Ready to Grow in Your Faith

Do These 3 Things Daily to Grow In Your Faith

*Faith Like Noah*

If you desire to grow in your faith, become closer with the Lord, or feel a deeper connection to the Holy Spirit... but you have no idea where to start - this is for you.

Here are 3 things I do daily that have made a huge difference in my faith journey.  I have no doubt that if you incorporate these into your daily rhythm, you too will feel a shift in how you feel, how you act and how you are led.

​Read on to understand what, why & how to do these things!

1.  Prayer​
We can't be in a relationship with anyone if we're not communicating with them!!  Right?  So why do we think that we can deeply & truly know God without talking with and listening to Him?!  That is exactly what prayer is.  It requires us to set apart special time to come with praise to God for Who He is and What He does, to offer thanksgiving for our blessings, to ask for forgiveness and repent where we have sinned, and also share what's on our hearts, ask for healing/help/wisdom/guidance/etc for ourselves and others.  Then, don't forget this part... communication goes both ways... remember to pause and listen.  You may be surprised at how God leads you.

I highly value my special set apart dedicated prayer time - but prayer can (and should) happen all day long!  When wonderful things happen - thank God.  When challenges come - ask God for wisdom & strength.  When you see something beautiful - praise God.  When you mess up (because you're human and you will) - ask God for forgiveness and redirection.  And so on... this can be a beautiful way to keep God at the forefront of your life.

To clarify one thing, prayer is not making a petition for your wishes to a genie... although we can of course pray for things and situations as needed!  But God is not a vending machine, nor should He be treated like one.

2. Read the Bible
When you want to learn something new, how do you go about it?  Maybe you rush to YouTube, or Google or ask Siri.  Perhaps you're old school like me - and you still read books!  Like actual paper pages, hard cover, notes in the margin - books!  Well the greatest book of all is The Holy Bible.  If you've ever heard someone say that they wish life came with an instruction manual - just know, it actually does.  ;-)  The Bible is not just an ancient text of historical accounts.  It is a living Word that still applies to our life today.  It teaches us about the character of God, the life of Jesus, what behavior is expected of us as Christ followers, all of the things that give us the faith that we have, and so on and so on and so on... from the beginning of creation through the end time.  Some days you may read and wonder what in the world you actually read.  (That's ok!)  Other days you will be inspired, encouraged, or even convicted.  What I like to do to help my Bible time to be most effective is to first pray and ask God to reveal to me what it is He has for me during that time.  Sometimes I'm amazed and in awe... or even in tears.  It can be so powerful!

3. Gratitude to God
I mentioned during your prayer time about offering thanksgiving, but having a few moments to specifically find things/people/experiences to thank God for is incredibly impactful.  There's even science behind gratitudes that prove the change that happens in your brain when you do this!  Make a list, keep a journal, jot it down somewhere, keep a note in your phone, or just focus for a few moments... however you choose to do it, just do it consistently and let me know what a difference it makes in your life!