5 Ways to Grow closer in Your Faith
use your alone time productively | I know I know, free alone time is beyond rare in life, especially if you are married or have kids! But I'm talking about things we do every day that we really can't multitask with other activities. For example, if you take a walk with your dog in the morning, use this as your time be in meditation with God and discern where he is leading you in life. Like to sing in the shower? Learn a hymn or a new song of praise and lift your voice to God. Your morning commute could also be used for time to build your relationship with Christ. I mean, let's be honest, there's hardly any music on the radio in the morning, and most talk shows are terrible. Take that time to be silent, listen or pray. Another great thing to do is to use this time to listen to a sermon you may have missed, or podcast of an author speaking on the scriptures or another Christian book.
pray without ceasing | Scripture tells us to pray continually, and give thanks for all things, but we often contain our prayers to before meals with family, or before bedtime with our heads bowed and eyes closed. Obviously we can't maintain this posture all day long, however we certainly can be in prayer! There is a something that has been dubbed "breath prayers" and let me tell it's changed my life! Every moment and each interaction can be a prayer. We can pray even when others don't need to know that we're praying, like at work or at school. These "breath prayers" can be simply a thank you for something that happened or one sentence lifting a person up in prayer. See someone on your commute that looks like they need assistance? Say a prayer. Coworker having a bad day? Say a small prayer for them. Nothing is too small for us to lift to God. Open your eyes to the world around you and I promise you'll find more than your imagined to pray for!
commit scripture to memory | Now I'm not necessarily talking about bible sword drills and competition in Sunday School, but what we commit to memory stays with us and comes out. Write on your mirror in your bathroom (with a dry erase marker!) or use a notecard or chalkboard, and write a verse of scripture. Every morning when you're getting ready for the day, and every evening when you're getting ready for bed, read the verse to yourself and try to memorize it. Another great place for memory verses are in your agenda/planner that you keep, on the fridge, at your desk, in your locker. You get the idea. Focus on a verse per week.
use technology to your advantage | These days the older generation tends to want to write off technology when it comes to your faith, and solely focus on stepping away from phones, TV, etc as ways to grow in your faith. But let's be realistic - we can't spend every day alone in a cabin in the woods diving into scripture. But we can be smarter about how we engage with technology. Set an alarm on your phone to have a specific time during the day when you read the scriptures and dive into the word. Be in prayer when that alarm goes off and step aside to a quiet place even if it's just for five minutes. Another great thing with technology is to use items on the go. The have apps that have the entire Bible and several options for daily devotions. One example is She Reads Truth, a website and now a great app for community for women.
be in community | If there's one thing I've learned, it's that we can't do it alone! Find a friend and keep each other accountable. Join a small group of ladies you know and meet for lunch weekly, monthly, whatever. Create a Facebook group with like minded ladies and keep up with each other via the internet. Use a phone, group text, just be in community, it will change you.
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