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How to Reconnect with God: A Simple Guide

Many individuals express they desire to reconnect with God. Asking me, Pastor, How to Reconnect with God how can always make a new resolution to solve what needs to be refined.

How to Reconnect with God


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Local Media and television will show us a well-packed gym and diet for physical development, but how about us who want to grow spiritually?

Many Christians make the Bible reading a new year beginning resolutions— but hardly keep it.

Unfortunately, the most significant percentage of Christians fails to observe that this is how to reconnect with God. However, here is the good news— it is not late to start over.

Here are ways to reconnect with God.

 

  • Study the Scriptures.

Our Bible is important and it is beneficial to study the Bible and every other related material— if we want to make our relationship with God firm.

Through the reading of our Bible, God speaks to us. The Scripture also gives a vivid description of spiritual times throughout time.

The accounts in the scripture relate to what happens in our lives. Reading about what people with faith experienced in the Bible gives us the urge to believe and trust that God is with us.

The Scriptures draw us nearer to Christ, and that way, He too gets nearer to us, and as results, we are reconnected with Him.

 (Hebrews 4:8), says, “Draw closer to God, and he too will draw nearer to you. Clean your hands and minds you sinners and purify your souls, you double-minded.”

Through reading our Bible, we are drawing closer to God.  During the process of reading our scriptures, the Holy Spirit repossess us, and we can pray repeatedly and finally get reunited with God.

  • Listen to him.

Despite the many times, we pray to our God, we may not be listening to what God is speaking to us, and the guidance He is giving. When we are before God, we always maintain total silence.

This should also extend even after you finish talking to God. You do not have to jump immediately to raise the volume of your favorite music.

Take your time after praying; listen to what God tells you. Time after prayers is vital as God may not be answering your prayers, but prompt you to be an answer to someone’s prayer, and so we get reunited with Him.

Ensure you are listening as you speak with Him. Communication is two-way traffic. Today is the time to reconnect with God as you engage him in Holy Communion.

 (John 10:27-28) says, “My sheep hears my voice, and I know them, they follow me, I give then eternal life, and they will never perish neither shall anyone snatch them from my hand.”

Those who believe in Jesus and recognize Him as their Lord, He protects them. However, this does not mean they will never be faced by challenges, but He will always provide a way out.

Related Article: Memorize Scripture:15 Hacks that will help You.

  • Be Mindful.

As a Christian, you need to be mindful of r the presence of God in your life. Sometimes, it may look like He is far away, but He is not. He does not even get a step away from you.

It is always possible to get lost in worldly things and forget to look for God’s presence in our lives. During such times, try to be aware of how He has blessed you.

Being mindful and showing love for God can bring back even the most dead relationships, including yours, back to life. Adore your relationship with God in Heaven.

He is the highest guardian you can ever have in your life.

(Luke 9:23) says, “And then he said to them if anyone admires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up the cross and follow me.”

Reconnecting with God calls us to play our part. We should be ready to die to our flesh in order to live for God.

We cannot serve more than one master and need to choose wisely. It is never easy, but if at all, we need to reconnect with God, then the necessary thing to do is pick up the cross.

  • Talk to God.

Just like it is the case with any other person in life, communication is crucial in reconnecting your relationship with God. When you are praying, close your eyes and picture Him around you.

Kenly listens to everything you are saying. Just like a child talking to their father, so do you. Our God is always there to listen to all our concerns and address them accordingly.

Pray as often as you can, for He is there for you during difficult and good times. Praying reconnects us Christian with God.

(Psalms 65:4) says, “Blessed is the man who chooses, and decides to approach me, that he may live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house of your holy temple”.

Again God is always close to who calls Him.

(Psalms 145:18), says, “The Lord is close to all who call upon him, to all who call in truth.

When you feel that you are disconnected from God, always pray, call unto Him, for He will be close to you if you genuinely call Him.

  • Rejoice and give thanks.

We are often faced with significant challenges, and many of us lose hope so fast.

We need to understand that, in challenges, there is always a gift that God is trying to get us. It might be the answer to a prayer you have been doing, getting deeper in faith, or even material gain.

