Jon Gaus shares "Extended Time with God" Guide

Incredible
things
to
know
before
you
get
started:

Ø God
delights
in
you
and
desires
to
spend
time
with
you!

The
God
and
Creator
of
the
universe,
the
eternally
existent
One,
is
a

relational
God.

The
three
members
of
the
Trinity,
God
the
Father,

God
the
Son
and
God
the
Holy
Spirit
have
existed
in
perfect

fellowship
and
communion
for
all
of
eternity.

And
now,
through
our

redemption
in
Jesus
Christ,
God
has
brought
us
into
this
fellowship

(1
Cor
1:9)
and
He
delights
in
us
and
desires
to
spend
time
with
us!

Ø We
were
created
to
be
pleasure
seekers.

Yes,
that’s
right…God
did
indeed
create
us
to
be
pleasure
seekers.

But,
because
of
the
Fall
and
our
flesh,
we
often
look
for
pleasure
in

all
the
wrong
places.

God’s
Word
tells
us
that
the
ultimate
pleasure

we
were
created
for
is
the
Lord’s
presence.

Look
at
how
King
David

described
spending
time
with
the
Lord:

Ø God won’t be “microwaved.”
We certainly live in a “hurry-up, faster” culture in which we can’t
even imagine now that we once lived with dial-up internet! But our
Heavenly Father loves us way too much to let us turn our time with
Him into just another thing on our hurried “To Do List.” In fact,
God’s invitation to us is “Be still and know that I am God.”
Ps 46:10a
Ø Enjoying the Lord’s presence requires Spiritual vision.
We all know what it’s like to walk into a dark room. At first, you
can’t see anything at all. But, after a while your eyes adjust to the
setting and you begin noticing shapes and make out objects. In
much the same way when we take time to sit in the Lord’s
presence, unplug from the distractions of the world and bring our
mind, will and emotions to focus on Him, we truly begin to sense
Him in us and all around us! Its during these sweet times of
communion that the Holy Spirit can speak to us and show us
amazing things. God’s Word encourages us to focus on the spiritual
realm:
Ø We come in the name and righteousness of Christ.
The audience we have with the Father is entirely based upon the
merits of Christ. It’s because Jesus lived perfectly, suffered and died
to fully satisfy God’s wrath against our sins, and rose again
victoriously that we have the privilege of boldly coming to our
Heavenly Father as His eternally adopted sons. The Bible says
we’ve been raised to a new position of victory and intimacy with
God!
“You make know to me the paths of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:11
“As we look not to the things that are seen but
to the things that are unseen. For the things
that are seen are transient, but the things that
are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the
great love with which He loved us, even when
we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive
together with Christ – by grace you have been
saved – and raised us up with Him and seated
us with Him in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus,” Ephesians 2:4-6

1st

STEP:
Waiting
on
the
Lord

Waiting
on
the
Lord
is
an
act
of
surrender,
of
love
and
desiring
to

experience
the
presence
of
God
above
all
else.

It
is
sitting
at
the
feet

of
Jesus
and
saying
no
to
all
other
distraction
just
as
Mary
was

commended
for.
It
is
often
wordless
worship
that
sharpens
our
sense

of
the
spiritual
realm.

ü This
is
a
time
of
silence
before
God
where
I
spiritually
close

the
door
to
any
influence
from
the
world.
It’s
me
choosing
to

bring
my
thought
life
and
imagination
to
focus
on
Jesus

ü I
enter
into
His
presence
by
an
act
of
faith.

ü During
this
period
of
silence
we
tune
in
to
God
Himself
and

direct
our
whole
being
to
Him
and
commit
ourselves
to
Him

anew.
We
rejoice
in
and
over
His
presence.

ü This
is
a
time
of
deep
personal
and
intimate
communication

between
God
and
ourselves;
it
is
me
as
the
limited
and
finite

being
coming
into
the
presence
of
God
as
the
unlimited
and

infinite
Being.

ü We
make
sure
at
this
point
that
we
are
in
contact
with
God.

