Practical Ways I've Strengthened My Relationship With God

Resources I use daily:

·         NLT Hot Pink Youth Bible – available from Amazon

·         The ‘Word’ New Testament Bible (with images) – from Hillsong

·         Black & white journal/diary – from WHSmiths

I get frequently asked about how I study the word, ways in which I strengthen my relationship with God and small tips and tricks that I personally do which keep me grounded in my faith. So here I’m going to run through a few of the things I love to do to give me a clearer perspective within my journey with Christ, that have definitely increased both my knowledge and understanding of the word as well as the constant development to become more Christ like.

Post it’s and flashcards – studying and remembering the word

I often keep post it notes close by when I’m reading the word, and use them if a particular verse stands out to me. I find that majority of the time, they are often verses that I feel I should memorise because they can apply to several aspects of ones walk with Christ, but they are also sometimes verses that convict me of my own personal weaknesses. Although a verse should NEVER be taken out of context, if you read through the chapter and find something really stirring up your spirit, I suggest you write it down and learn it so that it’s stuck in your head for use and application within your daily life.

Flashcards also have the same concept, of writing out verses of the word that stand out to you. I chose my Ephesians 6 flashcard in order to quickly share with you the importance of knowing your word so that you are able to use it against the enemy’s attacks. In Ephesians 6 it talks about how we should be clothed and armed prepared for battle, a spiritual war with both the ways of the world, and Satan’s direct attacks against us as believers of God. If you aren’t constantly being filled up with the word, how do you expect to use it as a sword to fight victoriously when the enemy comes for you? Briefly scanning over the word and forgetting what you’ve read 10 minutes later is practically no use. We must get into the habit of taking our devotional time seriously and generously giving time to read, meditate upon and absorb the scripture that God has spoken through. You cannot win a battle unequipped, so make sure you’re able to apply what God has shown you.

Letters to The Lord

Now to some this may seem a tad weird or unusual but it’s literally helped my personal journey with God on such an amazing level. Never should we use this as way to replace oral prayer, but instead we can use this to supplement our direct conversation with God. I personally enjoy writing and taking time to be silent before the Lord, so this method of communication works well for me during my quiet time. It gives you a chance to pour out to God in a creative way and helps you to view God not only through holy reverence but also as a friend. Development of any friendship or relationship consists of honesty, so use this as a way of telling God exactly how you feel in that moment, and also any praise or thanksgiving for something He’s done for you recently. 

The best thing about writing what I call ‘letters to my King’ is reading back over them months later and being able to PRAISE God on a spectacular level for everything He has delivered you from and any promises He has brought to pass. I love to read through letters from when I first gave my life to Christ properly and I was going through the after effects of a break up. When I say the Lord has done great things! It was a chance not to get back into the emotions of that time period, but to really be revealed to the goodness of God’s power to heal my heart and strengthen my trust in Him.

Lists – thanksgiving and requests

This is something I’ve started more recently and have already seen a massive impact in my change of heart. You may be a striving Christian who loves the Lord…but you ignore thanksgiving! Writing out ‘what God has done for me’ lists weekly, helps me to allow God to empty my selfish heart and really think about all He has done for me throughout the course of the week.  Although of course He has done more than I could ever write down, I choose a mixture of the basic things we take for granted (eg. Food, family, an education) to the larger scale blessings specific to that time (eg. Strength to get through my exams) to give thanks to God for. When we stop looking to God as a genie for our own selfish desires, our vision becomes unclouded and we are able praise Him for what He has ALREADY done.  

However, this doesn’t mean that we don’t make our requests known to God. I also make ‘what I want God to do’ lists with a heart of expectancy and a spirit of FULL FAITH. We must however ensure that we are still asking for the will of God to be done and that none of our requests are selfish, ungodly or contrary to His word. Again I choose a mixture or more long time desires (eg. Salvation of my family, protection and covering against males who are not God’s intentional best for me) to specific requests (eg. Wisdom to get through my last History exam and for God to help me prepare new content after my ministry break). There is a difference between selfish demanding and expectancy. Consistently in prayer, approach the throne of grace knowing that your requests ARE being heard, but that God will do what is best for your life which will surpass your initial asking.

 I hope this has been helpful in having an insight into ways in which I’ve learnt to strengthen my relationship with God on a practical scale. Of course, prayer is essential in my walk with The Lord but that will be covered in a blog post alone soon. These tips are applicable to those newly saved and want to start seeking God on an intimate level, but also those who are more mature in their walk and have been looking for new ways to change their devotional time. As always, I will stress the importance of spending time with God as a best friend, King, Saviour and however else you view Him personally. Give God the chance to speak to you through His word, and be encouraged by the thought of God being the ultimate source of strength in this ongoing battle on our way to the Kingdom.

Jesus loves you!

CONTACT ME :

Twitter - @_caitlinnunez

Instagram - @caitlinnunez

Email – kingdomambassadors@hotmail.com