Always practice thanksgiving no matter the situation. Being thankful, converts all our negatives to positives and draws yourself near, close, and live in our God.

(Philippians 4:6-7): “Do not be anxious about anything, but stay in every situation by prayer and petition, with gratitude, present in your prayer to God.

And the peace of the Lord, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.”

  • Believe you can restart.

God wants to have time with us, he created us wonderfully with great purpose, and he longs for us to know him.

When you miss your ways, and you need to start over, there is grace. It does not matter what you are going through.

God wants to have a conversation with you through his word, show you that you are not alone, and express his ever unfading love.

God is willing to meet with you, so do not feel ashamed or intimidated. If you are planning to restart and reconnect, so be it.

This shows you long to spend time with God, as are you are going to keep working on it.

James 4:6: “And He gives grace generously. As the scripture says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

  • Remember, you are a child of God.

You are a child of the highest God, nothing to debate about that. He is your Heavenly Father, and you are his child; you are His son or His daughter.

He has always wanted and wished the best for you. He is not embarrassed by you.

Understands you are not righteous, and all He wants is to help you towards becoming the person He has created you to be.

Look up to his face and realize that he is love, and his arms are wide on ready to receive you. What he wants besides anything else is a reconnection with him.

Read the book of Luke 15:11-32 and see God’s heart for you.

Book of John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believe in his name, he gave the right to become a child of God.”

  • Get on your knees and confess.

Why should one get on their knees? You do not have to do, but there is one special and unique thing about this posture.

It is something adorable to submit before God in such a humble and gentle way.

We get on our knees when praying because it is a heart touching act and portrays our submission to Jesus— it is an act to bring Godly presence around, making you dedicated to praying— be humble, get on your knees, and reconnect with God.

Our God knows our sins even before we confess; He is already aware of what you did. Confessing is a sign of accepting your sins and admitting that you were wrong.

Go on your knees and show Him that you admit that you have sinned, and He will forgive you and cleanse you as the Bible says.

 1 john 1:9 says, “If we confess, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all our wrongdoings.”

Related Article: How to Experience Gods Presence: 7- Ways.

  • Listen to Worship Songs.

Worship songs can bring such a restoration of hope in reconnecting with God, when you feel like you are disconnected and you want a reconnection with God, take your time, go quiet and listen to some fine worship music.

This has performed wonders on me before— there are times when I sin and feel like I do not want to lift my face to God, such moments are devastating.

You need to do is to switch off the light, have headphones on, keep yourself under your blankets, and get into the mood of worship.

This way, you shall slowly drift in and reunite with God on the process.

  • Find a space to Pray.

You need to decide on a place either at a workplace or at home where you will be praying from without any inconveniences.

Mathew 6:6 – but when you pray, go into your room, close the doors and pray to your father, who is out of sight. Then your father, who knows what is done in secret, will answer you.

This is the recommendable advice since your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Then whenever you are, Jesus Christ is within you. So turn your concentration to him in you and you in him. Regardless of where you are, turn your focus to him”

  • Walk with people or things that draw you closer to God.

Most of the time, we are encouraged to walk or stay with Godly people. Always train yourself to spend most of your time with yourself as it is important. What do I mean? Get one on one.

You need time for yourself to pray, reconnect with the Lord, listen to Him, and sort out your burden.

You will not get to that with a mind bombarded with immoral things, noise, or any other disturbance.

Proverbs 13:20:  “Fools and wise men are known by their companions.”

This is true with people but of course not right with Godly music and people. Try walk, find, and live with people who entice you to draw closer and reconnect with God.

Notably, this may lead you to go against things that hinder and alter your relationship with God.

Conclusion

As Christians, we often find ourselves detached from God. This happens more frequently as far as we are living a sinful life.

However, there is still hope for you who want your relationship with God restored.

Whenever you feel that you want a reunion with your God, you will need to read the Scriptures, listen to Him, be mindful, talk to Him, rejoice, and give thanks.

You can restart, remember you are a child of God, get on your knees and confess, listen to worship music, find a place for prayer and finally walk with people or things that draw you closer to God.

