Do not mimic someone else’s spiritual walk and discover the way God created YOU to connect with Him!
Naturalists
Go for a prayer walk around your neighborhood, praying for each neighbor individually by name
Rest. Take a nap. Thank God that He gives sleep to those He loves (Psalm 127:2).
Read the Bible outside
Worship God while watching a sunrise or sunset; delight in His artistic expression and praise Him with each changing color
Read and memorize Bible verses that tell of nature declaring the glory of God (Psalm 19, 29; Job 38-41)
Read poetry about how God reveals Himself in nature (i.e., Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “God’s Grandeur“); reflect on what you learn about God from these poems and how you can respond to Him
Lay down in the grass and look at the clouds, “the dust of God’s feet” (Nahum 1:3); reflect on where God is moving and what He is doing in the world and in your life
Sing songs about God and nature (e.g., All Creature of our God and King; How Great Thou Art; I Walk in the Garden Alone; Great Is Thy Faithfulness)
Meditate on God’s majesty while going on a hike; be inspired by the skies, the trees, and the rocks–if we don’t praise Him, they will!
Learn about macro and micro biology and astronomy and worship God for how He created everything so meticulously and still cares for us
Loving God with the
Senses
Listen to worship music from all different countries and get a preview of heaven, praising God with brothers and sisters from “every tribe and every tongue” (for a preview, check out Hillsong’s rendition of Amazing Grace in 50 languages)
Make up music for your favorite Scripture and sing it out loud
Light a candle during your devotions or use incense to engage your smell in the act of worship as well
Absorb worship-producing art by meditating on God’s Truth as revealed in the art (painting, sculpture, film, music, dance, etc)
Make art as an act of worship
If you play an instrument, have a private time of worship by playing for an audience of One
Pray in various positions: standing, sitting, kneeling, dancing, laying face-down, walking
Make one of your favorite snacks or beverages and share it with God while you talk about your day
Find local cathedrals open to the public and spend time in personal prayer there
When reading a Bible passage imagine the scene in your mind: listen for the sea gulls, feel the scorching sun on your face, taste the fish, hear the thunder, smell the smoke… become one of the characters in the story and recreate the scene in your mind.
Loving God in
Solitude and Simplicity
Rise up early in the morning for prayer in the stillness of night
Create daily rhythms that center your heart on Jesus; this can include saying a prayer as soon as you open your eyes, reciting a specific passage each day as you dress, reading from a devotional book at every lunch, etc
Practice silence by not speaking AND silencing the soundtrack in your mind
Fast from food and use meal times to pray
Clean out a closet and donate items to a relief organization
Practice “heart cleaning” where you ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sins that you’ve harbored in your heart and you repent of them
Practice solitude on a regular basis, getting away from people, phones, social media, and chores for a quiet respite to “be still and know that [He is] God” (Psalm 46:10)
Look around your house and bundle together any surplus you have to make basic care packets (shampoo, gloves, socks, oatmeal packets, nuts, etc); give these to homeless people standing on street corners
Spend time on a night watch, staying up a portion (or all) of the night to focus on prayer, repentance, thanksgiving, and listening to God
Live on a tight budget and give the surplus to families in need and organizations you believe in.
Loving God through
Confrontation
When you read or watch heart-breaking news, reflect on God’s faithfulness despite the evils of the world and ask Him to comfort, strengthen, and intervene in the situation
Make a list of God’s characteristics and over the course of a few days reflect on how each one has touched your life
Seek an older woman who can pray and talk you through seasons of your life
Research current legislature that’s being discussed in your state and national congress, and pray for those issues as they come up for debate and vote
Serve Jesus at a local homeless shelter
Write a letter to your congressman asking for their intervention in the release and relief of persecuted Christians around the world (for ideas of what to say, check out persecution.org)
Participate in campaigns that help rescue trafficked women and children, provide care for orphans, help widows support themselves, offer encouragement to terminally ill patients, etc
Pray for your city as you drive around running errands
Wherever you go, sit next to the loneliest person in the room and show them they’re valued in Christ
Spend some time prayer-journaling what causes are heavy on your heart, then research organizations that aid in that way and prayerfully consider how you can get involved with others who are doing kingdom work
Loving God by Serving
Others
Open your home to students and love on them
Offer counseling and support at a local crisis pregnancy center
Visit an elderly member of your church and ask them to tell you stories of God’s faithfulness in their life over some baked goods that you brought with you
Join a prayer team at your church and pray for the needs of your congregation
Volunteer to babysit your pastor’s kids so he and his wife can have a date night
Pick a missionary family your church supports and get to know them; send them birthday cards, small care packages, call them on Skype, pray for them, learn more about the culture they’re in, and look for practical ways to encourage them
Visit the hospital and seek out those patients who haven’t received any visitors (flowers optional)
Take a meal to a new mom or someone who’s going through a long-term illness
Volunteer at an inner city ministry.
