How to Grow Your Relationship with God Every Day
It’s week two of the Summer Sizzle Blog Hop Series! Yay!!
And I’m so excited to share a post from one of my favorite people. Alison Tiemeyer is wise beyond her years. I’ve always loved reading her posts as she inspires me in both my faith and in blogging. Then I met her in person!
Alison is sweet and fun, and she has a smile that lights up the room. This girl blesses me!
You’re going to love her just like I do!
I’ve decided something.
We need to move beyond the simple, the superficial, and the normal into honest, bold, fervent time with the Lord.
Having a quiet time isn’t enough. We need an ongoing relationship with God.
Praying on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand isn’t working. It’s time to do battle on our knees.
There comes a time when enough is enough – when our relationship with God is standing stagnant.
And friend? That’s when we need to do some important work. That’s when it’s time to embrace the opportunity to dig deep, challenge ourselves, and learn everything we can about our Almighty Savior.
Intimacy with the Abba Father is so essential because it has the power to transform.
Maybe transformation sounds great and you’re tired of standing still too? Where do we start? What do we do?
We remind ourselves of our roots.
We speak the Word to our hearts every. single. day.
We claim God’s promises.
We read Scripture – not to simply read, but to rest in truth.
So, let’s embark on a challenge.
The steps are simple, but the heart work will be hard.
Would you commit anyway?
Here are the steps, child of the King. Embrace them with boldness.
How to Deepen Your Relationship with God
- Set your phone alarm to sound once every hour.
It might look something like this:
- Choose one of the passages below to read aloud each & every time the alarm sounds.
Pssst… there’s a free printable reminder at the bottom of the post that you can keep with you throughout the day.
Galatians 4:6-7 “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out ‘Abba, Father.’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Isaiah 45:3 “I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.”
Psalm 40:2 “God also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said and will He not do? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good?”
Isaiah 40:11 “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.”
Psalm 8:4-5 “What is man that you are mindful of Him, and the son of man that you visit him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor.”
For example, choose Galatians 4:6-7 on Day 1, Isaiah 45:3 on Day 2, Psalm 40:2 on Day 3, and so on.
- When the alarm sounds, read the chosen passage out loud twice. Then, stop, pause, and pray that the passage would influence your heart.
Your prayer for Day 1 may sound something like this:
“Lord, it is hard for me to grasp the truth that you have adopted me, made me your child, and called me an heir. I ask that you would help this truth to settle deep into my heart. Use this truth to influence my thoughts, words, actions, and beliefs. I long to live from my identity as your child rather than the broken identity I’ve experienced on earth. I am an heir, your child, your beloved! Thank you, Father!”
- Repeat this exercise every day for a week – or until the promises you’ve been repeating are cemented into the depths of your heart.
The point of this is simple, but actually digging in & committing is a different story.
Remind yourself every hour on the hour who Christ is, how He loves you, your promise of adoption, and your future security.
Remind yourself every hour that the Abba Father is your King, Comforter, Confidant, Provider, Lover, Friend, Savior, and Guide.
Remind yourself every hour that a stagnant relationship with the Lord needs to change – and that hiding the Word in your heart is the key to knowing God.
Are you ready to do the hard heart work? Are you ready to commit to setting your relationship with the Lord as number one in your life – behind schedules and plans and people and work?
Take step one and set your alarms.
The rest is a call to obey the Lord’s prompting, to claim His truth, to rest in His promises.
The rest is a call to an intimate relationship with your God.
I claimed promises about God as my Comforter, Protector, and Provider on a recent trip without my husband. I don’t travel well alone – never have and maybe never will.
I knew without a doubt that the only thing that would comfort my soul was resting in Christ. Trusting in God. Believing that my Heavenly Father holds my hand and protects my family.
And so, every day for several weeks, my phone alarm would chime. I’d pull out my notecards, read Scripture, pray for that Scripture to sink deep, and trust that God’s got this whole thing called life under control.
What situation do you need to cover with God’s truth? Are you living in fear, struggling with anxiety, doubting your future, or wishing you could be anywhere but the present?
Cover your circumstances with hourly reminders of the Lord Almighty.
This is your greatest confidence. This is where your heart must rest.
Begin today with step one. And grab your free printable verses by CLICKING HERE.
Alison Tiemeyer Bio:
Alison is a wife, blogger, and Jesus-follower growing in grace and truth daily. She loves coffee in the morning, experimenting in the kitchen, camping with her husband, and reading in a hammock just about anywhere. Her blog – AlisonTiemeyer.com – exists to encourage faithful growth and passionate living. You can find Alison on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Hi, Alison! So great to meet you over here at Deb’s place!
Loved your idea of alarm setting to remind us to read Scripture and pray. Will definitely give this a go.
Blessings!
Martha, it makes me happy to know that this inspired you. Sometimes a simple reminder makes ALL the difference. So much of life gets in the way, but when we stop & remember? That produces sweet results. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
This is definitely a start; using what we have to create the habit of being intentional in praising God; in knowing Him and in being in his presence. Ps 119:164; James 4:8 – these verses are great reminders for me.
Blessings
“…using what we have to create the habit of being intentional in praising God.” YES! I love that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Nylse!