I think most Christians would probably say that they want to grow closer to God, to grow their faith, to love Him more. It’s not the want-to that we are lacking; I think it’s the how-to.
You know where you are now. Let’s say you read the Bible on occasion, you go to church pretty often when you don’t have other plans, and you pray when something big comes up.
You also know where you would like to be. You want the Bible to come alive when you read it, you want to pray like you’re talking to a friend, and you want to look forward to meeting with your community at church.
But how do you get from here to there?
I have asked myself many times, “How do I grow closer to someone I can’t see or touch?”
James tells us that God is ready and willing to do His part in James 4:8: “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
So that leaves us to figure out how to do our part– come closer to Him.
It seems difficult, but often I wonder if we overcomplicate things.
If you wanted to learn a new language, what do the experts say is the best way to do it? Immerse yourself.
Instead of sitting in a classroom conjugating French verbs, they would say you should book a flight to France, eat in French restaurants, shop in French markets, talk to French people. Bonjour!
What if we used the same idea to immerse ourselves in things of God?
What if we surrounded ourselves with Him?
And what does that look like in real life, on a day-to-day basis?
It looks like adding simple, practical habits into your life that keeps your focus on God.
7 Ways to Grow Closer to God in Your Daily Life
1. Listen to worship music for 30 minutes a day.
If I’m being honest, Christian music is not my favorite. But Christian music has come a long way in recent years. Experiment to find the artists you like best. To get some ideas, Google “Christian artists that sound” and whatever music type you prefer.
I’ve discovered that listening to Christian music does have an impact on me. Even if I’m not actively listening to the words, having life-giving music in the background works its way into my mind.
2. Read the Bible every day.
The Bible is God’s letter to us, basically, our user manual for life. So I don’t think we can overstate the importance of reading it daily, but we can overcomplicate it. You don’t have to read a chapter each day. Try downloading the YouVersion bible app. It is completely free and has a ton of Bible reading plans. You can pick one by topic or book of the Bible. And, they have plans that last anywhere from 3 days to one year. Browse through the plans they have and pick one that appeals to you.
3. Listen to a podcast sermon.
Growing up in the country, Wednesday night church was a regular occurrence. I don’t think mid-week services are as popular anymore, but we could all benefit from a spiritual refresh in the middle of the week. And, thanks to modern technology, you have access to the best pastors and Bible teachers on your phone. Many churches have a weekly podcast. My favorites are Life Church with Craig Groeschel, Elevation Church with Steven Furtick, and Fresh Life Church with Levi Lusko.
4. Pray for 5 minutes a day.
Prayer has always been difficult for me. Sometimes it feels like I’m just talking to the ceiling. But prayer is a practice that gets easier over time. Start out with simple prayers by using Philippians 4:6-7 as a pattern. Spend the first two minutes in gratitude, thanking God for all He has given you. Nothing is off limits here, from small things like your morning cup of coffee to big things like your family. Then spend the last three minutes sharing your heart with Him and asking Him for what you need. One thing you can pray is that He will open your eyes to ways to love others that day.
5. Uplevel your church involvement.
Most of us probably need to take our church involvement up a notch. That may look like committing to go to church this Sunday. Or it may mean trying out a small group or Sunday school class. Or it may involve volunteering to serve one Sunday per month. God created us to do life with other people, to share each other’s joys and burdens together. That community is usually found at church.
6. Take advantage of social media.
We’re on social media pretty often, so let’s make it work for us. Fill your feed with people who remind you of God’s word and his perspective on life. My Instagram favorites are Christine Caine, She Works His Way and Desiring God.
7. Adjust your entertainment.
Before I ruffle your feathers, I’m not talking about swearing off your favorite show. But we can add in faith-based entertainment. Even Netflix has faith-based movies. You can read Christian fiction books by authors like Karen Kingsbury, Francine Rivers, or Joel C. Rosenburg.
These 7 ways may seem too simple, but little things can have a big impact. Just these small steps of trying to remember and include God more in our day can help us grow closer to Him, little by little.
If this is an area of your life you would like to grow, join me on Instagram as we put these habits into practice.
More Posts You May Like