By observing all, or a few of these, your relationship with God shall be restored— the time to reconnect with God is now.

 

Top 15 Ways God can Heal Your Broken Heart

Do you know God can heal your broken heart? Human beings are social creatures, we need human interaction.

Top15 Ways God can Heal Your Broken Heart


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There is the need to be around people we love and share interests with, to build a relationship with these people. With a relationship often comes heartache.

Heartache either caused by the death of a loved one or a romantic relationship that has run its course.

Disappointments and unmet expectations can also be the cause of heartache especially disappointments at work or church.

If you have been disappointed or have lost a loved one and your heart is broken, find solace in the knowledge that God can heal your broken heart, he can set things right.

In his Word, the Lord tells us that “He heals the heartbroken” (Psalm 147:3). All we need to do is trust him and call on him in our time of sorrow and hurt and he will comfort us.

In this article, we list the top 15 ways God can heal your broken heart.

 

  1. He heals by giving you peace

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 4:6-7)

In times of heartache, it is very easy to lose our peace and to start thinking about all the bad things that can happen in our lives.

Yet, God is always there and if we lean into his peace, it will lead us to understand what we could not grasp before.

We see the origin of the heartache in a different light and slowly God heals our heart.

  1. He heals by giving you rest

Science has proven that if the average adult human does not get enough rest then their mental state is affected, heartache tends to keep people up and give them restless nights.

Tossing and turning, replaying scenes and arguments over and over in their heads. God heals our hearts by helping us enter into his rest.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus proclaims rest for the weary, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”.

This is an invitation to receive rest and with rest comes a clear mind. A mind that is not clouded by fatigue.

  1. He heals by wiping Your tears

Do you remember when you were a child and you would ride your bicycle up and down the street with the neighborhood kids?

Then you misjudged the curb and fell off your bicycle, skinning your knee. You went running inside, tears streaming down your face, looking for your mother.

She would always wipe your tears first before tending to your wound, and you always felt better afterward.

This is what God does for us, “he will wipe every tear from your eyes” (Revelation 21:4). The tears we cried because of a failed relationship or death of a loved one.

Through this seemingly simple act, God heals our hearts.

  1. He heals by being wounded.

The Bible tells us that “by his wounds, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). This scripture is prophesying about Jesus and how he would be wounded and crucified to save us.

Yet it was not just to save us, it was to heal us. Our heartache and sadness are all wounded by Jesus’s wounds. He was hurt so that we can be healed.

In times of heartache, declare this scripture over yourself and give praise and thanksgiving to Jesus for being wounded for us.

  1. He heals by restoring what was lost.

If you are experiencing heartache from the death of a loved one you are probably missing the times you both spent together.

The times you laughed and the times you cried. You probably think that you will never experience that particular love from another loved one.

Or you might think about everything that you have invested in that relationship.

Yet, scripture tells us that God “will restore my life again” (Psalm 71:20) and “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” (Joel 2:25).

Take heart in the knowledge that he heals our hearts by restoring what was lost.

Also Checkout: How to Experience God’s Presence: 7 Ways.

  1. He heals by giving you purpose.

We often lose sight of what is real and important when we are dealing with heartache. Our judgment gets cloudy and we lose focus on our lives.

With losing focus comes gradually losing our vision and purpose for our lives.

The purpose is the thing that drives our actions and emotions to be and do better, but if you have no purpose, what gives us that drive to better our lives?

Purpose. Which, coincidently is also how God heals our hearts. He “calls us according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

When we focus on our God-given purpose our hearts can be healed and we can be made whole again.

  1. He heals by saving you.

When we are going through heartache we often become captive to our own thoughts. These thoughts can be destructive and cause our hearts to harden.

It is also during these times of heartache that we often turn to means and methods to numb the pain in the form of addiction.

All is not lost though when we turn to the scriptures we see that we are not alone.

Psalm 34:18 says “saves those who are crushed in spirit” God is with us during our sadness and he heals our hearts by saving us.

  1. He heals by sacrificing for you.

God heals our broken heart by sacrificing his son. “While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us” (Romans 5:8).

