Whether you feel your walk with God is going really well, or if it could use a jump start, you're sure to find some creative and helpful ways to get moving in the right direction. Here are 50 practical ideas for growing your connection with God, ready for you to try out and - when you find some that work for you - put into practice in your everyday life!
Have you ever read a book about spiritual growth and development that left you wondering how you were going to put what you just read into practice? That definitely will NOT be a challenge with this one! Filled with easy-to-understand and very do-able ideas, you are certain to find something new and fresh - or tried and true! - that works for you and your walk with Jesus.
The helpful ideas for getting you closer to God... there are just so many of them you'll want to try for yourself. It's exciting to know that there is an idea (or more likely several) that will work for any reader who wants to work on his or her faith journey!
Idea #20. Make a list of things that distract you from a deeper desire for God.
We all have things in our lives that compete for our attention, our time, our money, our energy, and our focus. Our relationship with God should be at the very top of our list. But if we are honest, we often allow other things to become a higher priority. By creating a list of things that distract you from a deeper desire for God, you can begin the work of reprioritizing them in a healthy way. Sit down with pencil and paper, or your notebook, or your notes app, and think about your typical day. What things demand your attention? Do these things drown everything else out, even when they are not an urgent or immediate task at hand? If so, put them on the list. It might be helpful to walk through your past week, day by day, and think about all the people, places, activities, and thoughts you can remember. This is definitely one of those lists you should put down for a bit when you can’t think of anything else. Pick it back up again the next day or next week to revisit and see what else you might have remembered.
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Idea #30. Send a note, a text message, an email, or a letter to someone and tell them how you see God reflected in their life.
Most of us don’t do nearly enough encouraging of other people, and this is a win/win idea that will bless someone else as well as yourself. Maybe you’ve seen their generous life and it reminds you of how generous God is to us all. Perhaps you saw the way they helped someone else out without making a big fuss or drawing undue attention to their efforts, and you can share how that reminded you of the humility of Jesus who spent His life serving others. By taking the short time to acknowledge and encourage them you are making an investment in their life. At the same time, you’re increasing your awareness of God at work in the lives of others and in your own life. Don’t be at all surprised if this practice of looking for God’s reflection in others becomes something you find yourself doing more and more regularly.
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Idea #43. Periodically throughout your day focus on your breathing by inhaling while making the sound "Yah" and exhaling the sound "Weh"... The name of God: "Yahweh."
This is another great way to pause a few times each day to focus on God — and if it helps, just set up reminders in your phone or other device to prod you until it becomes a habit. As you breathe in and out you will be focusing on the One who gives you that very breath.