by Chris Rea
When you grow up as a church kid, there are lots of terms thrown around that people assume you fully comprehend. Also, when you’ve grown up as a church kid, if you DON’T have a clue as to what those terms mean…you don’t dare ask lest someone question your salvation.
Juuuust kidding. #churchkidproblems In case anyone else grew up with that conflict, the term I’m demystifying today is “Seeking God.”
As a church kid, I often wondered why we had to “seek” Him. Was He lost? Was He hiding? Did I need to count to 10 and yell, “ready or not here I come?”
Well here’s some great news: No 🙂
He’s an awesome God- majestic, loving and longing to connect & communicate to our hearts constantly.
So, to “Seek Him,” simply means our continual pursuit to know Him and connect to His heart. It’s our response to the Pursuit of His Love.
There is such depth to God that while living on this planet, we’ll barely scratch the surface.
But the more we “seek Him,” the more we’ll discover who He is. He is matchless and endless so whether you’ve been a Christian for 30 days or 30 years, there are always new spiritual truths to be discovered and applied to our lives.
Today I’m sharing the 4 keys I personally implement to connect with God and apply His word to my life. They’ve helped me and I know they’ll enrich your No Small Life as well.
1. Read One Chapter of The Bible At a Time
So many people get caught up with quantity that they miss out on quality. Spiritual Growth isn’t a box to check off on your do-to list. Instead of powering through 10 chapters in 30 minutes and calling it your daily devotional time, try reading one chapter at time. Before you start reading, ask God to speak to your heart through His word and then allow yourself to linger on it a little bit.
2. Focus On One Spiritual Truth
As you’re reading your chapter, focus on one spiritual truth that stands out to you. Several years ago I was reading Philippians Chapter 4. I started by asking God to reveal one truth in this chapter He wanted me to apply to my life. As I was reading I came across these words by the apostle Paul, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation”.
Those words leapt off the page at me like Carl Lewis at the Olympic games. I knew that the Holy Spirit was trying to tell me something.
3. Apply That One Spiritual Truth To Your Life
Immediately after identifying the one spiritual truth get out a journal or laptop or iPhone notes app and write that truth at the top of your page. Spend some time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you deeper into that truth. Begin to write down all of the thoughts you have about that one truth, what it means for your life, and how you are going to apply it to your life that day, week, month and year.
The rest of that day mediate on that one truth and pray through it several different times throughout the day. Feel free to stay on that one truth for a few days if it is a big one and look up other verses that teach into it. If not, start the same routine over he next day.
4. Break out of the Routine
I love finding systems that work. I love having formulas. They make sense to my brain. However, with God, there is no magic formula so I like to keep things fresh and break out of my daily routine. Sometimes, Megan and I will read a chapter together and discuss it and pray for one another. Sometimes I will just listen to some worship music and spend some time in prayer and worship. Sometimes, I will really study the bible in the Greek or Hebrew and go very deep into study. Sometimes, I will ask a group of people to pray together.
If you think of your time with God like a date, you wouldn’t want to go on the exact same date-same restaurant, same time, same topic of conversation every week-and expect to stay engaged and interested would you?
You’re in a relationship with the Lord, so keep it fresh. He’s a big, creative God, and as long as your foundation is biblical and prayerful, don’t allow yourself to get too regimented in the “how” of connecting with Him.
Typically, my daily time with God can last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. And I only say that, because people are usually curious. But, please don’t worry about length. Even if you invest 15 minutes a day with these practices, you’ll be growing spiritually and connecting with our incredible God.
Not sure where to start reading the Bible? No worries. Check out the YouVersion App. It has a TON of reading plans and devotionals to pick from!
Can’t wait to hear what God’s speaking to your No Small Life! How do you connect with God?
Chris
Listening to sermons & messages is also a GREAT way to grow Spiritually. We have 5 free ones for you just by clicking here
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Love this post – especially the idea of breaking out of the routine. Sometimes coming at something from a different angle can be all it takes to get to the ‘lightbulb’ moment.
Thanks so much for sharing at #FridayFrivolity! 🙂
So true! Thanks so much Jess 🙂
You make some really wonderful points in this post! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Share The Wealth Sunday! xoxo
Thanks so much 🙂
Wise words. Definitely agree with the quality over quantity. I always feel like if I don’t read a certain amount it’s not good enough, but meditating on a smaller amount means more spiritual growth in the end. Thanks for sharing.
It’s a hard mental battle to get over isn’t it? But I agree with you, it’s all about that growth and connection. So glad you stopped by Abigail!
Excellent suggestions for spiritual growth. I especially like #3 Apply Spiritual Guidelines to your life. I believe that is so important. Thank you for sharing you great tips.
Thank you Marla! Always love when you come by
These are some really great thinks to remember! Thanks so much for sharing these tips with us at Share The Wealth Sunday! xoxo
Thanks so much 🙂