If you’re like me, you find it difficult to create new habits. I’ve been working on consistently sticking to a new routine, but life gets busy and sometimes, I tend to forget or just do what I already know. But this is a list of things I strive to do daily to grow my relationship with God.
Daily Devotional
Read your Bible or devotional as soon as you wake up. Fill your mind with God’s word before anything else. I’m guilty of checking my phone before getting lost on social media. This is something I’m continually trying to improve, but if I don’t do it in the morning, I’ll do it during my daughter’s naptime or before I go to bed. However, I’ve noticed myself being calmer and more patient when I read the Bible in the morning.
Women’s Bible (Android, Apple) is an app that is easy to access wherever and whenever. So even if I’m not home, I can still read God’s word. You can highlight scripture, take notes, make bookmarks, create reading plans, and more. It is only available in King James Version, which is what I use, but there are other Bible apps available if you use a different version. Also, it’s only labeled as a woman’s Bible because it features a feminine theme.
Blessing Meals
I feel like this is an overlooked blessing in life. So many people struggle to put food on the table while some of us don’t worry about when or where our next meal is coming from. It’s a blessing to have that kind of trust and confidence in God. Thank Him for that!
We pray out loud over our meal at dinnertime. Breakfast and lunchtime are usually said silently. When I’m home with my daughter, we pray over lunch and dinner. She’s only two, so saying “Dear God, thank you for this food. Amen!” is simple enough for her to understand and say on her own.
Blessing of the meals doesn’t have to be long and complicated. Our daily prayer usually consists of thanking God for the food and blessing the hands that prepared it. Sometimes we add a prayer of gratitude for another blessing that happened that day or for someone else. If you’re new to praying, simply thanking God for what’s in front of you is a perfect prayer. He knows your heart.
Christian Music
I love a good praise song! It’s one of the quickest ways to boost my mood and uplift my spirits when I’m having an off day. Some of my favorite Christian artists are Newsboys, Casting Crowns, Hope Darst, Forrest Frank, Lauren Daigle, Riley Clemmons, Lizzie Morgan, and more. I’ll have these songs playing in the background at home, in the car, or sing them in my head while I’m working. The more I listen to Christian songs, the less I’m interested in worldly music.
Here are some upbeat praise songs:
Micah Tyler – Praise the Lord
TAYA – Gonna Be Good
Forrest Frank – Good Day
Newsboys – God’s Not Dead
Talk to God
Talk to God throughout the day. When things are bad, good, great, not so great, or neutral, He listens. When the past is trying to haunt you or those intrusive thoughts are trying to get you down, push them out of your mind and talk to God. God is light, He will force that darkness out of your mind but you first have to let Him in.
Bedtime Prayer
Just as you start your day with God, you’ll want to end it with Him, too. You could read a nightly devotional and say a prayer. Thank God for all your blessings, pray for a safe night, and for those you encountered today. Give God your worries and trust that He will take care of them when the time is right. He sees what is ahead of us. Just be patient and have faith that God is in control.
I know life gets busy, but we can’t let that be an excuse to put our relationship with God on the back burner. The closer I am to Him the better I feel physically, mentally, and spiritually. He heals the mind, body, and soul. The more light in your life, the less darkness can seep through.