When you think of the heartache that Jesus went through, being separate from the Father as he bears all our sins on the cross, you should feel encouraged through that sacrifice for your life.

Knowing that and believing in Jesus brings healing to your heart as the old falls away and you are clothed anew.

  1. He heals by sustaining you.

Heartache often leads to worry and stress either due to the feeling of being drained or feeling the need to save face in from of others.

This then, in turn, makes dealing with your emotions more difficult.

The great thing is we don’t have to carry our stress and worries with us, we don’t have to be heartbroken and sad.

We can just “Cast (our) cares to the Lord and he will sustain (us)” (Psalm 55:22)

The Lord is our provider and during times of emotional trauma, we can trust that he will not only sustain us but in doing so he will heal our hearts.

  1. He heals by redeeming your past.

Heartaches are often caused by events that happened in the past, a mistake that caused a breakup, making the wrong decisions that lead to personal disappointment.

Often we will revisit this past mistake and then the heartache returns.

We might hold onto these feelings of disappointment and heartache so tight so that you can prevent a repeat of your decisions.

But God redeems our past, he forgives and forgets, and through his forgiveness comes the healing in our hearts.

  1. He heals by setting you free.

Heartache cannot heal in captivity, heartache only gets worse and more devastating in captivity. Usually, we play the blame game when it comes to finding the cause for heartache.

When we blame someone for heartache, we take them (or ourselves) into captivity.

Captivity can cause people to feel to be isolated and distant as they try to navigate their emotional minefield.

A broken heart can take you captive, but God sets us free and in doing so heals our hearts.

You see things differently and your perception changes when you are free and your heart is also free to heal.

Also Checkout: How to Begin Your Day with God’s Promises.

  1. He heals by helping you stay calm.

Anger can often be a by-product or even a result of heartache. When we feel like we have somehow been wronged or a friend has done something awful.

We feel justified to be angry while we deal with our broken hearts. Or we turn to anger as a defense mechanism, so that our hearts don’t break again.

However, anger is not the way, and being angry prevents our hearts from heeling.

God in his infinite wisdom knows that to heal our hearts, we should not get angry but stay calm.

  1. He heals by forgiving you.

When we make mistakes we often cause our own heartaches. These mistakes could be large or small, but each mistake contributes to our feeling of broken heartedness.

Heartache can also be the result of living in sin. When we come to the place where we ask for the Lord’s forgiveness, healing is brought to our hearts.

Unforgiveness often stops or prevents the healing of our hearts. We should definitely learn from God and forgive ourselves for our own mistakes.

In many instances, we have to forgive ourselves for the mistakes we made.

  1. He heals by binding the brokenhearted.

Broken often brings up images of bits and pieces of a once whole item, all over. In some ways, that is also what a broken heart feels like.

Emotions are all over and what we really need is just someone to put those pieces back together.

That is exactly what Jesus was anointed and sent down from heaven for, to “bind up the brokenhearted”. (Isaiah 61:1).

When something is bound it heals faster and no pieces or bits can get lost. In this same way, when Jesus binds our broken hearts, he heals them.

  1. He is close to the brokenhearted.

Not only does he bind up the brokenhearted, but he is also “close to the brokenhearted”. (Psalm 34:18).

When dealing with heartache it often helps to have someone close to you to either talk to or to comfort you.

We should remember that we do not necessarily need people to be close to us, but we have access to the Father because he is close to us.

We can talk to him and he can heal our hearts through us opening up and him being close to us.

Do you know we often do not want to deal with heartache and we pray that it will just go away, that we can just forget the pain and what caused the pain?

So we bottle the heartache until it becomes a hard piece in our heart and so we learn to treat all heartaches.

Conclusion

There is hope for the brokenhearted, God heals. He heals the brokenhearted as much as he heals the blind and lame.

We want to encourage you to open your heart to the Holy Spirit so that he can perform open-heart surgery and remove the toxic emotions like anger, and then he can bind your heart back up so that it can heal.

We hope that you have been encouraged by knowing that there are at least 15 ways in which God can heal your broken heart.

