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Social media is something else, right? And Facetime and Snapchat bring us literally face to face with others at any time of our choosing.

My daughter will Facetime me for a leisurely chat at the end of her workday practically every day, my granddaughter several times a week, and my son occasionally.

My eleven-year-old grandson will send a private message to me, and we will chat for a while. All of this is to ensure we stay connected.

There is a certain serenity about the quietness of the early morning hours. I enjoy my family immensely; I also require my alone time. Yesterday, my daughter, Andrea, and I talked about time with ourselves. She said she loves to wake up, get up early when no one else is up and about, and enjoy solitude and quietness. With this, I agree. And this is when I spend my alone time with God.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NIV. Submit to God, yield to His authority and will. I must commit my life to Him and His control and be willing to follow. I must resist the devil, as attractive as he may appear.

“Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8, NIV.

Because we are born into sin, this is no easy task. We must avail to live a pure life, cleansed from sin. We must replace our desire to sin with our desire to experience God’s purity. We must sincerely beg forgiveness for our sins.

How, then, do we keep God close? Firstly, we must get to know Him through reading His Word. Keep your Bible close at hand and set aside time to read and study the entries. Early morning hours are best for me when all is quiet, and I can concentrate without distractions. Of course, my mind is sharper and more precise at that time of day.

Secondly, if I know the Word, I am more apt to speak it. Be purposeful in making efforts to share God’s Word. Never have I been able to memorize much of anything; however, there are some scriptures I know by rote: The Ten Commandments, The Lord’s Prayer, the Twenty-third Psalm, Psalm 100, Isaiah 40:29-31, and snippets of other verses. I do have a clear understanding of His teachings and directions. On the other hand, my husband, Keith, can quote passage after passage from the Bible; not so much I.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NIV tells us this. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

So, we should be talking about the Word all day, every day. In this, we not only illuminate ourselves, but we are teaching our children and all with whom we have contact.

Thirdly, THINK on His Word. Through diligent, frequent, heart-felt prayer, we are communicating with God. He speaks to us through the Scripture – we talk to Him through our prayers. The more we commune with Him, the more He becomes embedded in our minds and hearts. We find ourselves thinking on good, lovely, profitable beautiful thoughts. That will aid in erasing any negative ideations that may creep into your mind at any given time.

These three steps are doable and straightforward and will bring you closer to God. Think about how your soul will prosper and all other areas of your life. Reflect on the Apostle’s words from 3 John 1:2 NIV. “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” Once you have His Word settled in you, you will know God’s desire and act in ways that please Him.

Walking with Him results in many blessings in your life. We must learn to live by the standards of the Gospel.

A retired nurse, Pat Throckmorton is an author and columnist who can be reached at kandpthrock@gmail.com