Youth pastors can be busy, very busy. Usually, we are asked to do a bunch of different things in the church that do not pertain to youth ministry. We then are very busy trying to reach out to students, go to games, hold events and do whatever else we can think of to engage our students. Still, there is one thing that all youth pastors should have in common that just happens to be the most important time of any youth pastor’s day—it is the time of prayer and personal Bible study. We must commit to making this time consistent in order for us to be effective youth pastors. I wish that I lived this area out as much as I want to. Sometimes, I get so busy that I miss my personal time with God. The point that I am trying to live by is that if my personal relationship with Jesus Christ is right, everything else will be right. So, the event, the relationships, everything else will be right and OK if I take the time to spend my time with God. Here are a few thoughts on spending time with God each day:
- Turn off your phone during your time with God – My phone seems to constantly be vibrating. I love studying God’s Word and praying when I am not interrupted by the phone. The more distractions that I have, the less likely I am to get something from God during our time together.
- Have a consistent plan – You need a plan. My plan consists of playing worship music and then spending a few moments confessing sin in my life. Then, I read God’s Word. I use the Word of Life Quiet Time to guide me. Then, I seek to apply the passage in my life and pray some more. Then, I end with a good book that challenges me in my spiritual life.
- Have a consistent time and place – If you do not have a consistent time, you will struggle to have a consistent relationship with Christ. Trust me, I have learned this from experience. I used to say, “I will get to it when I have the time.” That time never came. I do it when I first get to the office when no one is there. That is my time and place. Try not to schedule anything during this time if at all possible.
The best thing that you can do as a youth pastor is to make your personal time with God the most important time of your entire day!
This article originally appeared here.