This
time
of
waiting
on
the
Lord
cannot
be
hurried;
there
is
no

place
for
impatience
and
haste
during
this
time.

ü During
this
time
we
think
of
nothing
but
God
the
Father,
His

Son
Jesus
your
Redeemer,
and
the
Holy
Spirit
and
the
sweet

fellowship
of
the
Trinity
that
we
have
been
brought
into.

ü You
need
not
express
your
thoughts
in
words.
Concentrate
on

your
relationship
with
the
Lord
and
your
love
for
Him.

2nd
STEP: Praise & Worship
Praise & worship is an expression of adoration and devotion to God above
all else in your life because of who He is and because of His perfect, holy
character and attributes. Express
your
wonder
and
delight
in
God
out
loud.

Tell
the
Lord
how
much
you
love
Him
and
how
much
more
you
want
to
love

Him.

Psalm 145 is full of wonderful, powerful and intimate declarations back to
God! A meaningful way to worship the LORD is by praying His Word back
to Him, out loud, from a sincere heart. This act gives great glory to God, it
helps magnify our view of God (which is often shrinking), and it causes the
Enemy to flee. Give it a try…

PSALM 145 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9
The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12
to make known to the children of man your[b]
mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.][c]
14
The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20
The LORD preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

The “One Thing” request of King David:
David
was
one
of
the
richest,
most
powerful
men
in
the
world
and
basically

could
have
anything
he
wanted.

But
the
one
thing
that
he
desired
most
and

sought
after
with
all
of
his
might
was
to
behold
the
beauty
of
the
LORD!

Make this Your Request:
Take a few minutes right now to pray and ask the LORD to show you more
of Himself, more of His beauty and to draw you close into His presence so
that you can truly experience more of Him.
As an act of worship, make a list of ten things about
JESUS that makes Him worthy of your praise…then praise Him for
each one.
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that I will seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my
life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in
his temple.”
Psalm 27:4

3rd

STEP:
Confession
of
Sin

Often
We
Are
Missing
Out:
Our
Heavenly
Father
desires
for
us
to
receive

His
good
gifts,
but
when
we
are
holding
on
to
unconfessed
sin
or
idols
from

our
past,
we
do
not
have
clean,
open
hands
to
receive
the
Father’s
gifts.

Jesus
desires
us
to
have
close
fellowship
with
Him,
but
when
we
are
hiding

secret
sins
our
fellowship
with
Him
is
distant.

Idols
are
those
things
I
often
run
to
when
I’m
tired,
angry,
depressed,
lonely

or
wanting
to
escape
reality.

Jesus
calls
us
to
cast
down
our
idols
and
run
to

Him!

He
always
satisfied
and
always
fulfills!

Confession
of
sin
and
repentance
is
an
act
of
admitting
my
sinfulness
to
my

Heavenly
Father
and
turning
from
my
sin
with
a
change
of
heart
about
my

sin.

ü This
is
the
time
to
confess
my
sins
by
name
to
my
Heavenly
Father,

admit
that
I
am
wrong
and
turn
from
my
sins
and
accept
my

Father’s
forgiveness.

ü This
is
the
time
where
I
ask
God
to
cleanse
me
of
any
form
of
pride

and
lack
of
love.

ü This
is
a
time
of
introspection
and
allowing
the
Holy
Spirit
to
reveal

all
unconfessed
sins.
We
receive
our
salvation
and
the
forgiveness

of
our
sins
solely
through
the
blood
of
the
Lord
Jesus.
On
the

grounds
of
His
death
on
the
cross.

ü This
is
the
time
to
thank
the
LORD
for
His
complete
forgiveness,

mercy
and
grace
and
that
nothing
can
ever
separate
me
from
His

love!

Our
Besetting
Sins:

Most
of
us
have
two
or
three
areas
in
which
we
face
the
greatest

temptations
and
which
are
the
sin
proclivities
we
most
easily
fall
into.

Take
a
few
minutes
and
ask
the
Holy
Spirit
to
help
you
identify
these
areas

of
weakness
and
sin
and
then
write
down
the
paths
or
situations
that
most

often
lead
you
into
these
sin
areas.

