Mom and Dad, my brother—not too much—but my sisters, and Mom and Dad, and the neighbors, and the pastor.” And I thought, “Man, it’s been—it’s been 10 minutes for sure.” When I opened my eyes, it had been like three minutes. Wow. Close my eyes: “Lord, the dog next door, bless that dog next door, and missionaries around the world,” whatever you can think of. I was shocked. It took me time to build up. I’m going to ask you, as best I can, five times out of the week. You have two to miss. And at least five minutes, just you talking to the Lord.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? Heads are bowed, eyes are closed. Maybe you’ve been there for a long time; I don’t know. But I’m going to ask you—I’m going to ask you—would you commit? Would you commit? Nobody’s looking. We’re not asking about salvation right now. Nobody’s looking. Would you commit? I’m going to do my best. I know I won’t be perfect, but I’m going to do my best to get alone with God and pray to Him, talk to Him for five minutes—five minutes out of the week—I mean, excuse me, five times out of the week, five out of seven. I know I won’t be perfect, but I’m going to shoot for that. I’m going to honestly commit to that: meeting with God five times out of the week for five minutes a day. If that’s you this morning, would you slip your hand up? I’m going to do my best to commit to that. Would you slip your hand up now? God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Wonderful. Thank you. Many, many hands. Maybe there’s someone who hadn’t committed, and you say, “I need to go ahead and commit to that. I know I do.” Anybody else? Anybody else? “I’m going to commit five times a week, at least five minutes for God.” Anybody else? God bless you. God bless you. Good, good, good. God bless you.

Now let me say a word to you—two things. One thing: The devil is going to fight you. I promise you, he knows how valuable this is. He’s going to fight it. He’s going to get you so caught up that sometimes you’re going to fall. That’s all right; just get back up. Get back in there. And then I’m going to ask you: Would you spend some time here in a moment during the invitation telling Him about it? “Lord, I want to get close to You. I like to have a dad-son relationship. I like to have a dad-daughter relationship.” Would you tell Him that? Many of you maybe need to come to an old-fashioned altar just a moment. You do as God leads you. If He’s pulling you, you’ll be obedient. This whole thing—this relationship, fellowship with God—it all starts at salvation. When you get saved, you become His child; you’re born again. If you’re there, you are a person in God’s creation, but you’re not His child until you’re saved, born into His family. If you’re here this morning, you say, “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m saved. I don’t know that I’m His son or His daughter. I don’t know that I’m truly born again.” I would love to pray for you. If that’s you this morning, you said, “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m really His son, His daughter”—that’s me right there. I know I need to get that first before I can get really close to Him. If that’s you, would you slip your hand up? Nobody’s looking. Would you slip your hand up? “I don’t know that I’m His son. I don’t know that I’m saved.” I don’t see any hands. Hey, we’re His children. Let’s get close to our Father, our Dad.

Would you please stand? We’re going to have a word of prayer. Would you spend some time talking to Him? “Lord, I’m going to do this thing the best I can—five days. Make a plan, get a plan in your heart and your mind, commit to it.” Come to an altar for God’s leading. Let’s say, “I want to get close to You during this time alone with You.” Lord, thank You. I want to thank You already for the response of Your people. Father, help us to fulfill the commitment. Thank You. You’re waiting. You’re waiting in the closets, if you will, to meet with us. Wow, it’s amazing. Lord, thank You for being like that. Help us to get real, real close to You through this time. Lord, we’ll thank You and brag on You for what You do. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. If you raised your hand, God’s speaking to your heart, would you come? Don’t wait for anybody else. Would you come? “Lord, I’m going to get close to You.” Let Him know that. “I’m going to commit to this; let there be a lot of value out of this. I’m going to work at this thing. There are going to be battles, I promise you. I’m going to battle through and get close to You.” A sad thing happens sometimes: Sometimes a Christian will grow on the outside—God is working hard—but this core, if you will, drops off, and they become hollow and empty. Sometimes they fall, and many get hurt. This is the core of it all. All of us have to recommit. There are different stages to a marriage; there are different stages to your walk with God. We all have to recommit: “Hey, I want my walk with You to be very, very close.” Would you do that? “I want to stay there. I want to stay there.” We’ll sing one more verse, and nobody comes to bid. How many of you are married with kids? There are times when the kids are living at home where you say, “Well, I’m glad when the kids go to bed and Mom and I get a little time together.” That’s what this is. You get a babysitter; you get away from it all—just you and God. You have to have it. Have a close relationship. You’ve got to have it.

Original File: Growing your time alone with God - Pastor Paul Chisgar - Sunday AM 10232022