15 Things about Prayer you May have not Known

There are a lot of things about prayer that you may not have known, that will surprise you. In this article, we have accumulated fifteen

Things about Prayer you May have not Known


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When you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12(NIV)

Does your prayer life feel burdensome? Does your mind wander when you pray?  Ever started praying then dozed off shortly after?

Most of us struggle to pray.  We try different methods of prayer, but nothing seems to work. But just because we struggle doesn’t mean we should quit or condemn ourselves.

Prayer is something that every believer should do so that they can remain in communion with God.   It is a powerful weapon that every Christian should use to fight against the enemy. You don’t need to complicate your prayer life. Simple words of prayer will cause God to delight in you.

 

 3 Keys to Answered Prayer.

There are so many promises in the Bible that we can claim over our lives. But God has put some conditions that we need to follow for our prayers to be answered.

Yes, we don’t like conditions, but thankfully God’s conditions are not hard.

You do not have to do something special to draw God’s attention and find favor with him. His conditions are simple and require child-like faith.

 Here are three keys to answered prayers:

Key #1 Ask.

It seems simple right?  But James 4:2, says we don’t have what we want because we don’t ask God.

The Christian religion has taught us to pray a certain way.  So most of us do not tell God what is in our hearts. We tell him what we think he wants to hear.

Look, God already knows your heart.  You do not have to hide your desires or fears from him. Open up to him the way King David did in Psalm 22:1-5, and he will listen to your prayer.

When you ask, make sure to do it with the right motives.  Do not ask God for a car just because you want to show off to your friends.

Key #2 Believe.

When you pray, do you believe that God hears your prayers?  You may be surprised that most Christians pray for the sake of it. They don’t think that God actually listens to their prayers.

Others believe that he hears their prayer, but he will not answer them for one reason or another.

You don’t need to feel the tangible presence of God for you to believe that he listens to your prayer.

God is with you always, and he says if you call upon him, he will answer. You have been bought at a price, you are now a child of God, he listens when you pray.

Key #3 Receive.

Receiving does not happen when you see what you’re praying for physically.  It happens when you see the answer to your prayer in your imagination.

God promised Abraham many descendants as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

Why did he use stars and sand? To help Abraham see the promise in his imagination.

Your imagination is a powerful tool. It can help you see and receive the answer to your prayer before it manifests physically.

 

Here are 15 things about prayer that you may not have known:

 Prayer Builds Relationships.

How do you build relationships with your friends?  Through constant communication with them, right?

When you pray, you communicate with your heavenly Father.  Constant communication with him enables you to understand who God is, how he works, and his character.

If you want to build a close relationship with God, know that prayer is the key.

Related Article: Memorize Scripture: 15 Hacks that will Help You.

Prayer Changes Us.

Religion makes prayer sound like a means through which we try to change God’s mind, but it is not.  God is unchangeable, so we cannot change him.

Prayer improves our attitude towards God, others, and ourselves.

It exposes our selfish motives and opens our eyes to see why God is holding back some things from us.

It helps us to understand why God wants some things in our lives, even though we do not want them.

Since we have to wait patiently for God’s will to prevail, prayer teaches us how to be patient.

Prayer is a Means of Preparation.

At times we ask for things that are within God’s will but with wrong reasons. God will, first of all, change your motives before he can grant you the answer to your prayer.

The situation you’re praying about may have gone from bad to worse right now.

Maybe it’s the devil hindering your prayer.  Or perhaps it is God teaching you how to steward whatever he’s about to give you.

Prayer makes a Difference in the World.

Great things have happened in this world because some people prayed.  George Muller was able to take care of orphans through prayer.

He was fully dependent on God for provisions for his orphanage. He never asked for money directly from anyone.

Joshua asked God to make the sun stand still, and it did until Israel was able to avenge itself Joshua 10:13. Elijah prayed, and fire came down from heaven.

Gary Starkweater, the man who invented the laser printer, credits God for his successful inventions.

Yes, prayer changes things and makes a difference in the world. 

Not Meant to Give God Orders.

The truth is most of us pray when we want to ask things from God.  But that is not what prayer is all about.

True prayer is communication, and like in any communication, the parties involved need to listen to each other.

