Wasting Time With God (April 12, 2026)

Apr 15, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Dull Axe and the Unsharpened Life

When blades lose their edge, frustration replaces fruitfulness. The harder we swing at life’s demands without tending to our inner tools, the more we exhaust ourselves in empty effort. Prayer isn’t a distraction from productivity—it’s the whetstone that sharpens our souls. Just as a woodsman pauses to sharpen the axe, we must pause to reconnect with the One who renews our strength. Without this rhythm, even our best efforts become blunt. [02:04]

“If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed.”
(Ecclesiastes 10:10, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been “swinging harder” lately without pausing to sharpen your soul? What blunt edge might God want to restore through prayer today?

Day 2: Wasting Time with the Vending Machine God

Prayer crumbles when treated like a transaction—coins in, blessings out. True connection thrives not in demands but in presence. The vending machine mentality reduces God to a dispenser of favors, but Christ invites us to linger like friends sharing coffee. Joy comes not from answered requests but from unrushed intimacy. What if the miracle isn’t the snack falling from the machine, but the hand that holds yours while you wait? [05:33]

“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
(John 16:24, ESV)

Reflection: When have you treated prayer like a vending machine this week? What would it look like to sit with God instead of shaking the machine?

Day 3: Remaining in the Vine When the Branches Feel Bare

Two trees—one blooming, one barren—reveal the cost of disconnection. Life flows not from frantic striving but from abiding. Like sap moving through a grapevine, Christ’s presence nourishes what we cannot force. The barren tree isn’t judged; it’s simply invited back to the source. Our task isn’t to manufacture fruit but to sink roots into the love that grows it. [14:22]

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
(John 15:4, ESV)

Reflection: Which part of your life feels most like the barren tree? How might you “sink roots” into Christ’s presence there this week?

Day 4: Questions That Turn Monologues into Dialogues

Prayer dies when we do all the talking. Jesus modeled listening as much as speaking—asking the Father, “What’s on your heart?” The bravest prayers aren’t speeches but silences where we make room for heaven’s voice. Try reversing the script: let God set the agenda. You might discover He’s been waiting to share more than you’ve been waiting to ask. [24:40]

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
(Psalm 139:23–24, ESV)

Reflection: What question have you been avoiding asking God? What might happen if you invited Him to search your heart today?

Day 5: The Splash of Love from the Reservoir of Prayer

Fruit isn’t manufactured—it overflows. Like a cup placed under a waterfall, the Spirit’s gifts drench us until love, joy, and peace spill onto others. But the canal only flows if it stays connected to the reservoir. What splashes from your life reveals what fills your heart. Stay under the fountain. [34:02]

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
(Galatians 5:22–23, ESV)

Reflection: Which “splash” from your life (love, joy, peace, etc.) feels most scarce? How could prayer refill that reservoir today?

Sermon Summary

Christ’s resurrection announces new life, and the breath prayer Abba Father, I belong to you sets the heart in that life-giving posture. The dull axe names the hurry problem: more swinging with less fruit. Prayer answers that problem by starting the day on pause. Prayer, not the inbox or the grind, is the most strategic work because prayer places a disciple early on their knees with the Father.

Vending machine religion reduces prayer to coins and buttons. Prayer refuses that transaction and chooses relationship. Prayer listens, sits, and wastes time with God. Joy then rises, because Jesus ties answered prayer to complete joy, and Scripture ties rejoicing and gentleness to a nearness that prayer receives.

The paradox of productivity insists on less to do more. Jesus models it by withdrawing to pray even in pressure. If the Son stopped to be with the Father, then a disciple’s calendar must learn the same stop. A person who feels far from God has not been pushed away by God. The drift belongs to the disciple, and prayer returns the heart.

Jesus’ strange team proves that nearness to Jesus, not résumé, carries the mission. As disciples move closer to Jesus, enemies and opposites move closer to one another. Abiding in John 15 names the only way forward. The vine gives life. Branches that remain bear fruit. Apart from him, nothing grows but a dead tree.

Christianity is knowing Jesus, not just knowing about Jesus. Dating years illustrate the point. The “wasted time” is what builds love, and the same wasted time with God feeds prayer. Discipline begins what delight will finish, like training that hurts before it heals. Prayer becomes a dialogue as a disciple keeps showing up.

Three practices make space. First, show up at a chosen time and place. Second, pray with no agenda by asking, What is on your heart, Jesus, and Search me, God. Third, pray with someone else because Christ stands with two or three. The fruit that follows looks like love, joy, peace, and the rest. Mother Teresa’s line lands here. A disciple cannot give what they have not got, and God remains the source while the disciple becomes the conduit. Start small, keep showing up, and waste time with God, because time with God is never wasted.

