My husband and I have some long time friends who opened up to us about a struggle they were having in their marriage. The reason for their struggle is they were not prioritizing spending time together. They each had their own agenda of what they needed/wanted to do, but most times it didn’t include the other person.
Soon feeling neglect were realized and tension and accusation began.
My husband and I shared with them what we do to be intentional about prioritizing our relationship. Each morning, we “meet” in his office to have coffee, conversation, devotional, and prayer; we call it our touchpoint. It usually lasts from 15-30 minutes, as time allows. Then on Fridays, after work, we sit on the porch for some “back porch sitting,” to wind down our week together. Yet another prioritized touchpoint.
These two touch-points have done wonders for our relationship. We have found out more about each other, have lively conversation, laughed together, cried together, asked for forgiveness, and been forgiven.
There is another relationship that needs prioritized with the same intentionality as we do for our marriages; our relationship with our heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
When I intentionally spend time with God, our relationship changes, strengthens, and flourishes. I have found out more about Him and about myself through reading His Word. We have lively conversation through prayer where laughed together, cry together, I ask for forgiveness, and have been forgiven.
The apostle Paul reminds us we can have joy in our relationship with God, because of Christ, when he said, ”So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.“ Romans 5:11 NLT
Just as our friends need to prioritize their relationship by intentionally spending time together, we also need to prioritize our time with the Lord. This is the most important relationship in your life, so how are you prioritizing it with your time and intentionality?
Take a moment to reflect on your own relationship with God. Are you prioritizing quality time with Him? Consider implementing intentional touchpoints or rituals in your daily life to strengthen this connection. Start today by setting aside time for meaningful conversations, reading scripture or a devotional, and prayer. Your relationships, both earthly and spiritual, will thank you for it.