A LITTLE girl entered her father's study. When her father asked what she wanted, the child replied, "Oh, nothing; I just want to be with you."

Fellowship with the heavenly Father should be the desire of every devoted child of God. Such communion delights the heart of God, who once grieved, "my people have forgotten me, days without number" (Jer. 2:32).

Jesus brought the Father into every aspect of His life, every part of His day. He arose to pray "early in the morning," which refers to the fourth watch, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., when it was still dark (Mk. 1:35). During the day, He "often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Lk. 5:16). Between feeding the five thousand and walking on water, Jesus "went up into the hills by himself to pray . . ." (Mt. 14:23). He prayed all night before choosing the twelve disciples (Lk. 6:12).

While serving as captain of a navy ship, one man I know set his alarm watch to ring every three hours to remind him to think of the Lord and His Word. His act epitomizes the devotional life that can coexist with the busiest schedule.

FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

The devotional life can include brief cries for help in time of need. When Peter was sinking into the Sea of Galilee he shouted, "‘Lord, save me!"' (Mt. 14:30). Yet prayer is above all fellowship with God. It is not merely coming to God to ask something from Him.

My husband and I have busy schedules, so to insure uninterrupted conversations we plan regular times of fellowship together. I don't occupy his time by reading off a list of things I want him to give me or do. Instead, we talk about our friends. We express admiration for each other. We discuss deeply personal matters. Asking may be part of our fellowship, but it does not end there. The same is true of our fellowship with God.

We need to set aside regular times to meet the Lord. Daniel prayed rigorously three times a day, even when he knew it might endanger his life. Although King Darius had decreed that anyone who prayed to God would be cast into the lions' den, Daniel maintained his fellowship with God (Dan. 6:7–10). David prayed morning, noon, and evening (Ps. 55:17).

MEDITATING ON CHRIST

Yet it is possible to have a regular quiet time without having a deep devotional life. At the end of my first term on the mission field, I returned home on furlough feeling spiritually dry. I had been working twelve hours a day, and I was tired and underweight. My quiet times were perfunctory.

During my furlough year I worked at the Navigator headquarters in Colorado as a secretary and housekeeper. I decided to meditate throughout each day on Scripture memory verses containing names of Jesus Christ. Each morning I chose a different name, such as Bread of Life, Lamb of God, Light of the World. As I dusted furniture, washed clothes, or scrubbed floors I meditated on my memory verse containing that day's name for Christ and on related verses.

As I focused on the Person of Christ, He became real to me. I saw new facets of His personality. I came to know Him more intimately. For example, as I meditated one day on Jesus as "Alpha and Omega" (Rev. 1:8), which refers to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, I consciously put Him first and last in each task I did. I began and ended the day with Jesus.

The verse continues, "who is," and I thought about Jesus as He is today—the Head of the Body (Col. 1:18), daily interceding for me (Heb. 7:25); "who was," and I considered Him as Creator of the world, as well as a man who went around doing good; "who is to come," and I remembered His promise to come again and take me to be with Him (Jn. 14:3).

Another day He was my Shepherd, satisfying my simple needs (Ps. 23). I recognized anew that He was my Good Shepherd, who gave His life for me (Jn. 10:11). As my Great Shepherd He equips me with everything good for doing His will (Heb. 13:20–21). By day's end I was encouraged to know that my Chief Shepherd would come with a reward because I was feeding and shepherding my own little flock (1 Pet. 5:2–4).

By extending my quiet time throughout the day with this meditation program, I made progress toward my lifetime goal of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:10). After several weeks I was meeting the Lord with enthusiasm, not routinely. By the end of the month I felt spiritually revived.

Realizing that the God of the universe with whom I communicate is a Person has helped deepen my devotional life. I do not merely repeat prayers. In Pakistan I saw people walk along the streets ritually fingering prayer beads. In another Asian country I watched a devotee pull a rug from his suitcase in a crowded station, kneel on it in apparent oblivion to his surroundings, and say his prayers. We may admire a pagan's outward zeal, but we know that he is inwardly without a personal knowledge of God.