Do not just tell God what you want and then walk away from your prayer closet.

Prayer is about talking to your Father and listening to him as he speaks to us.

In fact, the best prayer is one where you spend much of your time listening to your heavenly Father as he speaks to you.

 You will Still Face Challenges when you Pray.

Let no one lie to you that all your problems will go away once you pray.  The hard truth is you will still face challenges in this world even when you pray.

As a matter of fact, the devil might intensify his attacks when you get deeper in prayer.

Now, this is not meant to scare you.  You need to know the truth so that you can fight.  You need to stand firm in prayer and remember that the battle has already been won at the Cross.

Do not quit, fight back with the word of God through prayer.

It is not Meant for Recognition.

When the Pharisee prayed, he told God how good he was and how bad the tax collector was.

He wanted God to recognize him for his goodness, forgetting that God looks at the heart, not outside appearance. (Luke 18:9-14)

The Pharisees were also fond of saying loud prayers in the synagogue so that they could be seen by people.  But that is not what prayer is all about.

You should not pray for people to praise you. Pray because you want to spend time with your heavenly Father

Praying for a Few Minutes can Change Everything.

As you have seen in the previous point, the Pharisees loved to say long prayers.  But do you know what Jesus said about them?  He called them hypocrites.

So praying for long hours does not necessarily mean that you are super spiritual.

Don’t get it wrong, saying long prayers is not wrong. We have different ways of praying. But do not say long for the wrong reasons.

Praying for a few minutes or a second can make a difference in the world.  Saying “God help me” can bring change in everything that you’ve been asking for all this while.

As long as it comes from the heart, God will hear and answer you.

You can Pray Continually.

The word of God tells us to pray without ceasing, that means prayer should be continuous.

Seems impossible, right?

Prayer does not mean kneeling down, lifting hands up and praying for long.

It is okay and great to lift holy hands because it is an act of worship, but you don’t have to do it all day.

You can be in constant communication with your heavenly Father even as you go about your daily tasks.

God Hears Prayers.

Are there times when you feel like your prayers have not gone past the ceiling of your house? Yes, I know that feeling.

Ever noticed that sometimes these kinds of prayers get answered faster than the ones you pray when you are “super-spiritual”?

When you pray, believe that God is hearing your prayers.  Do not go by your feelings, believe the word of God which says, call upon me, and I will answer you. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Prayer Makes you Spiritually Stronger.

Spending time in prayer means opening up your heart to God.

When you open up your heart to God, he also opens up his heart to you.  The closer you become to him, the more you become spiritually stronger.

Spiritual things become more real to you than physical things when you pray fervently.

Satan is Constantly Trying to Hinder our Prayers.

We are in a battle with an enemy that wants to steal, kill, and to destroy. He will try everything he can to keep you from receiving answers to your prayer.

When Daniel prayed, God answered him by sending an angel to him.

But Satan and his demons tried to hinder Daniel’s prayer by fighting the angel until angel Michael came to help him. (Daniel 10:12-14)

We should not become angry at God because of delayed answers. Maybe the enemy is trying to steal your answers. Like Daniel, continue asking God for that thing until it manifests.

Remember, the only time God says no is when we pray against his will. Or when he has something better than what we are asking for.

Not Meant to be a Burdensome Task.

How do you feel when you hang out with your friends? Great, right?

We should not cringe on the inside every time we think about prayer.  We should always be excited about talking with our heavenly Father and spending time with him.

He is not only our friend but our Father and the creator of the universe who loves us so much.

Faithless Talk Dilutes Faith-filled Prayers.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

How many times have we prayed faithful prayers but started having faithless conversations shortly after with our friends and family?

For example, you may ask God to heal you but start magnifying the disease when talking to family and friends.

You should not pretend that you are not sick when asked. But you should not speak words that contradict the word of God.

James says that a double-minded man will not get anything from God.

(James 1:6-7)  Your words need to align with your prayers and the word of God for you to get answers from God. Without faith, you cannot please him. 

Helps you Establish a Personal Relationship with God.

Wouldn’t it be cool if God spoke to you directly as he did with Moses?

