It's a hectic world. Always has been. And until Jesus comes again, it always will be. It seems even Jesus found it difficult to carve out time to be alone with his Heavenly Father. How about you? In your busy schedule today, is there time to spend alone with your Heavenly Father? If the answer is “no,” I urge you to stop reading this devo. Spend this time with your Father. His time with you is much more valuable than mine.

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Okay, that's an unusual way to open a devo. If you're still with me, thank you for giving me the opportunity to “pay forward” a blessing I received that grew my relationship with our Heavenly Father.

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For my first 39 years, my “relationship” with our Father lasted one hour a week in church on Sunday. That hour was liturgical. I was a believer who said all the words, but there was no real relationship. Since there was no relationship during that hour, there surely was none during the other 167 hours of the week. I did life on my own, and it was a busy life. I was a husband with two growing boys and two time-consuming jobs.

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Then, I attended a new church. One of the pastors lived near me, and out of the blue, he asked me to take a walk with him. During the walk, he shared his personal view that the Bible was a book of relationship with our Father. I'll never forget that. He shared how in his busy day, he saw our Father in everything. He also invited our Father everywhere. He asked if I had a relationship with our Father like that (you already know the answer). The cool thing was, he didn't make me feel guilty. There were no “you shoulds” or “you musts.” Just simple encouragement to answer the door, because our Father was knocking. He made the point that our Father wanted me to know Him, and He'd fit right in whenever and wherever I allowed.

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On that day, my relationship with our Father changed. I started to see Him in everything and invite Him everywhere. I still had my busy life, but I increasingly invited our Father into each part of it. My relationship gradually grew from barely an hour a week to 24/7. It's been 25 years since that walk with the pastor. His witness of what the Bible meant to him opened my eyes to who our Father is. It made my relationship with our Father personal. Now I have the chance to pay forward that witness to you.

Like Jesus experienced, making time in our busy lives to be with our Father is hard to find. This can easily lead us to guilt, which leads to anxiety, which leads to more guilt, which leads to more anxiety, and so on. The cycle builds until we view God as a taskmaster, not a loving Father.

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But our Father is not in the business of making you feel guilty. If you feel guilt, it's not from Him. Our Father created everything, so He's intrinsically tied to everything in your life. He desires to be with you anytime you invite Him to be with you. He meets you right where you're at, not where you think you should be. And that is what I want you to hear.

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No matter what you're doing today, see your Father in everything. Take a moment and look around. What do you see? Your Father created it.

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No matter what you're doing today, take your Father everywhere. What's next on your list? Ask your Father to join you in it.

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Please understand, I'm not suggesting you carve out more time from your busy schedule or add one more thing to your “I should” list. I'm simply encouraging you to focus on seeing Him and inviting Him into everything and everywhere. As you grow in this practice, guilt will fade, anxiety is calmed, and joy will increase. More and more, you'll view God as a loving Father who delights in you as His child.

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A writer at GotQuestions.org says it so well: “God is alive, and He is near. He wants to communicate and commune with us. That is the joy of the Christian life.”

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I'm older now and still growing in relationship with our Father. While a 24/7 relationship is good, our Father wants to give us even more. He desires us to experience the joy of Christian life 1440/1 – every minute of every day. All you have to do is open your door.

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“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 that person, and they with me” (Rev. 3:20).

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Amen, come Lord Jesus.