10 Tips for Drawing Near to God When Life Is Busy
Winter sunlight sings her silver song as I throw on the heavy parka. The snow beneath my feet crunches as I walk to the dog kennel and pour warm water into silver bowls. The beagles lap it up while I stare at the glowing firmament and think about drawing near to God amid the chaos of a very full life.
Drawing Near to God
The air stings my face as I gaze heavenward and breathe, listening to the hollow sound of my heart synchronizing with the terrestrial thrum of a resting earth.
Something within me shifts.
I feel peace, rest.
This is sacred space, holy ground.
It’s the place where my soul finds rest.
As I return to the warmth of the house, I’m reminded that we can draw near to God anywhere. We can pause in our days to look to him, breathe, and rest in his presence.
It’s also important to set aside moments specifically for drawing near to God. Today, we’ll explore a list of practical ways to draw near to God. Best of all, God promises that when we draw near to him, he draws near to us: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8, ESV).
Drawing Near to God: 10 Practical Ways
1. Begin your day by talking to God before you get out of bed.
Talking to God before climbing from bed every morning also helps me stay connected with him throughout the day.
For several years, I repeated Psalm 118:24 every morning immediately after waking up: “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
I don’t always repeat this verse, but I try to begin my days by greeting God, thanking him for his goodness, or taking a moment to surrender the upcoming day to him.
(Read here for more thoughts on speaking God’s Word first thing every morning.)
2. Read your Bible in the morning.
There’s never a bad time to read the Bible, but reading it in the morning sets the tone for the day.
Rather than scrolling through a news feed, spend even a few minutes reading the Bible.
Psalms and Proverbs are good places to begin and can set the day up for staying focused on God.
3. Draw near to God by memorizing Scripture.
As I’ve shared in the past, our family memorizes one verse together every week (or two, or three, or four weeks). We write it on a piece of paper and hang it on the fridge.
Every morning, we practice reading and speaking the verse together. This practice renews our minds and shapes our hearts.
Often, I overhear the kids speaking our verses when they face challenging or upsetting circumstances.
God’s Word renews our minds.
Hiding it in my heart helps me keep my thoughts focused on him, provides comfort in difficult moments, and serves as an offensive weapon when the enemy attacks my mind.
4. Spend time in quiet confession with God.
Ask God to search your heart and reveal any sins from the previous 24 hours.
If he reveals something to you, confess your sin to him, repent (ask God to help you turn away from your sin and turn toward him), and receive his forgiveness.
More Ideas for Drawing Near to God
5. Pause throughout the day to talk to God.
Set a timer or write a note to remind yourself to periodically pause and look to God.
God wants you to draw near to him all day. This is how we pray without ceasing.
6. Draw near to God in nature.
Since childhood, I’ve connected with God most easily and naturally in his created world.
God’s created world reveals his glory and magnifies the work of his hands.
Watch the sunset. Take a slow walk through the woods. Hang a bird feeder outside the window. Visit a local park.
Use this time to slow down, sort through your thoughts, and talk to God.
7. Sort through your feelings with him.
Facing difficult emotions is never easy, but learning to work through them with God and others is essential for growth. I’ve learned that God wants to help me name my feelings, sort through them with compassion and curiosity, and follow him into action or resolution.
He is waiting to connect with you, too.
8. Spend time in silence and solitude.
Here are some of my favorite ways to draw near to God in silence and solitude: I go to my bedroom, close the door, light a candle, and talk to him as I would talk to a friend; I listen to worship music and imagine him holding me; I open my Bible to the book of Psalms and read slowly, soaking in the words; I take a slow walk in nature and talk to God; I write God a letter or pour my heart out in my journal.
9. Draw near to God with others.
Seeking God individually is important, but living openly and sharing our hearts with others is essential for growth.
Throughout the past months, God has healed some deep wounds in my heart, and this has happened exclusively because of the love and care of other people.
As I reflect on this, I’m amazed that God has used the care of others to heal, in a very short period of time, wounds that have existed in the darkness of obscurity for decades. There is power in finding this kind of support.
10. End the day with God.
Before falling asleep at night, I often review the day with God. I sort through what went well and what didn’t. I celebrate the victories and grieve the losses.
Most of the time, I fall asleep during this process. I used to feel frustrated about falling asleep while trying to pray; however, a few years ago, an older, wiser friend asked, “Do you get angry when your kids fall asleep in your arms, or does it feel like a gift?”
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Let’s now have an honest discussion about drawing near to God when our lives feel chaotic. We’ll talk about the importance of finding a sacred space for meeting with God and also how to draw near even in the chaos.
The Gift of Drawing Near to God
Three hours after my brief moment outside, my life feels anything but peaceful.
There’s a six-year-old struggling through phonics games on the laptop beside me while concurrently eating his lunch.
A ten-year-old is making requests for cinnamon toast from the living room. All the while, the baby is literally sitting on the table chewing on an unsharpened pencil.
In the midst of it all, the phone rings. It’s a recorded message from the superintendent of the school district. He’s calling to share the latest news. Due to illnesses rising in the district, we will be extending this week of remote, at-home learning for at least another week. Great.
The instant I set down the phone, it rings again. This time it’s the kindergartener’s speech teacher seeing if now is a good time for a Google Meet speech lesson.
No, I tell him. No, it’s actually not a good time at all.
He says we can try again tomorrow. I thank him, hang up the phone, and attempt to breathe.
The Secret to Drawing Near to God Amid the Chaos
Do you feel like you’re juggling more than you could possibly handle? Does your life feel overwhelmed and way too busy?
What is the secret to drawing near to God in the chaos of our lives?
We make it a regular practice to do exactly what I did on my way to tend to our animals. We pause and breathe. In these moments, we remind ourselves that God is just as present in the chaos as he is in the quiet.
The more we practice this kind of mindfulness, it will become routine. As it becomes routine, we will learn how to find God in the midst of the moments when our lives feel most out of control, overwhelmed, and stressed.
We will learn to pause, breathe, and look heavenward.
Remind yourself of this: God is just as present in the chaos as he is in the quiet, sanctuary moment. He is just as eager to connect with you, transform you, and speak to you in the chaos as he is in the quiet.
Drawing Near to God in the Chaos Happens When You Keep Your Eyes Open
Your role is to keep your eyes and heart open to him.
Song of Solomon 4:9 reminds us what happens when we pause and glance heavenward: Every time we so much as look toward Jesus, we captivate his heart.
Song of Solomon 4:9 reminds us what happens when we pause and glance heavenward: Every time we so much as look toward Jesus, we captivate his heart. #findingGod #ravishedheart Share on XYou hold the power to captivate the heart of Jesus. All you have to do is glance in his direction.
Are you ready to find God in the chaos?
Pause. Breathe. Glance. It’s an open invitation. 
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
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 as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
