Recently God has been teaching me of the importance of having a relationship with him instead of just coming to him when I’m in need of a specific thing. It’s so refreshing to simply sit still in God’s presence and enjoy his company and marvel at his power & grace! But sometimes I feel as if my time with Jesus gets stagnant. It can feel like another class, another task to accomplish, and his Word can seem like another book to read. So here are 3 ideas that I use in order to keep my time with the Lord exciting and renewing!
- Switch up the schedule. I don’t know about you, but always having the same routine in my time with Jesus can get pretty monotonous pretty quickly. So I like to switch things up a bit. Sometimes I’ll go through a study on a particular book of the Bible, sometimes I’ll do a shorter daily devotional, sometimes I’ll read books or passages of the Bible on my own, and sometimes I’ll just drop the plan and read a psalm & enjoy sitting in God’s love. Sometimes we get so caught up in routine that we feel as if our way is the best way, and that can cause pride. Also, there are so many interesting ways to learn about God and experience him, so we kinda sell ourselves short if we only ever have one way of spending time with God. Last but not least, I know I often feel like I HAVE to read the Bible/devo/pray in a certain way, so it’s healthy to remember that there is freedom in Christ and we can worship him in multifaceted ways! “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1
- Incorporate some color! Maybe this is just me, but I feel like everything is better with color. So recently, I pulled out all the colorful pens I had and highlighted the passage I was reading in a way that made sense to me & made me smile from all the brightness. Maybe you want to use different colors to underline different aspects of who God is, or maybe you want to color-coordinate different types of Bible passages, or maybe you’re like me and the thought of that much organization stresses ya out so you just use whatever colors you’re in the mood for. 😉 Whatever the specifics are, making your Bible, journal, or study space pop with color will (hopefully!) help to remind you of the beauty & joy & light of our King. “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
John 8:12
- Add a touch of beauty. This one looks different for everyone, but the main point is to make the space where you spend time with God beautiful so you remember God’s beauty. Now when I think of beautiful things, I think of food ;), so I often like to have a snack with me when I study! Or maybe just run outside for a moment and look up at the glorious sky. Just doing small, non-stressful things can actually make a big difference! I light my wildflower candle, eat my snack, and remember that moments with Jesus are special and should be treated that way.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”
James 1:17-18
enjoy His joy,
Rissa