Ø Areas
of
sin
in
which
I
struggle
most
often:

•

•

•

Ø Situations
I
need
to
proactively
avoid
because
they

often
lead
me
into
these
besetting
sins:

•

•
•
•
ü Now
take
some
time
to
pray
and
ask
the
Holy
Spirit
to
help
you

recognize
the
patterns
in
your
life
that
often
lead
to
sin.
Also,
thank

the
Spirit
for
always
providing
a
way
out
of
temptation
through
His

indwelling
presence
and
power
in
your
life.

ü Now,
take
time
in
pray
to
ask
the
Father
for
a
fresh
filling
of
the

Holy
Spirit
and
surrender
every
part
of
your
heart,
mind
and
life
to

the
Spirit
so
He
can
dwell
in
every
part
of
you!

“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not
have listened.” Psalm 66:18
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common
to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be
tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation
he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be
able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

4th

STEP:
Praying
Scripture

Praying
Scripture
is
to
feed
myself
spiritually,
to
personalize
God’s
promises

for
me
and
to
pray
according
to
God’s
will
and
God’s
agenda.

Praying
Colossians
1:15-‐23

(Personalize
verses
:15-‐:20
by
praying
this
section
back
to
the
Lord
Jesus
as

perfect
praise
&
worship!)

15
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation. 16
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities—all things were created through him and for
him. 17
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold
together.18
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be
preeminent. 19
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to
dwell, 20
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on
earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Praying
Psalm
96:1-‐3

(Personalize
this
Psalm
by
making
it
first-‐person
and
praying
back
to
God

e.g.
“I
will
sing
to
the
you
Lord
a
new
song”)

96 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;[a]
tremble before him, all the earth!
10
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13
before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

5th

STEP:
Watching
&
Listening

Watching
&
Listening
is
a
time
of
spiritual
observation
(perception),
to
be

on
the
look-‐out,
to
be
spiritually
aware
of
matters
to
pray
for.
A
time
to

listen
to
the
Holy
Spirit
for
specific
promptings
and
impressions
He
may
give

you.

ü This
is
a
time
to
be
especially
wary
and
alert
for
the
possible

onslaughts
of
the
devil.
Pray
and
ask
the
Holy
Spirit
to
show
you
the

plans,
methods,
strongholds
and
strategies
of
the
evil
one
against

you
and
your
loved
ones.
Pray
against
these
schemes
in
Jesus
name

and
by
your
authority
as
an
adopted
Son
of
the
most
Holy
God
and

as
one
who
is
now
seated
with
Christ
at
the
right
hand
of
the

Father!

ü
This
is
a
time
to
be
alert
to
any
prompting
of
the
Lord.

ü This
is
a
time
to
be
mindful
of
any
revelation
from
God.

ü This
is
a
time
to
ask
for
insight,
discernment,
wisdom,
to
know
on

what
to
focus
and
what
your
priorities
should
be.

ü This
is
a
time
to
understand
the
will
of
God
and
where
He
wants
to

use
you
in
this
season.

ü This
is
a
time
to
ask
the
Lord
what
is
on
His
heart
and
His
agenda
for

your
life
and
calling.

In
your
time
of
watching
&
listening
to
the
Holy
Spirit,
write
down
any

burden,
promptings
and
impressions
the
Spirit
has
spoken
to
your
heart.

Is

the
LORD
asking
to
take
any
actions
on
any
of
these
matters?

Promptings
and/or
Impressions
from
the
Holy
Spirit.
(Remember,

the
Holy
Spirit
always
leads
in
harmony
and
unity
to
the
perfect,

written
Word
of
God.)

Ø

Ø
Ø
Are
there
any
actions
steps
the
Holy
Spirit
is
calling
on
you
to?

take?

Ø
Ø
“Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Colossians 4:2

6th

STEP:
Intercession

Intercession
is
one
of
the
most
loving
things
we
can
do
for
another

person.