Jesus, who warned us against "babbling like pagans" (Mt. 6:7), directed His prayers to the Father. He lived intensely but never tensely; under human pressures He always kept in touch with His Father. Jesus instructed His disciples to address God as "Our Father in heaven" (Mt. 6:9). According to Theodore Epp, "Heaven" refers to more than a specific place. It seems to refer to the entire spiritual realm, in contrast to the physical realm. In other words, God is present everywhere at the same given moment. He is present on earth as well as on His throne in Heaven and He is ever within our reach.

My favorite verse as we have moved frequently from country to country in missionary service has been Ps. 90:1, "Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations." I don't need the security of a home built with timber, brick, or stone. I have the everlasting Lord Himself, in whom I can abide through the changing circumstances of life.

FINDING A PLACE

Meeting with God in a familiar place can help us focus on Him. Jesus stressed the importance of praying privately in our rooms (Mt. 6:6). To insure privacy in a crowded home, I once chose the basement workshop bench as my altar. At one time my husband met God on a deserted hill. He walked five minutes, crawled through a barbed wire fence, and prayed in a spot that overlooked mountains on one side and a vast valley on the other. Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigator s, often fellowshipped with God on a mountain ridge in Colorado. He kept a Bible and notebook in plastic under a rock and built a fire on cold days.

Having a regular place to fellowship with God is vital. But like Jesus, we do not have to limit prayer to one location. Wherever He went, Jesus prayed—in the Jordan River at His baptism; on the mountain where He was transfigured; in the hills; in a garden; in lonely places; on the Cross.

When I occasionally vary my meeting place, it adds new dimensions to my quiet times. While attending a conference on Penang Island in Malaysia, I had morning devotions on a white, sandy beach. Then one morning I decided to have part of my devotions in the ocean. I walked through warm breakers and swam some distance from shore. During the next half hour I "read" scriptures written on the table of my heart.

Facing the shore lined with palm trees, I prayed that co-workers and friends would bear fruit like those trees. I interceded for the people and leaders of Malaysia. Turning to face the ocean, I prayed for other countries to which I imagined that ships on the distant horizon were headed. I prayed that my ministry might extend to those lands through people I trained. Lifting my eyes to the vivid blue sky I meditated upon and praised God's Person.

Ezekiel met God beside the Kebar River and again on a plain in Babylon (Ezk. 1:3, Ezk. 3:22). David prayed in caves and in fields while watching sheep. God is everywhere, and He desires our fellowship wherever we are.

INCORPORATING SCRIPTURE MEMORY

Another way I have found to deepen my devotional life has been to focus on God's Word—especially through memory verses.

In Japan we lived halfway up the side of a mountain. Every morning I extended my quiet time by ascending the mountain with Goldie, our golden retriever. As I climbed, I meditated on and prayed over the Scripture memory verse cards that I carried. Each day I chose a new landmark and went a little higher until one day I finally and triumphantly reached the top. Each day brought me closer to God through landmark memory verses.

Throughout our twenty-five years of married life I have observed that my husband incorporates review of his Bible memory verses into his quiet time. As he combines his Bible reading program with his review of memory verses, he sees the verses in context. For example, before Roy began reading the book of Isaiah, he pulled out all his Isaiah verse cards. After reading a chapter or two, he began to sharpen his Isaiah memory verses. As he meditates on those verses, he is able to apply them to his life. This reading and memory program is a powerhouse. I have seen life-changing decisions grow out of his morning devotions.

As two disciples walked the Emmaus Road, Jesus opened the Scriptures to them. Afterward they said, "‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'" (Lk. 24:32). This has happened to me while walking and meditating on Scripture at 5 a.m. in the deserted streets of an East Java city. It happens to a friend in Texas who escapes the morning bustle of her household to review verses as she walks through in her neighborhood.