Loving God with
Mystery and Celebration
Write down significant dreams and talk them over with God and someone you trust
Ask God each morning to bring someone in your path who you can minister to
Say something nice to a stranger
Still your heart and listen to God; write down what you hear Him saying
Act out Bible stories with your children
Seek out a prayer partner and set a specific time and day each week to pray, whether together or apart
Take classes on theology, evangelism, counseling, etc
Serve in your church’s nursery or children’s department
Go through old picture albums and reflect on how God moved in different seasons of your life; think about people He used, conversations that drew you closer to Him, successes and failures, special events
Be the first to celebrate what God is doing in your life and in others’ by throwing dinner parties, writing cards of congratulations, sharing others’ good news on social media (with their permission, of course), and dancing wildly around the house because of God’s miracles
Loving God through
Adoration
Use a short, set prayer to focus your mind on God (e.g., the Jesus prayer, Psalm 46:10)
Read an account of Jesus’ crucifixion from one of the gospels and slowly work through the scene in your mind; imagine the emotions of those present; picture the sights and smells; reflect on relevant prophesies Jesus fulfilled; end with a prayer of repentance, thanksgiving, and praise
Read a psalm and pray it personalized to you, by inserting “I” or your name
Pick a verse to meditate on while you close your eyes and breathe deeply
Keep pen and paper close to you while you pray and write down any stray thoughts or to-do items that come to mind so you can return your focus on God; before you finish your time of prayer, pray over each item you wrote down
Study artistic renditions of biblical scenes and meditate on that story, using the passage to help you with details; identify emotions, expectations, and actions in the story; reflect on God’s character as revealed in the story and illuminated by the painting
Write down what comes to mind when you think about God; spend some time thanking Him for all the ways He cares and provides
Moving beyond what God does, take time to reflect on who He is; read Scripture on His holiness, love, compassion, patience, righteousness, faithfulness, etc
Find a prayer warrior and spend time together in prayer; focus your prayer time not on a list but on who God is and how He is working
Practice incorporating God’s characteristics in your prayers; for example, when praying about job loss, thank God for being Jehova Jirah, the One who provides, for taking care of you in the past, for giving daily bread and for being the Bread of Life, for knowing the future that is unknown to us, for already working at opening doors for you to walk through, for being ever-faithful.
Loving God with the
Mind
Write down 15-20 observations on the Bible text you’re reading (the first few are easiest but the last ones are the most rewarding)
Use a commentary when studying a passage to gain a broader understanding of the text
Find other Christians who are interested in ethics and doctrine and discuss what you believe; challenge each other to question presuppositions and go deeper, but always with grace and truth
Read one book of the Bible at a time, studying a short paragraph a day to delve deep into the text. See How to Study the Bible for using the FEAST Method.
Take notes during the sermon and at the very end, identify one practical way to apply that day’s teaching to your life that very day
Read books about the character of God (I recommend The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer and Knowing God by J.I. Packer)
Listen to podcasts or sermons while driving or working out
Pick a topic that interests you and spend a year studying it; read each Bible reference, listen to sermons on it, read books on it, talk to others about it, write your thoughts on it, watch movies about it; ask the Holy Spirit to teach you about that topic through events in your own life
Study the seven basic topics in systematic theology and know WHY you believe what you believe: God, humankind, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, eschatology, and revelation
Audit an online class at a Bible college you respect on a topic that interests you; talk to God about what you’re learning and seek ways to practice it in your life.
Loving God by
Ourselves
Write a letter of encouragement sharing what God is teaching you; if you don’t know who to write to, ask the Holy Spirit to bring someone to mind
Use the minutes (or hours, for us insomniacs) before you fall asleep to pray for the people that God brings to mind
Divide your prayer requests into 7 days of the week so you can pray for each request at least once a week
Identify a hope or fear in your life and pray about it every day for 40 days; repent of any sins He reveals to you on that topic; write down anything you sense God is telling you; do whatever He tells you to do; pray as the Spirit leads. At the end of the 40 days, reflect on what God has done and continue in prayer
Pray through the fruit of the Spirit, one each week; ask God to cultivate that characteristic in you through specific events in your life that week (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control)
Pray through a sketch of the temple, entering the gates with thanksgiving, thanking Jesus for being the showbread, asking God to wash you of your sins at the water basin, reflecting the sacrifice of the Lamb at the altar, and finally entering the Holy of Holies to stand in adoration of God
Read books by Christians who are not contemporaries; learn from ways God has revealed Himself to others in the past
Keep a list of daily blessings in your life. Find worship songs that put into words the thoughts of your heart, like Be Thou My Vision, Take My Life and Let It Be, All to Jesus I Surrender
Practice talking to God throughout the day, making conversation about whatever it is you’re doing, and asking for the Spirit’s guidance in your actions.
Loving God in
Community with Others
Keep a running list of prayer requests and each time you tell someone “I’ll pray for you,” put them on the list; then pray!
Once a week, make dinner time storytime; tell your children and friends stories of how God has been faithful in your life and invite them to do the same
Follow up with people you’ve said you’ll pray for and ask them how God has been moving in their lives
Write down the story of your life, making note of the many ways God has provided for you and moved in different circumstances; save it for your family to cherish once you’ve joined Jesus in heaven
Read the Bible in a short period of time, like four months, to get a birds-eye view of the entire storyline (Keith Ferrin hosts a Bible Read-Through every year; here was my experience)
While reading a Bible passage, interpret what you’re reading by asking yourself: “What does this passage teach me about God? About myself? About the Christian life?”
After reading a Bible passage, apply what you’ve read by identifying one action you will make that day in response to God’s Word; make it SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound
Each night, share with your spouse or a friend at least one way God showed up that day
Read the Bible in community with other women (like these online communities for women)
Offer to host a Bible study or prayer group in your home.
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