Take Time For God
Every morning around 8:30 am, the staff receives a text message with only four letters: TTFG. This message from Pastor Matthew is a simple reminder inviting us to do the profound; it is a call to Take Time For God. This is the language we use at The Tree for reminding ourselves that the most important thing we do every single day is to purposely set aside time to spend with God. Why? Because our conviction is that everything we are, and all we do, flows from our relationship with Him. Our purpose, peace, direction, hope, and strength to live life faithfully are found in our connection to Him.
Why is TTFG so important?
The idea of living life in relational connection to God is modeled in many places throughout Scripture. It was said that Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden with God (Gen. 3:8), and that He was the giver and sustainer of the lives they lived in paradise. Moses met with God face-to-face, as with a friend (Exod. 33:11), and found in God everything he needed to lead Israel. He appeared to Elijah in the wilderness and on the mountain (1 Kings 19:1-14) in a desperate time of need, and God refreshed his spirit and purpose for the hard work that lay ahead. Jesus would often sneak away to spend time in prayer (Matt. 14:23). He knew God as His Father and desperately relied on His relationship with Him to sustain his mission (Matt 6:9; John 11:41-42). The Apostles were each connected to and led by the Spirit of God as they fulfilled their role in making disciples of all nations (Acts). Each of these people lived in a reality where life and faith depended on their connection to God.
This is not just a principle for the heroes of the faith or the church staff. There are no “professionals” and “amateurs” when it comes to following Jesus. Every disciple is called to reject sin, embrace freedom and healing, make more disciples, and represent Jesus to the world around them. We CANNOT DO THIS if we are not purposed to connect to Him daily.
Why is it so hard to TTFG?
What I have learned through my own struggle with daily quiet time, as well as countless conversations with everyday disciples, is that this is not easy or natural for us. The problem is twofold.
Most of us believe that we have a time problem when it comes to TTFG, and this is sometimes accurate. But the time problem is only a symptom of a heart problem. We lack the vision to see our lives and joy wrapped up in God’s goals for the world. The fix for this is not just shifting our schedules but shifting our hearts. There’s a reason we run to God in desperate times. Our “normal” and our self-sufficiency are stripped, and we realize we need more than what we can provide ourselves. Desperation is usually the motivation we need to overcome these difficulties. These moments of desperation are meant to be windows into our everyday reality, that we always need God’s presence. This is where TTFG becomes both the process and the solution for everything we need.
What does it look like to TTFG?
The solution of TTFG is a perspective shift. It’s placing God in the rightful place in our lives. It’s the re-purposing of our lives around God and His Kingdom.
The process of TTFG is devotional time. I know “devotional” is a buzzword in the church world, so let’s not miss it in its simplest form; it is time devoted to God for the purpose of devoting ourselves to God. For me, it is the daily heart work of reminding myself that I desperately need Him and that He can provide everything I need. I take time every morning for slowness (push against the tendency to rush), silence (my mouth and my mind), prayer (speak to and hear from God), Scripture (reminder of who He is and what He has done), and journaling (remembering what He is doing in me). All of this takes roughly 30 minutes of my day, and yet this is the catalyst that reorients my thoughts, actions, dreams, decisions, and ability to be satisfied in life. In case this makes it sound like I have some mountaintop experience every morning, let me clarify, this is rarely the case. It’s a simple, yet purposed discipline to set myself up to have my heart and mind renewed by God so I can live the entire day with Him.
How can we start TTFG?
If you’re wondering where to start, here are some things I’ve found helpful when it comes to TTFG.
TTFG Resources
Take 20 Daily Reading Plan: Take 20 is a Scripture reading plan and devotional designed to help you dive deeper into Sunday’s message. Each weekday, you'll receive a selected portion of Scripture, along with a brief overview to reflect on its meaning and how it applies to your life. You'll also find prayer prompts to guide your conversations with God, as well as practical steps you can take that day. Take 20 is available on The Tree Church App and website.
YouVersion Bible App: YouVersion is a great free resource that provides you with numerous audio and readable versions of the Bible on your phone or tablet. It also contains thousands of reading and devotional plans to help you get started with TTFG. I recommend starting with their Daily Refresh, found on the home page when you launch the app. It will provide a daily scripture, a short video devotional thought, and prompts for reflection and prayer that you can move through at your own pace.
The Posture of Prayer: Pastor Matthew lays out a phenomenal teaching on the posture of prayer where he addresses the idea of TTFG.
Why is TTFG so important?
The idea of living life in relational connection to God is modeled in many places throughout Scripture. It was said that Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden with God (Gen. 3:8), and that He was the giver and sustainer of the lives they lived in paradise. Moses met with God face-to-face, as with a friend (Exod. 33:11), and found in God everything he needed to lead Israel. He appeared to Elijah in the wilderness and on the mountain (1 Kings 19:1-14) in a desperate time of need, and God refreshed his spirit and purpose for the hard work that lay ahead. Jesus would often sneak away to spend time in prayer (Matt. 14:23). He knew God as His Father and desperately relied on His relationship with Him to sustain his mission (Matt 6:9; John 11:41-42). The Apostles were each connected to and led by the Spirit of God as they fulfilled their role in making disciples of all nations (Acts). Each of these people lived in a reality where life and faith depended on their connection to God.
This is not just a principle for the heroes of the faith or the church staff. There are no “professionals” and “amateurs” when it comes to following Jesus. Every disciple is called to reject sin, embrace freedom and healing, make more disciples, and represent Jesus to the world around them. We CANNOT DO THIS if we are not purposed to connect to Him daily.
