Do you have a desire in your heart to spend time with the Lord, but just have no idea how to? Do you hear people say that they “hear” Him, but don’t really understand how that happens? Do you want to know what it looks like to spend time Jesus?

I put together a list of ways that I personally spend time with God. I hope you find it helpful and can implement some of them into your own life.

1. Bible- I think we all know that being a Christian means reading the Bible, right? But how? This is still something I’m figuring out and learning more everyday that I spend time in the Word. I really enjoy reading my children’s Bible to gain a basic understanding of different stories from the Bible. Then, I like to go to the real Bible and dig deeper and analyze the stories in a more applicable way. I also have found a “read the Bible in one year” guide that I’m planning to work at (and I can’t remember where I found it), but here are some on Pinterest that I found too if that is something you are interested in. Or, you can just open your Bible, dig in, and pray that God speaks to you through scripture. Typically my method to reading my Bible looks like this:  1. Read it through one time. So, just a general brief read to understand what’s going on. Then 2. Read it a second time. This time I pay more attention to detail and analyze it a little more. Then 3. What is the passage saying? I write down what I think the passage is saying and what Jesus is saying through His words. And last but not least, 4. What is Jesus saying to me through this? This is the most important part. How is it applicable? How does this relate to my life and what is God trying to tell me through this passage? Sometimes I write verses on notecards that stick out to be to give me something to focus on and throughout the day. Sometimes I try to “memorize” them and sometimes not. I don’t follow this method to a T every time, it’s just a template that I sometimes walk through when I am trying to read and understand scripture. Some days, I simply read. Others days I try to dive deeper. You might find this helpful if you have no idea where to start and I hope this at least gives you some guidance if the Bible is overwhelming or confusing to you (the way it felt for me for a long time, and definitely still does a lot of days).

2. Christian Music- Life happens. We get busy and sometimes, not purposefully, spending time in the Word can get put on the back burner. One thing I do fairly consistently to spend time with Jesus is play Christian music on my down time. When I’m in the car or in the gym I find stations or the radio to listen to to keep my mind in the right place.

Matthew 6:33 But first, seek the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

3. Podcasts- I recently have become kind of obsessed with podcasts. I never used to listen to them, but I’ve had a huge spike in interest for personal development and growing my faith. One of my favorites is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. He doesn’t sugarcoat things, but also has this beautiful gentle way of presenting God’s word and I absolutely love it. I walk into my day extremely uplifted when listening to him. I also listen to Whoa That’s Good Podcast by Sadie Robertson, mostly because she’s my role model and I can relate to her. I have a couple of others saved in my phone, but haven’t listened to them personally so I won’t recommend them yet! I sometimes listen to them in the car or when I’m doing chores around the house, so that’s a great way to hear some Jesus throughout your day too.

4. Talking/Praying- I talk to God, a lot. I pray, but I also just have conversations with Him. And it’s the most comforting thing in the world when you can feel Him listening. Spending time in prayer is so important to express our praises and desires before Him. He already knows what we need, but He wants us to humbly bow down before Him and ask in prayer. And talk to Him. Sometimes, I think of Him like my best friend who I just want to talk to about life with. It’s my way of feeling the most connected.

5. Find Him- Find Him in your day. See the sunshine and know that God created that comforting warmth. Look at the snow and find the pure beauty in it. Hear the birds and know that He put them here for a purpose, like He did with you and with me. Find reasons to thank Him. Don’t always seek Him for your problems or requests (although He cares about those too), but remember to be thankful for all that He’s given you too. This helps me connect to Him on days where my life seems too good to be true and I don’t feel as desperate to seek Him.

Psalm 107:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.

6. Devotions- These are a great way to gain a little bit of Jesus power. I love my Jesus Calling devotions because it literally feels like He is actually talking to me. It’s a great way to connect with God in a more personal way and gives me a quick bit of encouragement or something to focus on for the day if I don’t have much time to sit in my Bible.

And the one thing that applies to pretty much all of these in some way that I think is super important is finding a quiet space to focus your attention on your relationship with God. Give him your undivided attention in the best way you possibly can, so you can hear Him through these methods of communication. It’s not always possible to sit in silence alone, but if you have the opportunity, I strongly encourage you to take it. Provide Him the opportunity speak to your heart in circumstances where you are more likely to hear or feel His message to you.

I hope you found these useful and that they will kickstart you in a direction to spend more time with the Lord. He wants to hear from you.

Much love,