The Place Matters

We may not realize it as much in the moment, but the place where things happen is actually pretty significant in our lives. 

Think about this for a moment. If you're married, where did you share your first kiss with your spouse? Where did the proposal happen? You most likely hold both of those places as special in your heart: you remember them dearly.

When it comes to food, place is also important. It's the difference between going to a fine, Italian meal and going to McDonalds. It's the difference between eating at the dining room table with family and eating in your home office, absorbed in the work set before you.

Place matters where we can be ourselves, enjoy friendships, and create memories that last. Place also matters in both “how” and “where” we meet with God.

When I think of key components in having a (consistent) devotional life, there are two components (three, actually) that come to mind: having a set time and having a set place. (The third is allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to let God get into the deep end of your heart.)

A set time means that there is a rhythm being established. It helps to know when you plan on meeting with God in your day. For me, the mornings are best. Friends of mine like to do evenings or sometimes during their lunch break. Whatever is going to best help develop a rhythm in your life is what matters. 

A set place is just as important, and it's something I've been noticing not just in my life, but in the people of the Bible as well.

When Moses needed guidance and direction from God, he went to the Tent of Meeting. When Jesus needed some alone time after a full day of ministry, he withdrew to a desolate place. When the High Priest would present a sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, he would go into the “holy of holies.” When Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” he was asking in a place where gods and idols were carved into the cliff sides.

So, place certainly matters.

The place where you meet with God should be special and should be a place that's going to draw you into deeper community with God.

For me, the place where I go to meet with God on a daily basis is at my dining room table. It is a place where the chairs are not as comfortable as a couch (should I be tempted to fall back asleep,) and where I can draw my attention to God most. 

I could go to a desk in the guest room and do this, but the spot brings up thoughts of work and what I need to get done for the week. I could be persuaded that God needs to be invited into my work and what I need to get done for the week by making the desk in the guest room my place to hear from God, but because I want to come before Him raw and honest–just me–I choose to meet with Him at my dining table.

You may have to perform some trial runs in your space to find what is going to be best for you: where you can pray, read the Bible, and listen to the Spirit as He talks. 

I can guarantee you that if you come before God with a teachable heart, having developed a rhythm of a set place and a set time, you will certainly hear from Him.