The Better Questions
These "better questions" provide you with honest feedback on what's going on in your relationship with Jesus.
"How much time should I spend with the Lord each day in prayer?" I get this question all the time. Personally, I try to spend about 3 hours per day in prayer, Scripture, worship, and contemplation. (The 3 hours is usually broken up into 3-4 portions spread throughout the day.) Although I may spend this amount of time each day with the Lord, I never actually expect anybody else to do it this way too. This is what works for me as I try to get as close to Christ as I possibly can. You might do things differently depending on your situation in life. And that's OK. Just remember the goal: get close to Jesus. And do what you can to achieve that.
So, there really isn't a clear answer to the question of how much time a person should spend with the Lord in prayer. In fact, I suggest that this is the wrong question to ask. Other wrong questions to ask include:
How many passages of the Bible should I read?
How much should I write in my journal?
How much time should I spend in silence and solitude?
Questions like these focus too much on "accomplishing the task." We'll feel pressured to try to hit certain numbers each day. And we'll end up feeling disappointed if we don't meet the targets that we set for ourselves (or that others have set for us).
Here are better questions to ask ourselves:
Do I feel close to Christ?
Am I growing in my faith, character, and godly behavior?
Am I hearing from Christ and being led by Him in my decisions?
These questions help us examine the kind of relationship we currently have with Christ. Instead of focusing on the task, we're focusing on a certain kind of outcome that we hope to achieve when we meet with the Lord in prayer. These "better questions" help us know if we've been spending adequate time with the Lord in prayer.
If we don't feel close to Christ or we're not growing in our faith or we're not being led by Christ, that's probably an indication that we need to spend more time in prayer. On the other hand, if we feel close to Christ, are growing in our faith, and are being led by Him, then that's a good indication that we've been spending adequate time with the Lord in prayer.
Let these "better questions" provide you with honest feedback on what's going on in your relationship with Jesus. From there, you can better determine if you need to spend more time with Him in prayer or if what you're currently doing is currently adequate for your spiritual growth.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
