Spiritual Renewal: 14 Fresh Ways to Connect With God
A rumble of thunder pulled us from sleep, and we spent the morning in stillness while God washed the world with warm, summer rain. The thin pages of his Word rustled in the breeze while the rain crackled like fire licking up dry grass. Something about a slow morning felt like an invitation to encounter God for spiritual renewal.
Spiritual renewal is the process of revitalizing our inner selves, allowing God to transform our minds so that our desires align with his desires. It includes a fresh awakening to the work of God in our lives as we become more aware of what he is doing around us.
Perhaps you want to connect with God for renewal, but you’re pulled in so many directions that finding time is difficult.
Today, we’ll talk about how to respond to God’s pursuit as we let him renew us. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook for spiritual renewal.
How to Experience Spiritual Renewal
Years ago, a mentor challenged me with this question: “Are the ways you’re seeking God leading you to life-giving encounters with him.”
When I admitted that all my methods for pursuing God weren’t life-giving, she challenged me to incorporate life-giving activities into my regular routine. I also discovered these five strategies to help me encounter God through the spiritual disciplines I pursue.
I pray these ideas will bless you and lead you straight to the heart of the Father.
Are the ways you're seeking God leading you to life-giving encounters with him? If not, read here for ideas. #seekingGod #pursuingGod #QuietTime Share on XSeeking God for Spiritual Renewal
1. Set aside time to meet with God daily.
As is the case in any relationship, we grow together by spending time together. This is true for your relationship with God as well.
One of the most powerful ways to pursue spiritual renewal is to make a commitment to spend even a few minutes with him daily.
Ultimately, we want this time to become a regular part of our daily rhythms. For this reason, a comfortable and quiet space is important. You might choose your office, a chair by the window, your porch, your bedroom, or anywhere that is peaceful. For moms of young children, this space might be the bathroom. I have lived through this and can attest that any quiet space will work.
If your house is never quiet, aim to find the quietest space you can find. I’ve used white noise with earbuds while cartoons blared in the next room many times.
Find a time of day that works for you.
Morning is ideal because meeting with God first thing starts the day by focusing on him.
If morning doesn’t work, your lunch break or evening can also work.
The key here is to build time into your routine so that you don’t even have to think about doing it. It needs to become automatic.
I spend time with God in the morning while I eat breakfast. If I’m eating breakfast, I’m connecting with God. This keeps it a routine part of my day.
You might have to experiment with this at first to see what works. Don’t give up. You’ll find the right time as you stick with it.
It’s also important to note that as seasons of life change, your place and time might need to change, too.
Be realistic.
An hour might sound like a good place to start, but I suggest even a few minutes.
This does not have to be a huge amount of time. Commit what you can.
Two minutes will be better than no minutes at all.
For many people, 5-15 minutes tends to be a good range, especially at first.
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Now, let’s talk about what we actually do during this time of seeking God for spiritual renewal.
2. Be still with God.
A good way to start this time is by taking even 30 seconds to be still in God’s presence.
I like to close my eyes or look out the window and take a minute to let my thoughts settle. When random thoughts come, I let them pass by like clouds on the canvas of my mind. My goal for this time is to breathe quietly and move out of the fast pace of the day.
I think about God’s love for me and imagine him smiling joyfully as I set aside this time.
3. Give thanks.
After a moment of stillness, I usually begin my time by thanking God.
Giving thanks opens neuropathways in our brains that make it easier to connect with God relationally.
Some days, I list a few blessings from the past day in my journal. On other days, I verbally thank God for whatever I see outside the window or whatever comes to mind.
The key here is to cultivate gratitude.
4. Confess sins.
After stillness and gratitude, I usually pray this prayer: “God, search my heart and show me if I have offended you or sinned against you since I last sat in this space.”
I wait for a moment and pay attention to any thoughts that arise. Usually, I recall a misspoken word or bad attitude.
I confess any sins that come to mind to God and repent of them, asking God to help me turn away from these behaviors and turn toward him in love and obedience. This is repentance.
Repentance is an essential part of spiritual renewal because it aligns our hearts with God’s heart.
5. Read the Bible.
Bible reading is an essential part of spiritual renewal. God uses his written Word as his primary tool for renewing our minds.
I usually use a Bible reading plan and read the daily reading. Sometimes, I read through the Bible by reading a chapter or two each day.
The key here is to stick with it.
Most of the time, Bible reading feels like a nourishing bowl of oatmeal. Nothing shocking happens, but God’s Word feeds my spirit in a deep way, day after day.
6. Consider other ways of interacting with the Bible.
Bible reading is important, but interacting with God’s Word in other ways can help us grow even more.
I like to imagine I am on the scene of Bible stories and consider what it would have been like.
