In the devotional allegory Hind’s Feet On High Places the main character Much Afraid is in the habit of meeting with the Chief Shepherd daily at a spot referred to as “the trysting place.” Now a tryst is sort of a date. Long ago I began to think of my times of daily devotion as appointments or “dates,” as it were, with Jesus. 

Recently, I was getting ready to go for the two-mile prayer-walk with my dog Jack (a very bright Border Collie) that has been a part of my daily devotional routine for about the past eight years. I caught myself feeling almost a bit giddy about the mere prospect of it. I began to give some thought as to why I look forward so much to this daily jaunt. I quickly came to the conclusion that there are two big reasons why I nearly always approach this spiritual and physical exercise with so much relish. 

The first reason is that I simply get so much out of it spiritually speaking. In a book that will be released next summer, Christ’s Empowering Presence, I elaborate some on the effects which this daily slice of solitude produces in my walk with Christ.  

            First, during these jaunts I’m able to formally invite Christ to be a part of every item on that day’s agenda—classes, meetings, counseling appointments, writing sessions, etc. I will lift before the Lord any activity or responsibility that calls for even a modicum of creativity or prophetic capacity and ask him to provide it. While I’ll stop short of referring to them as “inspired,” the fact is that some of the most insightful and effective strategies I’ve ever come up with have derived from these times of prayerful communion. 

             Second, this long hike is also an occasion for me to converse with the Lord about any specific worrisome concerns that are currently bouncing around in my brain. Though I’d like to be able to say that this prayer practice never fails to produce within me an overriding sense of peace, the truth is that there are some days when I return to the house as burdened as when I left. Most of the time, however, my anxiety is assuaged big time as I pour my heart out to my invisible walking partner. This is due in no small part, I’m convinced, to the fact that my habit is to lift these issues before the Lord through praying in the Spirit per Romans 8:26–27 (see also 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20), and asking Jesus to impart to me the same wisdom, courage, and compassion that seemed to earmark his earthly existence. Many mornings I will also feel led to express to the Lord a fresh sense of longing to know—really know, deep down inside at the core of my being—just how much I am loved by him (see Ephesians 3:16–19), so that I might be able to “live” in this love and share it with others. Personally, I’ve found it nearly impossible to utter this prayer sincerely without immediately experiencing a wonderful, peace-producing sense of Christ’s empowering presence. 

             Speaking of loving others, these daily walks, thirdly, are also times for me to pray for family members, friends, students, and colleagues, mentally lifting them before the Lord. Often I will imagine the life-giving light of God’s face shining upon these folks one at a time (see Psalm 4:6; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19). If I know of a specific need in their lives, I will intercede, asking God to address that particular issue with kingdom power in Jesus’ name. If I’m not aware of a specific need, I will petition God on their behalf, once again engaging in that spiritual discipline the New Testament refers to as “praying in the Spirit.” 

            Fourth, when I’m at my best I will whisper intercessory prayers for the people whose paths I cross during the course of each day’s trek. Usually my prayer is that if these folks are not believers, the Holy Spirit will help them recognize the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:3–6); and that if they are believers, the Lord will bless them and make them missionally effective in the cause of Christ. 

            I’m especially prompted to engage in this kind of anonymous intercession when my first impulse is to think of someone I encounter in an impure or unkind manner. Yes, it happens! On any given day I might be tempted to ogle an attractive female jogger, or to form a negative opinion of the guy who thinks he’s the only person in the world who doesn’t need to keep his dog on a leash! I’m doing my best to become intentional about praying for people rather than simply thinking about them. The sixth chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans seems to teach that the key to defeating old, unrighteous habits is to replace them with new, righteous ones. How great it would be if our first impulse when meeting a new person was to respond to him or her the way Jesus would! I’m still working on this, encouraged by the thought that even baby steps can still represent progress in the right direction. 

              Finally, I should make it clear that prayer is not the only spiritual discipline enabled by these daily walks. Along with Frank Laubach, I’ve come to believe that the sublime beauty we find in nature is a subtle but powerful way in which God speaks to us and prompts us to acknowledge him.[1] Simply put, the world doesn’t have to be as beautiful as it is. Furthermore, I believe that the best explanation for the aesthetic sensibilities present in our hearts is that a creative God placed them there. Whenever we see or hear something extraordinarily beautiful or complex (or both) in the world around us, it’s possible to be reminded of the Creator’s power and providential care for those who share his image. Thus, these long walks often lead me not only into profound experiences of prayer but of worship as well. (I will have more to say about the importance of worship to “the pursuit” below.) 

          Though I fully recognize that I probably need to build into my busy schedule some extended seasons of solitude during which I can disengage from society and simply be in the presence of God, the fact is that my present pursuit of Christ’s empowering presence is tremendously enriched each day by the half-hour of solitude I’m able to experience during these long walks. I heartily recommend this practice to anyone whose circumstances will allow him or her to do likewise.[2] 

So, the first reason why I get a bit giddy about my daily date with Jesus is because of what my times of trysting with him produce in my life.

But, if I were to be completely honest, there’s a second reason why these daily walks are no hardship for me. The fact is that I love being able to provide my dog Jack with so much pure joy. You would not believe how excited he becomes each day when he recognizes that I’m getting ready to take him for a walk. I swear, he manifests his joy not just with a wagging tale and some “happy feet,” but by a genuine glint in his eyes (which is all the more observable since one of his eyes is blue and the other is brown)!

Concerned that my times of solitude might not be really that (times of solitude), Dallas Willard once asked me in a doctoral seminar session why I felt the need to take Jack with me on these daily walks. At that point I had never thougth about it before. Immediately, however, I spoke how much joy it gave me to be able to give him joy.

Hmmm… Do you think that maybe Jesus feels the same about us? Could it be that Jesus truly enjoys our daily times of trysting with him because he enjoys giving us joy?

I can’t say for sure that this is the case, but I kind of like the idea that it’s not just Jack and me that get so much out of our dates with Jesus. I’d like to think that maybe Jesus gets a bit giddy at the mere prospect too.

Yet another reason for all of us to be faithful to whatever our daily devotional routine involves. Right?

Something to think about.     

[1]Frank C. Laubach, Man of Prayer: Selected Writings of a World Missionary(Syracuse: Laubach Literacy International, 1990), 199.      

[2] Once again, if your particular life situation makes such a practice impossible, don’t fret; simply make use of any open spaces in your daily schedule to do your best to connect with Christ in a similar manner. For instance, my wife routinely endeavors to turn her daily train ride to and from downtown Los Angeles into an opportunity to “walk” with the Lord, figuratively speaking.