Intercession
is
to
pray
for
others,
to
concentrate
on
the

needs
and
distress
of
other
people,
to
stand
in
the
gap
for
someone

else
and
bring
strong
petitions
for
them
to
the
Father’s
throne
of

grace
and
mercy.

Intercession is:

ü To
pray
for
God's
purpose
in
the
lives
of
others.

ü To
stand
between
God
and
other
people
and
pray
for
their

needs
–
to
ask
for
mercy
and
grace.

ü It
is
a
spiritual
position
before
God
–
to
remain
standing
until

you
have
the
assurance
that
God
heard
and
release
you
of
the

burden
to
pray
for
this
issue.

ü It
is
God's
method
of
getting
His
children
involved
in
His
plan

for
the
world.

ü When
you
intercede
you
stand
at
God's
side
and
you
work

with
Him
for
the
salvation
or
benefit
of
someone
else.

List
people
in
need
who
God
has
called
you
to
intercede
for:

Ø

Ø

Ø
Ø
List
the
names
of
the
unsaved
people
whom
God
is
burdening
you

to
pray
for
their
salvation:

Ø

Ø

Ø

Ø

PRAY:
Take
a
few
minutes
and
thank
the
Lord
God
that
he
has
given

the
gift
of
prayer
and
that
He
has
invited
you
in
to
be
part
of
His

running
of
the
universe!

Also,
ask
the
Lord
Jesus
to
give
you
His

strength
to
remain
faithful
and
consistent
as
an
intercessor
for
all
of

the
needs
He
has
laid
on
your
heart
for
others.

“I thank my God in all remembrance of you, always in
every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,
because of your partnership in the gospel from the first
day until now.” Philippians 1:3-5

7th

STEP:
Petition

Spend time petitioning your Heavenly Father for your
personal needs:
ü To
pray
for
my
"daily
bread."

ü To
bring
my
own
distress,
emotions,
crisis
situations,
needs

and
desires
before
God.

ü To
come
to
God
in
total
dependence
and
humility
and
ask
Him

to
provide
all
my
needs.
I
come
to
God
as
His
servant
and
His

beloved
child.

ü Come
in
faith
and
trust
as
a
friend
of
God

ü Be
specific.

ü As
believers
we
may
come
to
the
Father
and
pray
for
our

personal
needs
and
we
can
pray
expectantly
even
for
the

smallest
things.

ü Be
cautious
to
avoid
selfish
motives.

ü Have
faith
that
God
is
always
good
and
loves
to
give
good
gifts

to
His
children!

8th

STEP:
Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving
is
a
time
to
acknowledge
our
appreciation
to
the
Lord

for
His
care
and
protection,
for
who
he
is
and
for
every
good
gift
we

have.

God’s
people
have
a
long
history
of
slipping
into
a
“what
have

you
done
for
me
lately”
attitude
toward
God.

Giving
thanks
regularly

to
God,
not
only
gives
all
the
honor
and
glory,
to
God
it
keeps
us

humble,
grateful
and
in
reality!

As
an
act
of
worship
and
a
spiritual
exercise,
take
a
few
minutes
and

make
a
list
of
twenty
things
you
are
thankful
to
God
for.

Remember

all
He
has
done
for
you
spiritually,
all
He
has
done
for
your
family,
etc.

Be
specific
in
your
list
and
then
spend
time
in
thanksgiving
to
God
for

each
item.

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

-‐

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
“You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2b
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for
you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thess. 5:18

9th

STEP:
Experiencing
&
Embracing
the
Father’s
Love!

At
times,
many
of
us
have
a
hard
time
believing
and
receiving
God’s

all
encompassing
Father
love.

It’s
at
these
times
that
we
must

surrender
to
the
FACTS
over
our
fleeting
FEELINGS.

The
Bible
is
basically
God’s
love
letter
to
us
and
it
can
be
fully
trusted

because
it
is
without
error
and
God
cannot
lie!

So,
what
are
some

things
God
says
about
how
much
He
loves
us?