Memorizing Bible verses, studying the Bible, using commentaries, or using practices like Lectio Divina can help us get more out of God’s Word as well.
When I’m having trouble focusing on the Word, I copy passages into a journal.
This is also a good time to read other books that help you connect with God. I encourage you to make sure you are reading the Bible and use additional devotionals or books as supplements.
If you’re just getting started, a good devotional book can guide you through a Scripture reading and reflection. (Read to the end of today’s post for a free 31-day devotional eBook.)
7. Write in a journal.
If you like to write, you might use part of your time to write reflections on your daily Bible reading in a journal.
You can also write prayers in a journal or use the journal as if you are writing a letter directly to God. This can be a good way to sort through troubling situations or heavy emotions.
8. Pray to God.
Prayer is nothing more than talking to God.
God loves you and wants a close relationship with you more than anything in the world.
Talk to him.
Tell him how you’re feeling and what you’re struggling with. Thank him for his gifts in your life and tell him what you need.
Many people overlook the fact that prayer also includes listening. Every day, I ask God to show me what he wants me to know about my life or the world around me. I then pay attention to any impressions that come to mind. When these impressions are wise and biblical, they are often God’s thoughts.
8. Worship in song.
Most mornings, I listen to at least one worship song. I might read Revelation 4 and imagine I am worshiping before God’s throne, or I might just tell God how much I adore him as I worship him.
Worship is powerful because it shifts our eyes away from temporal circumstances and onto God in the eternal realm.
9. Pray for others.
I also pray for other people during this time.
A prayer list of names can be a life-changing tool for our intercessory prayers.
10. Enter the Scripture as if you were there.
In her book Sacred Rhythms, Ruth Haley Barton offers an example of how to enter into God’s Word in an interactive way. Her encouragement is simple: Imagine you are the blind beggar along the road, the paralytic by the pool, the bleeding woman, or an onlooker in some Bible passage.
Imagine the scene.
Take it a step further and do some research on what sights, sounds, and smells might have been present at the moment.
Allow yourself to step inside the story as you read.
You will most likely find yourself asking questions that lead to further research. You might even encounter Christ himself through this experience of sanctified imagination.
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These first 10 points primarily focused on ways to cultivate spiritual renewal in quiet moments with God, but it’s important to point out that we also renew our spirits with others. God designed us to grow and heal together, not alone.
Here are some more ways to pursue spiritual renewal with others.
11. Meet with other believers to pray and confess sins.
When I feel spiritually stuck, I ask God to search my heart and reveal any unconfessed sins. I confess these sins to him, but I also confess to my closest friends.
As James 5:16 notes, we are to confess our sins to one another so that we may be healed.
Bringing our sins into the light strips their power. Shame is dismantled as we recognize that we all battle against sin.
12. Worship together in your local church setting.
Wolves don’t attack the entire flock of sheep. They aim to single out the weak sheep and attack when the sheep is alone.
This is true of the way Satan aims to attack God’s children as well.
If you feel discouraged and in need of spiritual renewal, commit to attending a local church and worshiping with others. No church is perfect, but staying connected with others serves as protection. It will also give you strength.
13. Join in God’s work by serving in your community.
We are called to be God’s vessels in this world. A vessel is a conduit. God wants to pour his love through us so that it flows out onto others.
Ask God to show you what it would look like to be a vessel of his love and follow his lead.
14. Ask God to help you see your everyday places as a mission field.
You are surrounded by God’s mission field: your neighborhood, job, local grocery store, and even your home.
Most of us think of traveling to foreign lands when we hear the words, “mission field.”
Your mission field surrounds you daily. Ask God to help you step into these everyday spaces with a heart of love and compassion, aiming to make him known. As you join him in this work, you will experience the spiritual renewal that only comes when we partner with the King of the universe to fulfill his work.
Wolves don't attack the entire flock of sheep. They aim to single out the weak sheep and attack when the sheep is alone. #together #faith #community Share on X
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Most of all, as you seek spiritual renewal, remember how much God loves you. He wants you to flourish, and he is waiting to help you grow today.
If this post blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotional books and library of free devotional books and eBooks below. May God’s love fill you to overflowing!
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 Book to Help You Pursue Spiritual Renewal
If these tips for spiritual renewal encouraged you, I have a free gift for you today: my free 31-day devotional Mornings With Jesus. Mornings With Jesus is not your average daily devotional—it is so much more! This devotional is unique because, in addition to daily readings and reflection questions, it also offers a special section at the end of each post called “Your Invitation to Encounter God and Begin Well.” These exercises will help you actually encounter the Living God during your quiet time. Instead of asking $9.99, I’m offering this devotional for free with promo code JESUS for a limited time right here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
