As you all know, I live by Jeremiah 29:11. Even though I know it by heart, I recently went back to re-read it and verses 12-14 stirred something within me. The words, “When you seek me, you will find me, I will be found by you,” kept replaying in my head.
Remembering how He wants for us to sincerely pursue Him just as much as He pursues us stirs my heart. He longs for us to invite Him into every area of our lives.
Even though He knows our thoughts, situations, and hearts, He wants us to come to Him willingly, to just abide in Him, to spend quality time with Him in whatever it is we are doing. He desires for us to choose Him in the middle of our crazy agendas, to put Him first in the middle of all the noise. He wants us to delight in Him and His word.
Look I get it. Sometimes it feels like 5-10 minutes would be better spent on a phone call or getting a head start on my day, but sometimes we need to just be with Him!
To find joy in Him.
To cultivate relationship with Him.
To desire more of life experienced with Him.
I recently heard someone say that when they fail to engage with God, they feel homesick. I totally get that. When we would miss our close friends and family after being disconnected from them for even a few days, we can feel like something is missing, and we might not feel fully ourselves. When we meet with those we love again, we don’t want to spend our time listing all the things we need to accomplish or venting about how horrible our day was. We just want to be together! That’s the way it is when we get together with God. He wants us to come as we are, with questions, doubts, needs, and everything in between. He wants us to come to Him with a shorter list of needs and a heart posture of adoration and gratitude.
Maybe you’ve been taught that there is only one way to hear God’s voice–to connect to Him–but today I want to encourage you to settle into a new rhythm in your faith. Connecting with God can happen in different ways while you pray, read your Bible or new devotional, hear a song, watch a movie, go for a walk, or take a simple ride in your car. It’s stepping out in faith, making the time to hear Him by being silent, and waiting for Him that changes the course of our relationship with Him. Being with Him causes our connection with Him to flourish.
Maybe you are thinking it has to be all or nothing, but even a quick connection is meaningful and can cause your days to feel less hectic. Spending time with Him causes peace to overtake you even in the middle of chaos. The outcome of your day doesn’t have to affect you more than you affect it.
Five minutes a day with God is better than no time at all.
Learn how God speaks to you. Pay attention in the silence. Linger a bit longer in moments that seem to go unnoticed. If you feel as if too much time has passed since the last time you spoke to Him and you think He won’t show up to meet you, know that it’s never too late to reach out to Him.
Don’t worry.
Don’t let anxiety win.
Breathe and make time for God. He values fellowship with you and is willing to draw near to you when you draw near to Him (James 4:8).
This is why Jesus Christ came into the world. He wanted to make sure we have access to Him because we were born to live and dwell in His presence. The only question is: what choices are you and I willing to make to meet with Him? What new rhythm are we willing to put into practice so conversation with God becomes a lifestyle and not a chore?
I don’t want you to make communication and connection with God too hard! It’s an important rhythm of faith, and I want to help you see how simple it can be.
Below are some practical ways you can practice connecting to God’s heart. Remember: there is no rush in abiding. Simply be present and engaged. Savor and enjoy the relationship you are building with Him as a response to love.
- Read a Bible verse or chapter and reflect on what God is saying to you
- Make your morning walk/jog a time of prayer
- Journal your prayers and note when He answers them
- Start a Bible study/devotional or Bible reading guide
- Drive with Jesus in the passenger seat
- Listen to sermons on-the-go
- Relive your greatest encounter with God
- Write down words of encouragement you’ve received from others and speak them over yourself
- Focus totally on resting your mind and body, and reconnect with God
- Set phone reminders to pray, be grateful, worship, read and memorize Scripture
- Let worship music play over you as you lay still
- Journal to process your thoughts or answer specific questions
- Draw while worship music plays in the background
- Thank God for big and small things throughout the day
- Find the promises of God in Scripture and declare them over yourself
- Remember the testimonies from your life and those around you. He can do it again!
- Write verses on index cards and post them around the house or on your car dashboard
- Greet the Lord first thing in the morning
- Play worship music in the background throughout your day to be connected at all times
- Sit in silence and listen to what the Holy Spirit wants to say
- Include God in decision-making throughout the day
I hope that list of ideas is helpful to you. If you want more help in connecting with God, here are some ideas to get you going:
Other Stuff to Check Out
- Check out my book, 28 Days of Prayer! Intentionally invest in your communication with God. Not ready to by the book? Take the free 5 Day Prayer Journey
- Read this related post: Resetting the Rhythms of Your Faith.
- Listen to the podcast!: Episode #235 with Susie Larson. We talked about what it means to fight for you life, especially when you feel disconnected from God and are in a dark place.
- Did you know that my father, Dr. Tony Evans, has a Bible Commentary available? Click here to check it out! If you want to know more about my father’s ministry and the multitude of resources he has available to help you in your walk with God, go to Tony Evans.org
- Want to read even more of the Bible? Check out 20 Ways to Read Through the Bible.
- Did you catch the latest video I uploaded to my YouTube channel? I shared a message I gave recently at my church on the The Sword (The Word of God). Watch it by clicking HERE.
Stay Connected
- If you don’t want to miss more great content, be sure and sign up for my email newsletter.
- Interested in supporting the content I create and enjoying extra special benefits? Learn about becoming a co-producer!
- On social media? So am I! Connect with me Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & Twitter
Hi There Chrystal! I’ve been watching your videos and just finished reading your book “She’s Still There:. I’ve been in a book club for 5 years and I’ve never suggested a book until now. I live in the Dallas area and this year, my twin girls left for college. So you can imagine how that felt! And it was no accident that this book jumped in my lap.The book has been wonderful to read and it has enlightened me in many parts of my life. You are beautiful and have inspired me. Thank you and I look forward to reading your next book.
I’m so happy to hear that She’s Still There was a blessing to you! Thanks for taking the time to tell me so! Blessings to you!
Thank you Chrystal. Keep shining. It is lighting the way for others. Matthew 5:16
I enjoyed the fist module this is my first time taking a course on line. I look forward to learning more.
I truly enjoyed this lesson. It’s my first and I’m already looking forward to the rest of this course.
This is very helpful. God has been really moving in my life and to come across this is definitely going to help me in my walk with the Lord God bless you!
O LORD first and foremost, I give YOU praise and honor for directing my steps to Tony Evans ministry. Thank You so much!
I
watched sermons on KINGDOM woman and boy it captured my heart immediately! I was so touched I had to get the book, and the more I read the more I needed to read! I am now learning to see the LORD through different lens. I was shown how it is easy to get religion and not interpret properly the WORD OF GOD! I was stunned to see how if we don’t discern properly the content of The WORD OF GOD we can get the wrong understanding and/or interpretation. Prayers and miracles are done only by discerning and interpreting The Truth about GOD’s WORD. We are made KINGDOM WOMAN by the GOD who created us as we abide in HIM! I recently ordered the Kingdom Prayer book and am looking forward to continue to learn daily how to properly pray to the LORD my GOD. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
So glad the content resonated with you! 🙂
I thank God that my friend share with me about the Seminar Desperate For Jesus Conference; because I would never had the opportunity to start this Beautiful journey with Chrystal Evans Hurst on The Foundation of a Kingdom Woman.
We hope this content is useful and has been a blessing to you! -Team CEH