“No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord . For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” – Jeremiah 31:34, NKJV
A famine is coming. The famine will not be of tangible food, but spiritual food – the Word of God. The Lord says that many of His children rely strictly on others to receive His word. While God has placed wise and discerning individuals among us (James 3:13), He never permitted us to worship them. God created us to worship Him. Many of God’s children have also been led astray by false teachers and are consuming words that satisfy the flesh but poison the soul.
God will use the famine to correct us. During this time, we will not have access to middle people such as pastors, prayer warriors, or our prophetic friends. We will only receive God’s word by going directly to Him:
Amos 8:11-12 (NIV) – “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.”
The only way for us to prepare for this famine is by intentionally cultivating our relationship with Christ.
How to Cultivate Your Relationship with Christ
1. Consume the Lord’s daily bread.
Matthew 6:11 (NIV) – “Give us today our daily bread.”
God gives us exactly the amount of provision we need for the day. Provision can be food, shelter, clothing, or money, but it also includes God’s word. Every day, God offers us a fresh loaf of His word straight from heaven’s oven. Many of us forgo daily bread because we are not in a position to receive it. We either do not realize it is available or are too preoccupied to sit still before the Lord. God feeds us our daily bread through quality time – a portion of the day set aside for communicating with Him.
2. Receive your morning mercies.
Mark 1:35 (KJV) – “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
Follow Jesus’ example. We can spend time with God throughout the day, but the optimal time is the morning before the day starts.
Matthew 6:33 (KJV) – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Spending the morning with God might be a sacrifice, as you will need to wake up earlier than normal. God has graced us with families, careers, ministries, and more, but we should center our lives around Christ, not them. When we prioritize God, He teaches us how to be good stewards of our responsibilities.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV) – “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”
God’s mercies are new every morning. Mercies are “blessings that are an act of divine favor or compassion” (Merriam-Webster). God is our Father, and He is responsible for taking care of us. Each morning, He provides us with relief from the pressures of life, revelation to navigate it, and refreshment.
3. Gather your materials.
You will need a physical Bible, notebook, and pen. You do not need your phone or any electronic device, as these can quickly become distractions. As God speaks, write down what He tells you. These words will become a manual that you can look back on in the future.
4. Retreat into solitude.
The best place to spend quality time with God is in solitude. Find a quiet, isolated place where it is just you and God: your bedroom, kitchen table, prayer closet, or the outdoors. You may need to set healthy boundaries with family members or roommates, letting them know you are unavailable during quality time.
5. Speak to God.
- Pray – Make specific requests or ask the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf. Sometimes, you will not have the words to say, but the Holy Spirit does (Romans 8:26-27).
- Worship – Exalt God through adoration, thanksgiving, singing, dancing, and more, as there are many ways to worship God.
- Fellowship – Have an informal conversation with the Lord. Tell Him about your day: What exciting things are happening? What concerns do you have? God cares about the details of our lives.
Quality time is not:
- Listening to your favorite worship songs
- Watching a sermon
- Checking days off your Bible study plan
These are all great things to do during the day to stay focused on Jesus, but they are inappropriate for quality time. During quality time, the Holy Spirit speaks directly to us. If you were talking to someone, it would be offensive if they started listening to music, watching TV, or reading while you were speaking.
The same goes for multitasking. It is tempting to squeeze God into our daily tasks, like preparing a meal for the family or driving to work. Yet, God deserves our full attention.
6. Listen for God’s voice.
Remember that we are having a two-way conversation with God. He wants to answer our questions and give us insight. We need to learn how to sit quietly and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. We often ask God a question, but quickly get up and move on with the day without allowing Him to answer.
Ask: Lord, what is on your mind? What do you want to tell me today? Sit in silence and wait for God to speak, as He will not delay. God speaks to His children in various ways (knowings, numbers, visions, dreams, audible voice, etc.), but one way God speaks to everyone is through His written word – The Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand The Word as you read. Write down scriptures that stand out to you, meditate on them, and ask God for further insight.
Discipline vs. Desire
A few years ago, I found myself not wanting to spend quality time with God, even though I knew I should. I began seeing 10-24 everywhere: on clocks, random displays in the mall, and even solutions to math problems (I’m a math tutor). The numbers stood out to me because they were my birthdate. I could not escape it, so I finally asked God for the meaning.
He revealed a strategy for discipline that would carry me through seasons where I lacked the desire to spend quality time with Him. The 10 represented the tithe, the first 10% of a person’s increase, and 24 represented 24 hours in a day. We often associate tithing with income. However, we can apply the concept of tithing to other resources, such as produce, livestock, land, and even time. Each day we wake up – God willing – He has given us another 24 hours of life.
God was instructing me to spend the first 10% of the day in quality time with Him – precisely 2 hours and 24 minutes. I committed to this strategy and now experience days filled with ease, during which I can clearly hear God’s voice. As a result, my faith in Jesus continues to mature.
How is the Lord inviting you into a deeper relationship with Him? Whether it’s the 10-24 strategy or another method, God stands with His hand outstretched to you. You can no longer afford to snack on God’s Word or fill up on the processed candy versions of it. We must consume God’s daily bread and allow it to transform and sustain us. A famine is coming.
