Recently I’ve been reading the wildly popular book Atomic Habits by James Clear, and I get why so many people have read and recommended it. Who doesn’t need to build better habits (and maybe break a few negative ones)?
As a Christian, I’m familiar with habits. There is a whole checklist of “to-do’s” that my conscience tells me I should make happen consistently: Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, helping others, confessing sin. Check, check, check.
The problem with checklists and habits is that sometimes we get so used to these practices that they can become mindless and lose their meaning. We have to engage with them on a heart level, or else they become just another task.
Atomic Habits made a point that when you’re starting new habits, it’s effective to combine them with ones you already do. So for example, since you already brush your teeth every night, you can add on a new habit right afterwards, like taking your vitamins. Eventually it sticks.
I’ve been adding some new, mindful practices to my familiar to-do list, and it’s helping me to engage in my relationship with God on a much deeper level than simply checking off items.
If you’re looking to connect more intimately with God, here are some practices to try out that might become helpful habits long-term. (I’m diving a little deeper into an Instagram post I shared recently – you can check that out at @jennschultzauthor.)
Add to your prayer: open hands.
It still amazes me that we can come before God anytime. He makes himself so accessible and approachable to us. When it comes to talking to him, a lot of my prayers involve surrender and receiving. I bring him my worries, confessions, and uncertainty to lay before him, and receive goodness and connection with him as I align with his heart and purpose.
A small change to my prayer life has included physically opening my hands while I pray. This might seem like such a small, maybe insignificant change. But taking on that posture reminds me not to grasp too tightly what I want to control or keep to myself before God, as well as remembering how abundantly generous he is and to stay open to receiving what he has to share with me. This posture and mindset remind me to be humble before him.
Add to your Bible reading: copy out a verse and put it somewhere you can see throughout the day.
James reminds us in the first chapter of his book that it’s a waste for us to get time in God’s Word without applying it: letting it reflect our hearts and prompt us to action. It transforms us and shapes us to be more like God when we do.
How can we keep God’s Word with us and continue to apply it? Keep it visible! In Deuteronomy 6 the people of God are told to keep his commands on their hearts this way: “talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (verses 7-9).
Write a memorable verse on the whiteboard on the fridge, or tape it on your bathroom mirror, or put it on a sticky note in your car. Have it with you as you go throughout your day, and watch how it continues to transform you past your daily devotional time.
Add to your morning routine: invite the Spirit to join you throughout the day.
It’s always a bad choice for me when I grab my phone as soon as my eyes open in the morning, and take a deep dive into scrolling. There’s always something to knock the wind out of my sails before my feet even hit the floor: a discouraging news story, someone else’s enviable announcement, the overwhelm of texts or emails that demand a response.
I’m developing the practice of leaving my phone alone for the first thirty minutes of the morning (there are physical benefits to this, too!), and in that time, I’m taking a minute to invite the Spirit to direct me in my day: to allow me to see him at work, show me opportunities to live out God’s purpose, and focus my attention on what’s best for me to get out of my Bible reading time that day.
Again, it’s a subtle shift that can make a huge difference in your perspective, especially when you know the Holy Spirit is leading your steps.
Add to your wardrobe: wear a tangible reminder of God’s love, and let it remind you to communicate with God throughout the day.
GettyImages | Goldfinch4ever
Maybe it’s because I’m not a big jewelry wearer, but when I put on a piece of jewelry, I notice it. I hold onto a pendant, adjust my earrings, or shift a bracelet. These constant movements add up. What a way to remind you to stay in constant communion with God!
Another of my favorite books this year has been The Practice of the Presence of God, all about Brother Lawrence and how his ongoing conversation with God in the small moments and big, the requests for help and grace as well as the expressions of gratitude, affected how he looked at the world around him. His relationship with God imparted wisdom, joy and faith to those around him.
Imagine what our days would look like if our conversations with God weren’t limited to a few minutes here and there, but became ongoing. He becomes the friend you text the moment you have news, or the one you call when life feels unbearable. It’s a way of seeing him in every moment and space, and centering on him as you go.
How about you? What practices help you take your relationship with God on a deeper level?
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Read more of Jenn’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