Well, the Bible says God is not a respecter of persons. If he spoke to Moses, he can talk to you.  Unfortunately, most of us do not hear directly from God.

Religion has made some of us believe that only special people can hear God. Others are so distracted they cannot hear the still small voice of God that is continually speaking to them.

Going deeper into prayer enables you to get acquainted with God’s voice. Knowing God’s voice helps you to establish a personal relationship with him.

You will be able to differentiate his voice from yours and the enemy. When this happens, it becomes easy for you to follow his leading and his ways.

Conclusion:

Prayer should not be ignored by anyone who professes to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

Prayer will reveal to you who God is and his love for you. It will help you to become spiritually strong and change you in ways that you never imagined.

Give prayer a top priority because through it and the word, God can use you to change the world.

Do not look at prayer as a burdensome task. It will help you build an intimate relationship with God. If you are struggling with your prayer life, ask God to help you pray without ceasing.

if you follow 15 things about prayer that you may not have known your prayer life will never be the same.

LINKS

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/george-muellers-strategy-for-showing-god

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/the-power-of-god-given-imagination/

Memorize Scripture: 15 Hacks that will help you

You have a deep desire to memorize scripture. But much as you spend an hour trying to memorize a verse, you forget about it almost immediately.

Every time you hear people talking about scripture memorization, you feel guilty and defeated.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21(NIV)

Memorize Scripture


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You don’t know what to do anymore. You need help.

I know the feeling.  Scripture memorization maybe a piece of cake for some people. But the same cannot be said about the rest of us.

Memorizing scripture is vital for every believer. Leading a life that is grounded on the word of God is easier when you remember scripture.

That is why we need to be intentional about memorizing the word of God.

Why is Scripture Memorization Important?

Doing It means Obeying God.

In Deuteronomy 11:18, we are told to fix the word of God in our hearts and minds.

So as obedient children of God, we need to be intentional about fixing His word in our hearts and mind. How do we do that? Through scripture memorization.

Look, we are spiritual beings, and the word of God is food to our souls. We need to feed our souls continuously, and that can only be achieved if we memorize scripture.

Renews our Mind.

We are told to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The best way for us to renew our minds is with the word of God. But let’s face it. We cannot walk with our Bibles everywhere.

Even though we have digital Bibles, we can not refer to them every time. Scripture memorization will help to ensure that the process of mind renewal is continuous.

It helps us fight against temptation.

The devil will often tempt you so that you can stray from your walk with God.

The word of God is a weapon that we use to fight against temptations. But as we have already seen, you can not carry your Bible everywhere.

And even if you can take your Bible everywhere at times, the enemy will attack your mind so fast that by the time you get your Bible, the damage will have already been done.

Scripture memorization will help you in such times as you will be able to counter the attacks of the enemy immediately.

The Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance scriptures you have memorized so that you can combat the lies and attacks of the devil.

Related Article: 7 Proven Ways God Provides in Troubled Times.

It helps us to share scriptures with Others.

You never know when the need to share the word of God will arise.  You need to be prepared in season and out of season. (2 Timothy 4:2)

You may meet with a believer that needs encouragement. Since you have memorized scriptures, you will be able to quote the word as you counsel them.

You may also meet a non-believer who may challenge your faith.  You need to defend it. 1 Peter 3:15.

Now, you should not exchange random words with an unbeliever, of course, they will win or at least think so.

You need to share the word of God with them and stand firm in it even if they persecute you.

Let us look at some of the best and easy scripture memorization hacks that you use to develop this practice:

 

  1. Note Cards.

You probably use note cards to send special messages or thank you notes to your loved ones. But have you ever thought of using them as tools for scripture memorization?

Instead of trying to memorize scripture in one sitting, how about writing the verse on a scripture card?

This way, you can easily carry it around and read the verse until it sticks in your mind.

You can buy premade scripture cards online if you don’t have time to make your own.

Read them when you are waiting for something or someone. Doing this regularly will help you memorize different verses that will come handy in times of need.

  1. Memorization Apps.

Today there are so many free apps that you can use to memorize scripture. You only need to search for them online, and you will find different types to choose from.

