When it comes to spending time with God everyday, we usually have prayer and reading the Bible coming to mind immediately. While these are the greatest ways we can spend time with him, there are other habits that I've done that have also helped me feel closer to him. When you look at time with God as spending quality time with someone who loves you, instead of a chore that you will be punished for if it's forgotten, then you can really form a great consistent relationship with Jesus that isn't rooted in fear or obligation. Will we be absolutely perfect? No, but God is, and he's worth pursuing. He will always be there when you seek Him- no matter which way you do it.
Worship music
This one is a personal favorite for me; christian worship music makes my day! This might seem obvious, and if you go to church you might think that you are already listening to enough worship music in your life. But I've felt the presence of God through listening to worship music in my room, car, or anywhere else. There's something that's just so heartwarming and peaceful about it!
Worship music can bring you closer to God because you are praising Him when you sincerely sing to him. This is another way for you to spend time with him. It can also be encouraging and informational to you. I feel the best when I listen to christian music as opposed to only listening to other genres of music because it brings me closer to God and farther away from the world, as well as positively affecting my mood. God can use a certain song at the perfect time in your life to lift you up.
Some ways that I organize all of my christian music is through customized playlists. I have a playlist for the good days, the bad days, car ride playlists, and more. You could customize your own playlists with your favorite songs that will fit in your daily schedule.
For example, if it takes you twenty minutes to drive to work and you need to feel energized every morning, customize a playlist of christian songs that get you going! Christian music today is spreading out in many different genres like contemporary, hip-hop, rock, and pop, too.
If you deal with anxious thoughts regularly, you could customize a playlist of calming christian music that brings you peace. I've had to create playlists for my mental health and it has made all the difference in the world to feel close to God in those times! If fear is something that you struggle with, and you would want to read my post about getting over fear, click here!
Even though we can't physically see God, He can speak to us through christian music if we listen for Him. Not every single christian song is biblically accurate, but if you find those worship songs that you love and that are accurate, He will speak to you!
Flash cards
Out of all of the things that help me get closer to God, this one has been the newest method that I've done and it's already been so helpful to me. Having notes of bible verses to remind yourself of throughout the week could be a good method for you to incorporate God into your day.
A lot of christians online have started prayer closets with flash cards and put sticky notes on their mirrors to remind them of the Word. I've found that I need constant reminders of what God has said to me in the Bible, and it's been the most helpful way for me to memorize scripture. You could write verses for yourself on flashcards, sticky notes, a journal or notebook, or on a dry erase board.
A few verses that I've written down for this are Isaiah 49:15-16, Psalm 34:18, Proverbs 3:5-8, and Deuteronomy 31:8. These help me get closer to God and farther away from the enemy each time I write them down or read them.
Christian content
I know that no article, YouTube channel, or show can replace reading the Bible, but having christian content like this that you watch and listen to throughout the week can really help you incorporate God in your routine.
There are so many christian influencers out there on Instagram, Youtube, and Google that have pointed me to God with their encouraging words, and I find that kind of content more fulfilling. With this one you could ask yourself, "Are the shows, songs, videos, and websites I'm watching and listening to glorifying God and talking about Him? Do they care about God?"
While there are a lot of good christian people to follow on social media, also make sure that you watch out for people that have twisted scripture or placed their own ideas above the Bible when they teach others. I've followed people in the past that I thought were being biblically accurate, but ended up getting confused and hurt by their words and later realized that they were wrong.
Just because someone says something right about the Bible one day doesn't mean that they'll always be right. We're all human, and we should always fact check people's words before we believe them because people aren't perfect (including me!).
I know that since we live in the world, we're going to inevitably see and hear a lot of things of the world. Adding in a podcast on the way to work once a week, following christian accounts on social media, and watching christian shows can help you get closer to the Lord and further away from the world.
Talking to God throughout the day
This can be as simple as a five minute conversation with God during chores. I think as Jesus followers, we shouldn't underestimate the small and fun conversations we could have with God every day. Just because we can't see him doesn't mean that he isn't there.
When you're good friends with someone, you want to have multiple small conversations throughout the day with them because you enjoy being around them. With God, it can be the same way- even better.
I love talking to God when I'm walking around the block, cleaning my room, or sitting outside staring at the sky. He doesn't require an always perfect, knees always bowed, hands directly in front of your face, poetic prayer three times a day- he wants you and your personal prayers. Don't get me wrong, we should get on our knees and pray to God, but if you think that's the only way you can ever talk to him, try this method today.
Getting out in nature
Being in God's creation can be such a peaceful experience. Whether this means driving around town with the windows down, watching the sunset on the beach, walking around the neighborhood, or sitting in your backyard with your pets- this is something that can help you incorporate time with Jesus, accompanied with praying and/or listening to music.
There's something so calming and life-giving about nature, and in the Bible, we see where Jesus did this too.
"But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray." -Luke 5:16
Make your own unique plans with Jesus!
One of the best parts about this is that you don't have to follow a strict rule book on how to spend time with Jesus. It's easy for a lot of us to get caught in the trap that we have to perform a certain way for God every day and that our routine with him has to look picture perfect, but honestly, God just wants your heart. He just wants you to seek him.
He loves you just as you are right now, no matter what's happened, and you will never have to clean yourself up in order for him to decide that he wants to spend time with you. So let's all set aside some time for God today and make our own unique plans of being with him!
"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light." -Psalm 36:9
I hope that these methods of spending time with God will help you! For more christian content, you can scroll down to find related posts or you can find my social links at the top of the home page for more! Thank you for reading, and all glory to Jesus!
-Lauren