Fellowship is the most important thing God wants from us. He wants us to come to know him – to be with him – to spend time with him. Jesus set an example for us when he slowed the pace of his life to spend time with the Father. He knew the importance of quiet moments. He often went into the mountains to pray. The more mature we become in our relationship with God, the more important this quiet time with God becomes. We look forward to being alone with him. We realize we need to listen to him for comfort and direction in our lives.
Some time ago I was talking with a Christian about prayer-walking. The individual explained that this activity combined fellowship, prayer and exercise – and that this kind of prayer-walking had revolutionized his prayer life. When he talked about prayer-walking he did not mean parading his righteousness in front of others or making his views known to others by some kind of political demonstration. He was simply spending time with God by taking walks – either in his immediate neighborhood or in the beauty of natural outdoor surroundings – and praying as he walked.
When we make fellowship with God a priority, all of the urgent issues in our lives seem to fall into place. When we focus on God he helps us understand the priorities of everything else. Jesus told us to seek the kingdom first, and that all of the other things in life would be taken care of (Matthew 6:33). We can all become so busy with activities that we neglect 1) to spend time with God alone, in prayer, and 2) to meet with others in fellowship with God. If you are stressed out, burning the proverbial candle at both ends, and you don’t know how to accomplish all of the things you have to do in life, perhaps you should consider your spiritual diet.
-Joseph Tkach
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