Give Time to God
To deepen our spiritual life, we must give time to God through meditation and prayer, just as the saints of old did.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the necessity of dedicating time to God for a deeper spiritual life, rejecting the notion of quick fixes in our fast-paced world. He argues that true acquaintance with God requires significant investment in meditation and prayer, mirroring the practices of saints and apostles throughout history. Tozer warns against the superficiality of modern Christian experiences, urging believers to slow down and truly value their relationship with God. He calls for a commitment to spiritual discipline as essential for genuine faith.
Text
I have often wished that there were some way to bring modern Christians into a deeper spiritual life painlessly by short easy lessons; but such wishes are vain. No shortcut exists! God has not bowed to our nervous haste nor embraced the methods of our machine age. It is well that we accept the hard truth now: the man who would know God must give time to Him! He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy Church in all generations.
And so must we if we would follow in their train!
May not the inadequacy of much of our spiritual experience be traced back to our habit of skipping through the corridors of the kingdom like little children through the marketplace, chattering about everything but pausing to learn the true value of nothing?
Sermon Outline
- The Need for a Deeper Spiritual Life
- The Importance of Meditation and Prayer
- A Deeper Spiritual Life Requires Effort
- We must slow down and learn from God
- Our spiritual experience may be inadequate due to our lack of effort
Key Quotes
“No shortcut exists! God has not bowed to our nervous haste nor embraced the methods of our machine age.” — A.W. Tozer
“He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance.” — A.W. Tozer
“May not the inadequacy of much of our spiritual experience be traced back to our habit of skipping through the corridors of the kingdom like little children through the marketplace, chattering about everything but pausing to learn the true value of nothing?” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- You must prioritize time with God through meditation and prayer to deepen your spiritual life.
- Your spiritual experience may be inadequate due to your lack of effort and discipline in pursuing God.
- You must slow down and learn from God, rather than rushing through life and skipping over the true value of things.