Prioritizing Time with God in Prayer and Scripture
Scripture commands believers to seek God without delay. The psalmist declares, "I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments" (Ps 119:60), and the writer of Hebrews warns, "To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb 3:7-8) [3]. The present moment is "the accepted time" (2 Cor 6:2) [3], and procrastination in seeking God is explicitly condemned in Christ's teaching (Luke 9:59-62) [3]. Ecclesiastes counsels, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth" (Eccl 12:1), identifying the present as the best time to turn toward God [3].
Prayer as Communion with God
Prayer is not merely petition but "converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him" [6]. It is described in Scripture as "pouring out the heart" (Ps 62:8), "lifting up the soul" (Ps 25:1), and "drawing near to God" (Ps 73:28) [4, 6]. This communion is commanded (Isa 55:6; Matt 7:7; Phil 4:6) [4] and presupposes both God's ability and willingness to engage with his people [6]. Access to God in prayer comes through Christ (John 14:6; Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19) [5] and is a privilege of the saints, who may approach "with confidence" to "obtain mercy and grace" (Heb 4:16) [5].
Jesus himself modeled the priority of prayer despite a demanding ministry. Mark records that "in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed" (Mark 1:35), emphasizing the importance of prayer in Jesus' life even amid busyness [12]. The Lord's Prayer, given as "a model of simplicity" in contrast to pagan repetition, teaches believers to address God as Father and to seek his kingdom first [10].
Meditation on Scripture
Saints "have communion in meditation" (Ps 63:5-6) [1], and Matthew Henry observes that "God's word then does us good when it furnishes us with matter for prayer and excites us to it" [11]. When God speaks through Scripture, believers must consider what they have to say to him in response [11]. Solomon's prayer in 1 Kings 8:59 asks that God's words "be near to Yahweh our God day and night," reflecting a rhythm of continual engagement with divine truth [9].
The uncertainty of life (Prov 27:1) [3] and the reality that God's timing differs from human perception (2 Pet 3:8) [7] underscore the urgency of establishing hearts "in blamelessness and holiness" (1 Thess 3:13) [8] through sustained devotion. Ecclesiastes acknowledges "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Eccl 3:7) [2], yet the overarching counsel is against deferring what belongs to the present hour.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Communion With God — Is communion with the Father -- 1Jo 1:3. Is communion with the Son -- 1Co 1:9; 1Jo 1:3; Re 3:20. Is communion with the Holy Spirit -- 1Co 12:13; 2Co 13:14; Php 2:1. Reconciliation must precede -- Am 3:3. Holiness essential to -- 2Co 6:14-16. Promised to the obedient -- Joh 14:23. Saints Desire. -- Ps 42:1; Php 1:23. Have, in meditation. -- Ps 63:5,6. Have, in prayer. -- Php 4:6; Heb 4:16. Have, in the Lord's supper. -- 1Co 10:16. Should always enjoy. -- Ps 16:8; Joh 14:16-18. Exemplified Enoch. -- Ge 5:24. Noah. -- Ge 6:9. Abraham. -- Ge 18:33. J”
- Ecclesiastes “a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; -- Ecclesiastes 3:7”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Procrastination — Condemned by Christ -- Lu 9:59-62. Saints avoid -- Ps 27:8; 119:60. To be avoided in Hearkening to God. -- Ps 95:7,8; Heb 3:7,8. Seeking God. -- Isa 55:6. Glorifying God. -- Jer 13:16. Keeping God's commandments. -- Ps 119:60. Making offerings to God. -- Ex 22:29. Performance of vows. -- De 23:21; Ec 5:4. Motives for avoiding The present the accepted time. -- 2Co 6:2. The present the best time. -- Ec 12:1. The uncertainty of life. -- Pr 27:1. Danger of illustrated -- Mt 5:25; Lu 13:25. Exemplified Lot. -- Ge 19:16. Felix. -- Ac 24:25.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Access to God — Is of God -- Ps 65:4. Is by Christ -- Joh 10:7, 9; 14:6; Ro 5:2; Eph 2:13; 3:12; Heb 7:9, 25; 10:19; 1Pe 3:18. Is by the Holy Spirit -- Eph 2:18. Obtained through faith -- Ac 14:27; Ro 5:2; Eph 3:12; Heb 11:6. Follows upon reconciliation to God -- Col 1:21,22. In Prayer -- See Prayer. De 4:7; Mt 6:6; 1Pe 1:17. In his temple -- Ps 15:1; 27:4; 43:3; 65:4. To obtain mercy and grace -- Heb 4:16. A privilege of saints -- De 4:7; Ps 15:1; 23:6; 24:3,4. Saints have, with confidence -- Eph 3:12; Heb 4:16; 10:19,20. Vouchsafed to repenting sinners -- See Repen”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
- II Peter “II Peter 3:8 (BSB) — Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
- I Thessalonians “I Thessalonians 3:13 (BSB) — so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.”
- 1 Kings “Let these my words, with which I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that he may maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require; -- 1 Kings 8:59”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 6:9: 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer is similar in form to a common Jewish prayer (the qaddish). Jesus gave this prayer to his followers as a succinct expression of their new faith. 6:9 Pray like this: In contrast to the vain repetition of pagan prayers (6:7-8), “the Lord’s Prayer” is a model of simplicity. • Jews rarely addressed God as Father, but Jesus did so in every prayer but one (Mark 15:34). • may your name be kept holy: God’s name is profaned by the sin of his people (Isa 29:22-24; Jer 34:15-16; Ezek 39:7; Amos 2:7).”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 18:23: Communion with God is kept up by the word and by prayer. In the word God speaks to us; in prayer we speak to him. God had revealed to Abraham his purposes concerning Sodom; now from this Abraham takes occasion to speak to God on Sodom's behalf. Note, God's word then does us good when it furnishes us with matter for prayer and excites us to it. When God has spoken to us, we must consider what we have to say to him upon it. Observe, I. The solemnity of Abraham's address to God on this occasion: Abraham drew near, Gen 18:23. The expression intimates, 1. A holy conc”
- Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 1:35: 1:35 Despite Jesus’ busy ministry, he sought time to pray (6:46; 14:32-39). Mark emphasizes the importance of prayer in Jesus’ life (cp. Luke 3:21; 6:12; 9:18, 28-29; 11:1-4; 18:1; 22:32).”