Gene Denler, former Navigator representative in the Philippines, uses Scripture memory verses to enrich his fellowship with God. He once took a friend to the airport at 1 a.m. and during the drive home reviewed the book of Romans from memory. He experienced the intimacy of being in God's presence while quoting His Words. Gene thought to himself, "If this were the only reason to memorize Scripture, it would be sufficient for me."

King Solomon wrote, "When you walk, they (the words of a father to his son) will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you" (Prov. 6:22). This is true of Scripture. Memory verses are on call twenty-four hours a day. Not only does God speak to me through them, but often I verbalize Scripture in prayer back to God.

PRAYING SCRIPTURE

Focusing on Scripture also helps me know what to pray for others. Too often I used to simply ask God to "bless and help" people, which resulted in some routine and monotonous prayer sessions. Then I discovered how to make my prayer life more meaningful and enjoyable. I started writing out prayers based on Scripture for my six children. I made a separate list of paraphrased Scripture requests for each child.

Instead of praying, "God bless Leonard today," I now ask that he might set his heart and mind on things above, not earthly things, and put to death whatever belongs to his earthly nature (based on Col. 3:1–5). For Lee I pray: "May he rejoice in following Your Word, as one rejoices in great riches, meditate on it, delight in it and not neglect it" (Ps. 119:14–16). For Keith, I ask that he will not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God (1 Pet. 4:2).

The early Church quoted Scripture and then used it as a springboard for prayer (Acts 4:23–26). Some of the Apostle Paul's prayers are recorded in Scripture, and I have incorporated them into my prayer life (see Eph. 1:15–19; Eph. 3:14–19; Col. 1:9–12; 1 Thess. 3:10–13, etc.).

Because paraphrasing the Bible into prayer requests aided me in praying for my children, I began doing the same for other people on my prayer list—missionaries, pastors, neighbors, government leaders. My prayers are no longer repetitious. They are specific, thrilling, inspirational. As I adapt and match Scripture to people's needs, I feel that I have a ministry of praying specific blessings into their lives.

RECORDING THE HIGHLIGHTS

Every day I write out new prayers based on the Bible and record them in a notebook. Jesus taught us to pray "Your will be done," and by praying Scripture I feel that I am praying according to God's will (1 Jn. 5:14–15).

In addition to praying the Scriptures, recording the highlights of my Bible reading in my notebook has added great anticipation to my daily devotions. I expect God to speak to me, and after each quiet time I record a blessing or challenge on one verse or passage—what the truth is and what it means to me. Before I began doing this, the chapters I read tended to "go in one ear and out the other." I don't always find rare jewels, but each day I unearth some special treasure. Many great saints, such as Wesley, Bonar, Mueller, and McCheyne, kept journals of their worship and communion with the Lord. My notebook is my journal. Using a chart on which I can check off my progress, I have read through the Bible once a year since I became a Christian.

After forty-four years the Bible is still fresh and new, sweeter than honey, and more to be desired than my necessary food. Like the little girl who just longed for her daddy's presence, my times with the Lord have become much more than drudgery or habit. Instead, they have grown into blessed communion with a loving Father.

Phyllis Robertson joined the staff of The Navigators in 1947, and has served in Europe Texas, and Asia. She and her husband, Roy, are currently missionaries in the Philippines.

Seeking God

David was a man who sought God with his whole heart. Psalm 63 describes his relationship with God and reveals principles of developing intimacy with Him.

1. What does verse 1 reveal about David's attitude toward knowing God?

How might a person's "thirst" for God be similar to the body's craving for water?

2. What was the result of David's longing? (v. 2)

3. How did David respond to the things he saw and knew about God? (vv. 3–5)

Does considering the manner in which David praised God, and the aspects of God's character that he praised, give you any ideas for developing your life of praise?

4. What is another way that David drew near to God? (v. 6)

5. What benefits did David experience from maintaining a close relationship with God? (vv. 7, 8)