If You Don't Use it, you lose it.

If you don't exercise, you get weak and flabby, if you don't eat, you get weak and lose energy.  If you don't spend time in personal devotions, your faith gets weak and flabby and you lose your connection with God.  If you give Him the first part of your day, you are giving Him the best part, before anything else has had a chance to enter in and get you all wrought up over the days activities.  The same laws that apply to our physical body, also apply to our Spiritual body.  So if you eat three meals a day, then meditate or read God's word that often, if you do physical exercise every day, the same applies with your faith, exercise your faith every day.

Daniel 6:10  "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went to his home, and in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem , he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days."

Mark 1:35  Talking about Jesus,  "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place and there He prayed."

These are two good examples of what we can do to keep from losing our experience with God, because if we don't use our time wisely, we will lose it.  Daniel knew that the King had signed a death decree for anyone who prayed to any other God than him.  He had forgotten about Daniel and his God until the jealous men in his court came to him reporting that Daniel had prayed to his God, then the king realized what they were up to.  But it didn't deter Daniel from praying to his God with his windows open and on his knees.

I was thinking that if Jesus needed to get up a long time before daylight to spend time in prayer with His Father, how much more we need to spend time with Him.  Much, much more time, because of our sinful condition. Jesus was without sin and He still needed support and time with His Father, He needed His Father's guidance every day to know just what He wanted Him to do and to make sure He was willing to do His Father's will.  Sometimes He spent all night in prayer.  Have you ever done that?  I have tried, but I always fall asleep, just like the disciples did.

I know that I don't realize my own sinful condition and how much I need to spend time in prayer and study with my Father in heaven.  I know that I fall far short of being what He wants me to be, but my intentions are good and I know that He will help me be what He wants me to be.  Is this the way you feel?  I think a lot of us feel this way but there is hope.

Titus 2:13,14  "Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

Our hope is in Jesus and we must stay close to Him and remember if we don't use our time wisely, we will lose it and it is our loss, but it will be His too because he died a cruel death that we might not lose out.
Grandma Joan