Most of us will never get to meet, let alone know, an extremely important person such as the President of the United States, the Pope, the head of a multinational corporation, or a commanding general. They are too busy and have too many responsibilities to become closely involved in our day-to-day lives. This is not the kind of relationship we are to have with God. He has powers and abilities far in excess of anything the greatest human can muster. And God wants us to have a first-name-basis kind of relationship with Him. So how do we know this? 1.   Because we are made in the image of God. In your Bible, read Genesis 1:26-31. Being made in the image of God gives humanity a unique quality shared with no other part of creation. Many have debated over exactly what this image includes, but all agree that it infers the ability to have a relationship with God. This “image” points to our purpose in creation – to know God personally. 2.   Because we know God wants us to know Him. “I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, … that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection” Philippians 3:8-10 There are many ways we can know something. There is intuitive knowledge-things like hunger (no one really has to tell you when you are hungry). There is factual knowledge-such as 2 plus 2 equals 4, and trees are made of wood. Then there is knowledge from experience-knowing fire burns because you have been burned before (you KNOW and FEEL this knowledge). It is this last kind of knowledge that Paul was referring to in Philippians. It is one thing to know facts about someone, it is another thing to KNOW that person. 3.   Because Jesus invited us to a relationship. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation. 3:20 Jesus used the picture of two friends sitting down for supper to catch up on things. The God who created everything, the all-powerful God, wants to sit down and visit with you and I just like we would do for a meal with our very best friend. Have you ever noticed couples who have been married for a long time? Some of them walk alike, they may talk alike, they may even look like each other. One can give the other a certain look and their spouse knows exactly what they are thinking. Christ invites us to be a follower of His [Luke 9:23] and an imitator [Ephesians 5:1]. This means we take on Jesus’ character and His thoughts. Paul called this being “transformed” [Romans 12:1-2]. This transformation, or change in our life, continues the rest of our life as we get to know God more and more. The more we spend time with God, the more we will imitate Him in our lives. So how can you develop a time alone with God? We recommend you use the 3 P’s the 5 R’s and SPACE. Here’s what we mean: P is for Prepare. You should prepare by picking a: Place – Set aside a location where you can be alone and distractions can be minimized Period – Pick a time when you are at your best and most alert Plan – Establish a game plan for spending time with God. The focus of any plan should be the study of scripture. There are many Bible study plans and programs. For example, you can try to read the entire Bible in one year; or you can start with the Gospel According to Matthew and read one chapter each day. The important thing is to come up with something that works for you and then stick with it. R is for Routine. You should get into the routine of spending time with God. The best way to do this is: Ready – Say a simple prayer asking God to show you something to help you face the day and become more like Him. Read – A portion of Scripture (depends upon the plan you are using). Respond – Ask yourself what does this Scripture mean to me? Remember – Write down your thoughts and discoveries and look at them through the day (or the next day as the case may be). You may want to share what you have discovered with a friend. Reflect – Think about how to put this scripture to use in your everyday life. SPACE is for how you should reflect in your time with God. Ask yourself: Is there a Sin to confess? Is there a Promise to claim? Is there an Attitude to change? Is there a Command to obey? Is there an Example to follow? The important thing is to take time out of your day and spend it with God. You can never be all God intends you to be without spending time with Him. The next step as you continue to grow in satisfaction and peace is to learn more about prayer. You can do that by clicking here.