Perhaps you know of an old friend that you don’t spend time with anymore; not because you dislike each other,
but because you have just drifted away. That is something that we cannot afford to have happen with Christ.
Once you begin to get to know Christ better, you will need to plan to spend time with Him daily so that you don’t
drift away.
Daily Quite Time
A good way to spend time with God is through reading His word and talking with Him in prayer. You can pray any
time of day or night and anywhere, but perhaps the most effective long term method is to establish a regular
time and place. When praying, there is no set order required, it is more like a conversation with an earthly
loving parent. After a brief prayer of thanks for God’s blessings, ask Him to bless the time and then read some
from His Word to you — the Bible. If you are just getting acquainted with the Bible, you will likely find the
gospel of John a good place to start. If you have not read much from the Bible,
you may prefer to use a modern version. Ask your Christian friend, a pastor or a local Christian bookstore to
recommend one. While reading, meditate on what the Bible is saying. To meditate simply means to think seriously,
quietly, soberly and deeply about spiritual things. As you do, perhaps you will notice a special promise, a
guidepost for your day, a command you should follow, a meaningful verse to memorize or a searchlight pointing out
a sin or spiritual need in your life. A “Daily Bible Reading” guide is provided for you at the back of this
booklet to get you started. When you have prayed and meditated for a while, talk with God in prayer.
You can praise Him, thank Him, admit the things you have done wrong, pray for the needs of others and even your
own needs. Once you finish your time in prayer, take the conversation with you. Think about God and speak with
Him briefly whenever you can throughout the day.
Giving Christ First Priority
To truly grow in Christ we must give our lives over to Him; allowing Him to be both “Savior and Lord.” To be a
Christian means to be more than just forgiven, we must also be followers of Christ. Jesus said, “If you love me,
you will obey what I command” —John 14:15 NIV. To obey Christ our Lord, we have to turn all things over to His
authority. That includes our home, our jobs, our relationships, our time, our private intimate life and even our
money. Don’t be confused here, you were saved by your faith alone, not by your works, but the Bible is also clear
that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). Therefore, since you have faith
and are saved, you should naturally begin to do good works as you grow in Christ. What are these good works?
Examples are give throughout the Bible and the Holy Spirit will often convict you to do the right thing.
Basically, we are to show love, for God and others. Jesus said that all of the law could be summarized in two
commands, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is
the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
—Matthew 22:37-39
Help of the Church
Jesus said “teach(ing) them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Therefore, one of the
responsibilities of the church is to help you grow in Christ by teaching you to follow His commands. Through
Sunday School, Bible study groups, regular worship attendance and the accountability of fellow Christians the
church provides an environment where you can learn and grow to become everything God has planned for you.