From Breaking to Making: Embrace These 8 Habits to Grow Closer to God

Welcome to our latest blog post! Today, we're exploring the power of daily habits in nurturing a closer relationship with the Lord. Join us as we unveil eight transformative practices that can guide you towards greater spiritual growth and divine connection. Whether you're a spiritual beginner or a seasoned seeker, these insights can enrich your journey towards a more God-centered life. Let's delve in.

1. Pray for Everything

Many people have a false assumption or habit of only praying when they need something, but this couldn’t be further from the actuality. How would you feel if a friend or family member only came to you when they needed help? Used? Unappreciated? How do you think the Lord feels when He only hears your voice when you’re calling out for help? Talk to Him in all instances. When you’re sad, happy, frustrated, anything. He is your best friend, and He should be who you go to first in any situation. When you wake up in the morning, thank Him for opening your eyes. When you go to sleep, thank Him for allowing you to experience another day of life with Him. He is responsible for anything and everything that you experience, so give thanks to our Father.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

2. Read and Study Your Bible

To follow God means to know God. To truly know His character and apply these traits to our lives as Jesus did, we have to go directly to the source: The Bible. Building your faith from outside sources will not be effective if you completely neglect your Bible. The word came through God Himself, so if you don't read it, you can't gain the knowledge necessary to be Christ-like. Once you start reading your Bible, it is important to comprehend it as well. Enduring Word is a great commentary website to understand difficult verses or chapters. Studying the Bible can allow you to see the purpose in what God says. The Daily Bread highly recommends using the SOAP method when studying the Bible. The acronym stands for Scripture (state the verse here), Observation (what did you interpret from reading), Apply (in what way can you apply this to your life), and Prayer (ask God to guide you through the verse that resonates with you). By dissecting parts of the Bible, you can gain a new understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Matthew 16:3

"and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

3. Build a Community

We are called to flee from sin. How can you run away from sin when it surrounds you? The devil is lurking to find your weak spots to tempt you into falling into sin. You need to cut off your addictions and toxic people. Create a community for yourself where Christ is the center. The Holy Spirit should flow and thrive within you and your environment. This will strengthen your spirit and make your flesh weaker, helping you to resist temptations. When walking with Jesus gets hard, Godly bonds can lend a hand and help you to keep walking. Find a church. Reach out to people who have the same beliefs as you. Find the company God wants you to have. Finding fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who push you to be a better person and a faithful follower of the Lord is critical, for who you surround yourself with is who you will become.

1 Corinthians 15:33

"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character'"

4. Be Humble

Jesus’ humbleness was accounted for multiple times throughout the Bible. To live like Christ, you need to be willing to serve. You can humble yourself and find ways to serve others. Don’t entertain fear of what others may think of you when you choose to put your pride aside and serve. Be unapologetically like Jesus. Volunteer at your local shelter for animals or for those struggling. Help a loved one clean their house. Donate to churches or charities. There are so many ways where you can put someone else’s needs before yours.

https://www.humanesociety.org

https://www.thewishingcraneproject.org/home

https://www.peacecorps.gov

Mark 10:45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

5. Let Go

This can be one of the toughest yet most important things a Christian should do while improving their relationship with God. Cutting off things that are holding you back from Him is the first step in your walk, as you cannot move onto good things if you still have the bad holding you back. Take this as an example: you’re on a weight loss journey, but you’re still snacking on cupcakes and cookies every day. How can you expect to make progress when you’re stuck to old ways? Throw those sweets out. In other words, cut out anything that is impeding you from becoming the person you want to be. Is social media straying you away from God? Cut down screen time. Is that friend asking you to go drinking every Friday and causing you to fall into sin? Maybe reconsider having them around. Make more space for the Lord and cut out the bad.

Colossians 3:2

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

6. Preach the Truth

Don’t keep God’s goodness to yourself. Ask someone to read the Bible with you. Share your testimony. Do random acts of kindness and give glory to God. Ask someone if you can pray for them. Help people get familiar with God’s love. We are called to spread the Gospel and to be a vessel for the Lord to speak through us. Practice what you preach; people need to see God in you. Don’t expect someone to give their life to Christ after hearing your revelations and truths. You cannot force anyone to love Him. All we can do is plant seeds, God will do the rest, because the truth will be revealed. In the same way light is naturally displayed on the earth, God’s word will be spoken and revealed to all who have ears.

Mark 4:22

"For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open"

7. Fasting

Fasting traditionally refers to abstaining from food and drinks for a certain a period of time. While this can also be a way to connect with God, nowadays, there are other worldly things that are holding us back from devoting ourselves. Social media, your phone, or anything that is unhealthily taking your time. Set challenges for yourself, try fasting from immediately checking your phone in the morning. For a week, rather than opening Instagram, open your Bible. Start with a prayer and get at least a chapter or two in. In this time of fasting, don’t just abstain from what you’ve chosen to abandon for a while, but replace it with something more productive and healthy. The Lord has commanded us to not be lazy, so ensure you are making the most out of the time you are making.

Proverbs 13:4

"A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."

8. Take Care of Yourself

The body we have has been created in God’s perfect image. It is our responsibility to take care of our body and soul. We know our body is a temple. To take care of this temple, we can eat nutritious foods and engage ourselves in physical activities. By not taking care of our body, we are risking our health and are destroying our temple that God blessed us with. Something important to keep in mind is to strengthen your body to keep God’s temple stable, not because you want to gain attention. This goes beyond exercise. The way we think and talk about ourselves matters. We should see us and others the way God sees us. Viewing yourself as anything other than perfect is insulting to God because He created us, and everything He created is perfect.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

And so we conclude our journey exploring the eight daily habits to bring you closer to the Lord. As you integrate these practices into your life, remember that the journey towards spiritual growth is as important as the destination. We hope that these habits become your stepping stones to a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with the divine. Embrace them, and watch your spiritual life flourish. Until next time, stay blessed and keep walking on your path towards spiritual growth.