Meditate
on
the

following
passages
and
and
let
them
soak
into
your
soul:

The
Bible
also
tells
us
that
the
Father
loves
us
with
the
same
love
that
He

loves
Jesus!

Just
think
about
that…as
God’s
eternally
adopted
child,
I
am

loved
by
the
Father
with
the
exact
same
eternal
quality
and
quantity
of
love

with
which
He
loves
his
Son
Jesus!
(read
Jesus’
words
below)

Pray
and
thank
the
Father
that
He
loves
you
with
an
eternal,

everlasting
love
even
though
none
of
us
deserve
it.

Ask
Him
to
help

you
experience
His
love
in
an
even
more
real
way.

Spend
time
just

sitting
in
God’s
presence
and
let
Him
minister
to
your
soul,
your

emotions
and
your
heart.

Several years ago a pastor in Ohio went to a local prison to
share at the weekly church service. The pastor faithfully
preached on God’s love and how the Father showed His love to
the world by sending His only Son to suffer and die for our sins.
When the teaching was over, the pastor looked out into the sea
of hardened faces and felt that the message had not really
gotten through to too many of the men. Then, in order to bring
the point of his teaching home to the crowd of convicts, he said;
“God loves you men and I love you men and if any of you would
like a hug please come up here because I’d love to give you
one.”
All of a sudden there was a long line in front of the pastor. It
was the majority of the men in attendance. Most of them had
never know unconditional love and they were not about to pass
up this opportunity to experience God’s love in a very tangible
way.
Is there something that is blocking you from truly experiencing
and embracing God’s eternal, all-encompassing love for you?
Spend time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any
obstacles or hurdles that keeping you from experiencing God’s
love. Then ask the Spirit to remove those hindrances and open
up the flood gates for to enjoy God’s love in a new way!
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that is
what we are!” 1 John 3:1
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39
“The LORD God is in your midst, a mighty one who will
save; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will
quiet you by his love, he will exult over you with loud
singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
“I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly
one, so that the world may know that you sent me and
loved them even as you loved me.”
John 17:23
jjj

10th

STEP:
Meditation

Meditation
means
to
reflect
upon
or
examine
a
matter
more
closely

and
to
evaluate
it
spiritually.

It
means
to
turn
it
over
in
your
mind

until
the
truth
becomes
part
of
your
spiritual
fiber
and
reality.

The
Bible
exhorts
us
to
meditate!

Meditation
is
God’s
idea…don’t
fall
for
a
counterfeit!

In
what
way
is
Christian
meditation
different
from
Eastern

meditation?
In
Eastern
Meditation
the
focus
is
on
a
passive

state
of
mind
and
the
aim
is
to
"empty"
your
mind.
To
the

Christian,
meditation
is
an
active
process
of
evaluating,

investigating,
and
pondering,
involving
your
whole
mind
and

being,
while
allowing
the
Holy
Spirit
and
Scriptures

to
lead

you.
Christian
meditation
is
to
ponder
in
a
disciplined

way.
Beware
that
the
Enemy
will
try
to
plant
thoughts
in
your

mind.
Also
beware
of
negative
thoughts
during
this
time.

Consider
everything
that
is
true,
pure,
noble,
right,
beautiful

and
praiseworthy.
When
you
meditate
on
a
certain
portion
of

Scripture
you
must
ask
yourself
among
other
things,
what
is

God’s
Word
saying
to
me
in
this
passage.

Take
time
to
meditate
on
the
following
truths
in
Psalm
27
about

our
great
God
and
what
He
provides
for
His
children.

Turn
these

truths
over
in
your
mind
until
they
become
part
of
your
spiritual

fiber
and
reality.

*Portions
of
the
above
descriptions
have
been
adapted
from
“The
Hour
that
Changes
the

World”
by
Dick
Eastman.

“Blessed is the man who does walk in the counsel of the
wicked…but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on
his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth;
meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful
to do everything written in it. Then you will be
prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I
be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my
adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall
not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be
confident.”
Psalm 27:1-3

Jon Gaus shares "Extended Time with God" Guide

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