Why is it so hard to TTFG?
What I have learned through my own struggle with daily quiet time, as well as countless conversations with everyday disciples, is that this is not easy or natural for us. The problem is twofold.
- We default to a posture of distrust. If left to our natural inclinations, we make the same decision that Adam and Eve did in the garden when they disobeyed God. We fail to trust that God desires to or can provide all we need to flourish in this world. We only depend on ourselves. Our first instinct isn’t to connect with God, but to get to work on whatever is necessary to make us feel satisfied. We fill our time with work, pleasure, relationships, phones, and exercise, all because we think they are what fulfill us.
- We don’t envision our day-to-day lives as a calling or part of God’s mission in the world. Even as a pastor, it is easy for me to lose sight of what is at stake when most of my life appears normal. This lends itself to complacency and the illusion that I can manage my life. We shrink our existence down to where our sole purpose in life is to provide a sense of happiness for ourselves and perhaps those closest to us.
Most of us believe that we have a time problem when it comes to TTFG, and this is sometimes accurate. But the time problem is only a symptom of a heart problem. We lack the vision to see our lives and joy wrapped up in God’s goals for the world. The fix for this is not just shifting our schedules but shifting our hearts. There’s a reason we run to God in desperate times. Our “normal” and our self-sufficiency are stripped, and we realize we need more than what we can provide ourselves. Desperation is usually the motivation we need to overcome these difficulties. These moments of desperation are meant to be windows into our everyday reality, that we always need God’s presence. This is where TTFG becomes both the process and the solution for everything we need.
What does it look like to TTFG?
The solution of TTFG is a perspective shift. It’s placing God in the rightful place in our lives. It’s the re-purposing of our lives around God and His Kingdom.
The process of TTFG is devotional time. I know “devotional” is a buzzword in the church world, so let’s not miss it in its simplest form; it is time devoted to God for the purpose of devoting ourselves to God. For me, it is the daily heart work of reminding myself that I desperately need Him and that He can provide everything I need. I take time every morning for slowness (push against the tendency to rush), silence (my mouth and my mind), prayer (speak to and hear from God), Scripture (reminder of who He is and what He has done), and journaling (remembering what He is doing in me). All of this takes roughly 30 minutes of my day, and yet this is the catalyst that reorients my thoughts, actions, dreams, decisions, and ability to be satisfied in life. In case this makes it sound like I have some mountaintop experience every morning, let me clarify, this is rarely the case. It’s a simple, yet purposed discipline to set myself up to have my heart and mind renewed by God so I can live the entire day with Him.
How can we start TTFG?
If you’re wondering where to start, here are some things I’ve found helpful when it comes to TTFG.
- Plan it: It is a purposed step. If you don’t make it a priority, it will not happen. Put it on your calendar, determine the location where you will do it, decide what you will do during that time, and determine how long you will give to it. This feels uninspiring, but I promise if you leave it to when you “feel” like doing it, you never will.
- Include Prayer, Worship, and Scripture: TTFG is time to connect with God. Prayer, worship, and Scripture are all ways that we speak to God and hear from Him. Prayer is the act of speaking to God and asking Him to speak to us. We will need to speak and be silent for prayer! You can use written prayers as a framework for talking to God about your life or simply speak in your own words about the emotions and situations you are experiencing. Worship is the expression of thanks and recognition for who God is. It can include music or not. It’s a practice of humble recognition of our need for Him and His supreme worth. Scripture is God’s word to us. The best way we can hear God speak is to spend time reading the Bible. This doesn’t have to be large passages or long hours of Bible study. Reading the promises of God a few verses at a time is sufficient for the Spirit to speak. Finding a reading plan that fits your schedule and purposes can be a useful tool here.
- Ask God to Reshape Your Mind and Heart for the Rest of the Day: My consistent prayer is that God would help me love what He loves and see things as He sees them. This is a desire to connect with Him, not just in the morning, but to reorient my thoughts, feelings, actions, and speech throughout the day. It’s a desire and acknowledgment that I want my entire life to be shaped around who God is and what He has done for me.
- Be Flexible and Gracious with Yourself: Learning a new discipline can be hard. Start simple and don’t put too many expectations on yourself or what the time should be. God will honor your effort and desire to connect with Him, even if this time isn’t ideal yet. Make it work for the season you’re in and be patient with yourself when you forget or make something else a priority. Just keep getting after Him!
TTFG Resources
Take 20 Daily Reading Plan: Take 20 is a Scripture reading plan and devotional designed to help you dive deeper into Sunday’s message. Each weekday, you'll receive a selected portion of Scripture, along with a brief overview to reflect on its meaning and how it applies to your life. You'll also find prayer prompts to guide your conversations with God, as well as practical steps you can take that day. Take 20 is available on The Tree Church App and website.
YouVersion Bible App: YouVersion is a great free resource that provides you with numerous audio and readable versions of the Bible on your phone or tablet. It also contains thousands of reading and devotional plans to help you get started with TTFG. I recommend starting with their Daily Refresh, found on the home page when you launch the app. It will provide a daily scripture, a short video devotional thought, and prompts for reflection and prayer that you can move through at your own pace.
The Posture of Prayer: Pastor Matthew lays out a phenomenal teaching on the posture of prayer where he addresses the idea of TTFG.
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