"is anyone among you in trouble? let them pray. is anyone happy? let them sing songs of praise. is anyone among you sick? let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. and the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. if they have sinned, they will be forgiven. therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." james 5:13
the Bible tells us over and over about the importance of prayer and the power it holds.
matthew 6:6
james 5:16
psalm 5:2
psalm 17:6
1 john 5:15
colossians 4:2
jeremiah 33:3
these are just a few but this list could go on and on.
drawing closer to God has always been a place of peace for me. a place where i feel comfort. a place where i feel loved.
one would think that if we felt such things, we would want to remain in this place forever right? of course! but to answer honestly, we don't.
we are imperfect and we live in a world that is filled with lots of noise and so many distractions that cause us to put other things first when our relationship with God and prayer should be number 1.
i personally struggle with focus and attention. it's challenging for me to stay focused on things and i tend to have a mind that wanders. so my relationship with God and my prayer life has most definitely suffered at times because of this. there are times when it's strong and times when it feels broken. however, there have been moments in my life where i feel my heart calling out to Him. when i feel God reminding me to draw near and seek him above all. this season of my life is one of those times.
with wearing so many different hats daily, i've had to find ways for me to keep my focus on Him. things that help me to keep the word in my heart and mind. things that remind me to seek him in all my needs so i thought i would share those ways with you today in hopes that they could help you as well.
#1 - keeping my bible handy
i used to store my bible in a pretty little carry case but i quickly realized that if it was out of sight then it was also out of my mind. so now my bible sits on a table in our bedroom where it is completely visible to me daily. this serves as a great daily reminder to make sure i'm prioritizing the word.
#2 - bible studies
bible studies have been a great way to keep me in the word. they help me to explore the word in ways I would never think to do on my own. they also really help me to break things down and understand things more clearly. i also love that they challenge me and ask me questions, i would never think to ask myself. one of my favorite places to shop for bible studies is the daily grace co. , they are constantly running sales so it's a really affordable option.
#3 - a prayer journal
i sometimes struggle to find the right words when i am speaking. it's sort of one of the reasons that i don't enjoy public speaking. however, since i become the director of a children's ministry i have had to step out of my comfort zone in many different ways; one of which is praying aloud with others. at first i was petrified and i honestly almost didn't take the job because of it. but i heard God way above those fears and i knew that i had to honor the path he set before me. one year later so much growth has happened and the church has taught me so much for which i am truly grateful. one of those things i have learned about is owning a prayer journal. together with the staff, we read an awesome book called, praying like monks, acting like fools by tyler staton which speaks all about the importance of prayer in our life but he goes on to mention that prayer doesn't have to look a certain way. if you need to write it down, do it! there's not a wrong way to speak to the Lord. so with that, i started a prayer journal and it has been a game changer for me. it's a place for me to gather my thoughts and put them down on paper so that they actually come out making sense! lol. i totally recommend it. it's also a great place for reflection. a place to turn the pages to different times in your life, see different things you were praying for and maybe even revisit those prayers.
#4 - books
i love books and reading. it's my love language. give me a book and an hour of silence to read and you've got one happy gal on your hands. reading books about God helps me with understanding the word and also helps to draw me closer to God. do i need books to help me have a relationship with God? no, of course not. but i love reading about God and the immense love that he has for us.
#5 - bible coloring book and word search
i know you're probably thinking how could this possibly help but trust me it does! i love putting on my headphones, hitting play on my worship playlist and just coloring around a bible verse or searching for words that come from the bible. it's a great form of meditation and really helps on those days where my thoughts are all over the place.
# 6 - bible study group
this is relatively new to me but i absolutely love it. a couple of months back a bible study group was started not too far from my home so i jumped on it. i had always wanted to try one but never had one close enough to me. this group has really helped me with learning how to read the bible, showing me ways to break it down and not read too much at once. a couple of pastors are in the group as well, so it's really great hearing them explain things that i may not understand and being able to ask questions as well is really helpful.
#7 - his and hers bible study
this is also new to me but i'm really excited about it. i've always wanted something to bond over, with my husband. something that would bring us together in a different way that would allow for good, in depth conversation. the daily grace co. offers his and her bible studies that give you and your spouse the opportunity to come together to learn and talk about the word.
#8 - book club
for the last 2 years i have hosted a book club for parents to come together and read a christian parenting book. both book clubs were awesome and i'm not just saying that because i hosted it. lol. these book clubs gave parents the opportunity to speak about their parenting struggles in a safe space. it gave us the opportunity to speak on the importance of discipling our children. it gave us a place to pray together and uplift each other. it doesn't take much to host one of these, just a book and a zoom account. i highly recommend it.
#9 - nature walk
i don't think there is anything more healing than being surrounded by God's creation. whether it's a park, beach or just a simple walk in your neighborhood. there is something so healing about taking a walk, listening to the birds chirping, staring at the blue sky, the smell of the grass and trees. its truly healing and does so much for my soul. highly recommend making that apart of your weekly routine.
#10 - praying for someone
our prayers shouldn't always be focused on us. reach out to someone, anyone (and you don't even have to make a phone call, text works also). ask them if there is anything you can pray about for them. not only will that mean so much to the person on the other end but it will sometimes help you to reflect on how much you ought to be grateful for. we don't know everyones struggles and what battles they may be facing, so reaching out and asking to pray for someone will really shed light and give perspective.
small and simple things that really help draw me closer to Him. they help keep me focused and strengthen my relationship with God. i pray they do the same for you.
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