Imagine you’ve fallen in love with someone. The most natural response is to want to spend time with him or her. Yes, you could spend your time reflecting on all the different ways you speak to each other (phone call, text message, email, letter, shouting, whispering), or ways he or she shows you affection. You can read books about dating, listen to podcasts about relationships, and listen to sermons about love. But what if you get so caught up in learning about your relationship that you forget that you should be spending time with that person? How silly would that be?

Yet, that’s exactly what many of us do when it comes to our relationship with God. Whenever I get into a conversation about hearing God calling, the temptation is to get wrapped up in a bunch of terms, and forget that there is a vital, special relationship at the center of it all.

We’ve been talking in June about finding rest for your soul, spiritual practices that draw us closer to God, different ways God speaks to you, and areas in which you have a calling. All this ties into our Crossroads Career Step 1—Upward. We believe that loving God completely is essential to understanding how to love ourselves and others. It determines our identity and our direction.

Today, imagine you’re planning a date or a day with God. Prepare for it as enthusiastically as you would for that handsome man or beautiful woman that you adore. It’s a simple but profound practice that will nurture your relationship with God.

Putting It All Together: Take a Day with God

You’re following in the footsteps of Jesus here. Jesus would often take time away from his commitments and his followers to go up on a mountainside or a quiet place to pray (e.g. Luke 6:12). Your day with God could be done many different ways, but here is one example of how to plan it:

• Set aside a date and time. 
• Choose a place. 
• Remove distractions, such as phone or internet access.
• Consider bringing a friend along for accountability who also wants to spend time with and hear from God. Jesus promises, “Where two or three are gathered, there I am with them” (Matthew 18:20).
• Consider practicing other disciplines such as fasting, worship, thankfulness, prayer, and scripture reading during your day with God. 
• Come prepared: bring your Bible and a notepad and be ready to listen and write. 
• Listen to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to be near. Note anything you sense God communicating to you through His Word and His Spirit. 

If you do take a day with God, we’d love to hear what that experience was like for you. Were you reminded of God’s love? Did God bring clarity or communicate anything while you were listening? What spiritual practices, if any, did you include in your day with God?

Our prayer for you today is Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:9-11: “That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”

Laura Miller works for Crossroads Career as a writer and editor, and lives in the Kansas City area with her accountant husband. Laura hosts and produces The Library Laura Podcast, which is a weekly dose of book recommendations, library love, and literary enthusiasm. She also runs the Crossroads Career Podcast, with new episodes every two weeks to encourage you in your career journey. Previously, she worked in the insurance and retail industries.