artysmartiesblog-blog

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#noodlesthedog

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#noodlesthedog #somewhereinthewoods #sundayfunday #doglove

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I need Jesus in my life

Can you give me tips and activities to get closer to God?

Oh boy, I’m certain everybody and their mama has asked this question and there’s a lot of answers floating around the internet hahahaClassic Bible story of being closer/coming back to God is in Luke 15:11-24, definitely read it!

1. Meet with God before anyone elseAs soon as you wake up, pray and thank God for today or read a devotion. Anything, just make Him first in your day.

2. Get into the Bible every day / Do a Bible studyIf you want to know God better there’s no better way then to read the Bible!You can do Book studies, Topical studies, Character studies, Saturation study (where you think about one piece of scripture over and over in your mind) or Word studies (when you take a specific word in the Bible and discover every single way that it is used throughout the Old and/or New Testaments.)

3. Have a prayer journal / Prayer wallWrite out your prayer requests and record the answers as they come. By writing out these types of things, you will not only be more keenly aware of how God is working in and around your life, but you will become a person who is able to give thanks in all circumstances. And during hard times you’ll be able to remember where God has worked in your life.

4. Get your eyes off yourselfWhen we are focused on our own self—our problems, our issues, our worries, our fears—we forget to look at God. We need to keep the eyes of our heart on God. His abundance. His presence. ame His attributes and look up verses that remind us of who He is. Speak them aloud. Write them down. Declare their truth over yourself, etc. (Psalm 91:1-4) 

5. Repent regularly / Self-examine yourself regularly Ask Him to show you how your heart is struggling. Be specific. Don’t hold back. God loves us the way we are but He loves us too much to stay that way, He wants to be more like Jesus.“Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.“ - 2 Corinthians 13:5 (MSG)

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” - Psalm 139: 23-24

6. Listen to worship musicWhen we are stuck—when our mind knows that God is close, but our heart struggles to believe it and move toward Him, it can help to listen to music that opens up our heart to Him. I have a link to my Spotify on my blog with playlists for different occasions which I find to really help.They are songs that help my heart be receptive to the Holy Spirit.