Key Takeaways

1. Start early on their knees The day’s sharpest work happens before the first task. Early prayer aims the heart and slows the hurry that dulls the soul. The schedule then follows the Spirit, not the inbox. This is strategic, not sentimental. [03:37]
2. Prayer is relationship, not transaction Prayer refuses coin-slot faith. A disciple sits, listens, and wastes time with the Father who already knows and loves. Requests still have a place, but presence becomes the point. Joy deepens because communion, not control, anchors the heart. [06:28]
3. Abide to bear lasting fruit Branches do not perform fruit; branches receive life. Abiding locates strength, clarity, and endurance in Jesus rather than in effort. When connection is tended, fruit comes in season. When connection is neglected, activity withers. [13:54]
4. Show up, then delight grows Discipline opens the door that delight later walks through. Ordinary mornings, chosen places, and faithful minutes make a praying life, not rare mountaintops. Over time the soul begins to want what it once resisted. Habits carry the heart to God. [22:15]
5. Pray together for Christ’s presence Shared prayer gathers disciples under a promise of presence. Mutual faith, simple words, and regular rhythms make space for guidance and courage. Burdens lighten, direction clarifies, and love grows in the circle. Two or three can carry what one cannot. [31:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:13] - Easter memory and breath prayer
[02:04] - The dull axe and hurry
[03:18] - Is slowing the secret to more
[04:53] - Vending machine prayer critique
[06:28] - Prayer as relationship and joy
[09:21] - Jesus makes time to pray
[10:28] - Unlikely team, nearness to Jesus
[13:35] - Abide in the vine, bear fruit
[15:42] - Drift or know Jesus personally
[21:51] - Tip 1: Show up daily
[23:08] - Tip 2: Pray with no agenda
[30:39] - Tip 3: Pray with someone else
[31:41] - Fruit of the Spirit as evidence
[33:24] - Receive to give, start small

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 15:4-5 (ESV)
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Observation Questions

What does Jesus compare Himself to in John 15:4-5, and what does this metaphor teach about dependence on Him?
The sermon describes prayer as "relationship, not transaction" ([06:28]). How does this contrast with treating prayer like a vending machine?
According to the sermon, what practical example did Jesus set regarding prayer even during busy or stressful times ([09:21])?
What fruit does the sermon connect to abiding in Christ, and how is this fruit described ([32:12])?

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus emphasize abiding as the only way to bear fruit (John 15:4)? What does this imply about human effort versus divine connection?
How does treating prayer as a "relationship" instead of a "transaction" shift our understanding of God’s role in answering requests ([06:28])?
The sermon states, "Discipline begins what delight will finish" ([22:15]). Why might discipline be necessary to develop a consistent prayer life, even when it feels unnatural?
Jesus chose disciples with opposing backgrounds (e.g., a tax collector and a revolutionary). How does abiding in Him resolve such tensions ([11:35])?

Application Questions

What does your current prayer routine look like? How could you intentionally "waste time with God" this week by adding 5 minutes of silence or simply asking, What’s on Your heart, Jesus? ([24:20])
Identify one area of life where you’ve been "swinging a dull axe" (striving without fruit). How might starting your day "on pause" in prayer refocus your dependence on Christ ([03:37])?
Who is one person you could invite to pray with you regularly? What practical step (e.g., a weekly call, shared journal) could you take to prioritize this ([31:25])?
The sermon warns against drifting from God ([15:42]). What habit or distraction most often pulls you away from abiding in Christ? How will you address it this month?
Reflect on a time when prayer felt transactional (e.g., asking for outcomes without listening). How can you shift toward relational prayer this week, even in small ways?
Mother Teresa said, "We cannot give what we do not have." What fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.) do you need to receive from God before pouring it out to others ([34:23])?

Sermon Clips

53s

#SlowDownToDoMore

“What if what if one of the most productive things you could do in the day is actually something that looks very unproductive? What if the secret to getting more done was actually slowing down? Perhaps even starting your day on pause and not doing anything. A guy by the name of e m Bounds said this, the people who have done the most for god in this world have been early on their knees. Prayer is that tool we're gonna talk about today. When we're not building our lives on prayer, we can swing that axe harder and faster eventually realize we're not getting much done.”

46s

#SitWithGod

“And just say, lord, here I am. I I don't know what to say today. I don't know what to pray about. I don't I don't know but I'm here. Kinda like that prayer. Abba father, I belong to you. Whatever this day holds. Learn to come to god without something to ask. Remember, he's not a vending machine. Just come and sit. Even if you don't have any coins. No demands, no requests, no agenda. Just sit with god. Waste some time with god. Worship. Listen. Be still.”

68s

#PrayerIsRelationship

“Prayer is being with someone. Prayer is a relationship with god. Prayer is a connection with the almighty. Prayer is listening and being silent as much it is as it is talking and presenting your request to God, which we should do. And scripture tells us to do, but that's not all there is to it. Prayer is connected to our joy. Prayer is connected to how we live our lives in this world. Our joy, our fullness, our satisfaction with life depends on prayer, depends on our connection with Jesus.”

32s

#WorkLessDoMore

“There's a story about a dad who was cutting down some trees in his yard, and you know, he's out there and first tree got down pretty easily, chop chop chop, trees down. Second tree, not so bad. By the third tree, he's working a little harder, getting that tree down. Finally gets it down. By by the fourth tree, he's really struggling. And he, you know, he says to himself, I don't know what's wrong. And his his son who's out there watching says, it's almost like the harder and faster you chop, less progress you make.”