7 Ways to Connect With God and Refresh Your Spirit
Do you want a deeper or stronger relationship with God? You are in the right place. Today, we’ll explore 7 ways to connect with God in fresh ways.
I invite you to join me as I gaze at the autumn tree line, and we’ll talk about how to draw near to God in refreshing ways.
7 Ways to Connect With God and Refresh Your Spirit
The maples are splashed vermilion, and mist rises ashen from the valley. I take it all in from my morning watch by the window, trying to drink in all this color before the world turns grey. I’ve been contemplating how to have deeper fulfillment in Christ lately and wonder what I might learn from the created world around me.
Maybe God told the leaves to fall because he wanted to remind us how to let go, too.
I don’t let go well.
I tend to hold onto a season with white knuckles, fighting change with all that’s in me, clinging to the familiar, the routines, and the known.
7 Ways to Connect With God When Life Is Challenging
It dawns on me as the elms hold out their honey-colored canopy: Sometimes we have to let go of “good” to make room for “better.” If we want deeper fulfillment in Christ, we need to learn to hold all things lightly.
There are obvious applications of this truism:
Letting go of the comfortable job to pursue the career that coincides with calling.
Giving up escapist behaviors to save room for Daily Bread that sustains.
Resisting the temptation to coast through marriage and putting in work instead.
There are less obvious applications of letting go of good to make room for better as well:
Setting aside your prayer list to allow God to guide your quiet time.
Resisting the urge to force your agenda as you walk through your days; instead, allowing God to interrupt your plans.
Refusing to hurry so you have time to stop and catch up with a neighbor.
Turning off the television to play board games with your family.
And so the question arises: Where is God calling you to let go of “good” and make room for “better”?
Where is God calling you to let go of good and make room for better? #followingJesus #calling #clarity #yourbestlife #encounteringGod Share on XExchanging “Good” for “Better”
The pathway to greater fulfillment in Christ often includes letting go of “good” and making room for “better.” This includes changing the ways we are pursuing God when these ways of seeking him aren’t leading us into life-giving encounters with him.
Are the ways you are pursuing God leading you to life-giving encounters with him? Or are you simply going through the motions?
Let’s look at seven ways to connect with God and find greater fulfillment in Christ. The first three examples will examine ways we can connect with him in our quiet moments. The final four examples will explore how we might follow him into the world and carry his love.
1. Connect with God through his written Word.
Here are a few ideas:
Try a Bible reading plan. Many reading plans can be found online. These will guide you to daily Bible readings as you aim to connect with God in his Word.
Try a journaling Bible.
Memorize a verse every week.
Use a Bible reading method such as Lectio Divina.
Do a Word study of the Greek or Hebrew language as you read daily, using biblehub.com.
Use a method such as REAP or SOAP method.
(Read here for more ways to transform your mindless skimming into life-giving encounters with the Maker of all things.)
2. Change the way you pray.
Here are some ideas:
Try using a prayer journal and writing your prayers.
Incorporate physical postures into your prayer time.
Pray through the names or promises of God.
Use a method of walking through prayer steps to guide you.
Try contemplative prayer.
(Read here for ideas to help you with your quiet moments.)
3. Incorporate a discipline of abstinence.
Here are some ideas:
Fasting from food, technology, social media, or something that typically brings you comfort.
Commit to spending a given amount of silence and solitude each day.
Complete an act of kindness in secrecy every day for a week.
You will find greater fulfillment in Christ when you learn to meet with him in life-giving ways. You will also find greater fulfillment as you join him by loving others. Here are a few simple ideas to help you watch for the needs around you:
4. Do something kind for someone in your home every day this week.
Make a bed, hang a towel, take the garbage out, or go out of your way to complete a chore that normally belongs to someone else. Don’t ask for or expect affirmation for this act of kindness.
5. Reach out to someone who might be lonely.
Is there an elderly family member, neighbor, coworker, or member of your community who could use a visit? Send a card, or better yet, offer the gift of your time by showing up to visit for an hour.
6. Go out of your way to help a stranger.
Hold a door, pay for a stranger’s coffee, offer a kind word to a tired clerk, or lend an extra set of hands to an exasperated mom.
7. Worship with others.
We are called to meet with others to worship and grow. If you want to connect with God, find a local church where you can plug in. By building relationships with other believers, you will also grow closer to the Lord.
A Free Devotional Book to Help You Apply These 7 Ways to Connect With God to Your Life:
Lastly, is it time to get the fire back in your walk with God? My free gift to you is my 10-day devotional, Fan the Flame. This devotional offers dozens of practical ways to connect with God in both your quiet moments and your busy everyday moments of life. Click here, and I will send this devotional directly to your email inbox. 
These Two Books are Free on Kindle Unlimited as eBooks and Also Available in Print:
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or for 12.99 in print right here. (You can sign up for a free three-month Kindle Unlimited trial if you are not a member.) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
Help Your Daughter or Granddaughter Connect With God:
Lastly, in addition to writing to adults, I am also passionate about ministering to the next generation.
Would you like to connect with your tween or teen daughter and help her grow closer to God? My 12-year-old daughter Bekah and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book just for you. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section.
Our vision is for girls ages 7-17 to enjoy it with their moms, grandmas, or older women they look up to. However, mothers and daughters of all ages are using this book to grow closer together! This book makes a wonderful gift for a mother or daughter you care about!
You can buy your paperback or eBook on Amazon right here. 
