This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing through these links you are helping me keep The Homemaker's Cottage running with no added cost to you!
Are you religious and attending church but not feeling a connection with the Lord? Or maybe you have pulled away from Him but now you’re wanting to restore that relationship? Here’s a few tips and tricks for creating a lasting relationship with Jesus.
The Lord gave us a great gift when He created us in His image: He gave us the gift of free will. To make decisions to serve and love Him, or to live your life in the way you want. Through this gift, He has given you a shell of protection, almost impenetrable from His touch. You have the choice to recede into your shell, or the option to reach out and seek Him in His glory. This is of utter importance that we understand this, because although God will love us no matter what decisions we make, we make the choice to interact with Him, and whether or not He gets to have a relationship with us. This being said, that leads me to my first tip.
1 | Seek Him
Seek the Lord by opening your heart to Him. No longer feel hardened towards Him. Let your accusations against Him be forgiven. This may seem hard at first, but it’s as simple as sitting down by yourself and just talking to God as you talk to a friend. Tell him your burdens, thank Him for what He has done for you, and ask for forgiveness for turning away from Him. He has never stopped loving you, and by seeking Him, you are now returning His love.
Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. — Hebrews 11:6 (CSB)
2 | Make Time for Him
Think about your schedule, you get
up, get ready, rush to work, attend meetings and always feel like you’re
running. Once you’re home you either keep running with a husband and kids or
you’re like me and just want to relax and get away from the drama of work. When
you get to the end of the day, you feel as though you have no time to spare for
God, that’ll you’ll make more time for Him tomorrow. If this sounds like you,
take a look at your schedule: could it be more organized?
Could you take something out of your schedule? Or could you add more time to
your schedule by getting up earlier? Take a few minutes each day as you’re
getting up or going to bed, or even stuck in traffic, to talk to Him and
receive guidance from Him.
If you really don’t think you have that much time, then it’s probably time to
prioritize your life, because nothing is as important as God. And
secondly, you can always find “new fangled” ways of spending time
with God. There are audio Bibles, sermons on Facebook and so much more. I
cannot think of one excuse not to spend time with God, (and this is coming from
the woman who works 100 hours a week!)
I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. — John 15:5 (CSB)
3 | Devote Yourself to Him
Many people think that if we pray to God once in a while, or even everyday that our relationship with God will be fine. If that’s what you think, you are in store for a surprise. Praying is not enough to sustain a relationship with the Lord. Anyone can pray, anywhere, anytime. Only a true child of Christ will devote their life to Christ. Make all you do an effort to better His name.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. — Romans 12:1 (CSB)
4 | Take Time to Worship Him
Along with taking time out of your day to pray to Him, make sure you take time to worship and revel in His wonder. It doesn’t take much to do this, you can play some Christian music while you’re getting ready in the mornings, or listen to a Christian radio station while driving to work. (My favorite station to listen to is Air 1.)
Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things.
Let this be known throughout the earth. — Isaiah 12:5 (CSB)
5 | Take Time to Read Your Bible
Along with praying and worshiping, reading your Bible is a must. I find that often times, the Lord finds ways to speak to me through the passages that I read. (My favorite passage is Psalm 121:1-2)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (CSB)
6 | Do NOT take His name in vain
Have you ever had a “friend” who is constantly with you and you really think that they are a great person until you find out that throughout your entire friendship they had been talking bad about you behind your back? How do you think God feels when you spend time with Him daily and then use His name in vain? God’s connection with us is so much deeper than that we can have with any friend, so the hurt is that much more for Him.
Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. — Ephesians 5:4 (CSB)
7 | Enjoy His Wonders
With all the busyness in life, have you ever stopped and smelled the flowers? Literally! He created this entire world for YOU. How is it we can’t take time out of our meager mortal lives to appreciate it? Even in the dead of winter, there is still beauty in everything that He has created. Stop for just a minute each day and enjoy it.
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you; let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity. — Job 12:7-10 (CSB)
A lot of these tips require you to take time out of your day when you think that there is already so little to begin with. It seems overwhelming but I promise, substituting or adding these things to your schedule will give you so much more purpose, energy and love for life in the long run.
What do you think brings us closer to God? Leave a comment!
Hello! I'm Amanda Elizabeth, creator of The Homemaker's Cottage. As a homemaker I have constantly felt the pull between old fashioned homemaking and the fast paced world we live in today. So I created The Homemaker's Cottage: a stress-free space between the old in the new, where there is no judgement and we can learn that homemaking can be relevant, easy and even enjoyable.
Join me on this journey to serve God, your family, and begin homemaking from where you are.
Beautiful post, Amanda! What a great blessing to visit with you today, Dear One! Thank you so much for sharing this! Peace and many blessings to you, Love! 🙂