Examples of memorization apps include;

  • The verses Project
  • Fighter Verses
  • The Bible App
  • RememberMe

These apps will help you memorize scripture in a fun and engaging way.

  1. Memorize Scripture by Reading them Out Loud.

You’re more likely to remember a verse when you read it out loud.  Speaking verses aloud helps you to store them into your long-term memory.

During your devotional time, find a verse you want to memorize and then read it out loud.  It may feel stupid at first, but remember what you want to achieve is bigger than how you feel.

  1. Make it Applicable.

Research shows linking personal meaning to scripture makes it easy for you to store verses in your long term memory. Get the verse that you want to memorize and see how it applies to your life.

Let’s say you want to memorize Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Now, you have a big project coming up, and you are very nervous about it. It looks like, there’s no way you can pull it off on your own.

See Jesus strengthening you in that given situation. Visualize him there with you, holding your hand and taking you through the process.

The more you see Jesus in that situation, the more you get strengthened in your inner being. The best part, the verse ends up being stored in your memory as you do this. Awesome, right?

  1. Write Scripture Down.

Do you know that writing by hand helps you to remember what you wrote?

Yes, according to research, writing down what you read coordinates movement and verbal systems.

So writing down Bible verses with pen and paper will help you store and internalize verses in the long haul.

Consider buying a journal so that you can write down scriptures you want to memorize. You don’t have to write all the scriptures in one sitting, you can start with one verse at a time.

Writing down is essential as it helps us remember and not just that, but we can use the materials for reference in case we forget.

To memorize scripture faster, don’t write verses in your journal once and leave it at that. Write the same verse many times until you can write without looking at your Bible for confirmation.

  1. Turn it into a song.

Are you a music fan?  Great! How about using music to memorize scripture?

Can you really do that? Yes, you can, after all, good gospel songs have scripture in them.

Set the Bible verse you want to be memorized to a simple tune that you can remember. Or use one of your favorite songs in order not to forget.

Replace the words of that song with the verse that you want to memorize.

The more you do this, the more the words will stick into your memory. And with time, you will be quoting that verse without any hesitation.

If you know a song that has the verse you are trying to memorize, the better.

It doesn’t hurt to have fun while fixing the word of God in your heart and mind. Now, does it?

Related Article: How to Begin your Day with God’s Promises.

  1. Memorize Verses in small bite-size.

Memorizing long verses or chapters is hard for those of us that forget things quickly.

But you can make the process easy by dividing the verses into small sections.

You can divide a verse into three or five parts and memorize words in each section per day until you can say out loud the entire verse without forgetting anything.

Using the example of  Philippians 4:13, you can break down the verse into four sections, as shown in the image below.

This is a simple verse, but I hope you get the point.

Scripture


Photo by Fallon Michael from Pexels

  1. Make a recording/Use Audio Bible.

Using your phone or recorder make a recording of you reading out loud the verses and then save that recording.

Listen to the recording as you drive or in your free time and keep repeating what you have recorded until it is stored in your mind.

If you feel weird listening to yourself, use an audio bible to listen to the verses repeatedly until you master them.

  1. Write Sticky Notes.

Write your verse on multiple sticky notes and put them in visible places around your house.

You can stick the notes on your fridge, bathroom mirror, car glove compartment, books, or behind your phone.

You can also use the sticky notes apps on your phone. Or create a desktop background for your laptop or computer with the verse you want to memorize.

  1. Study the Verse deeply and Meditate on it.

Unlike reading, studying the word of God takes time.  Studying the word means, going through the verse, and finding out what it means.

Studying means analyzing the whole verse deeply and applying it to your life. Making Bible study a daily practice will help you memorize what you have read.

Now, have you ever observed a cow when it is resting? Chances are you have seen it chewing the cud. This act is always an indication that the cow is comfortable and healthy.

The way a cow chews cud that is how God expects us to meditate on His word day and night. Practicing meditation is a sign that you are spiritually healthy.

So make it a point to ponder over scripture and see how it applies to your current situation.  The more you do this, the more it will be stored in your memory. (Joshua 1:8)

  1. Pray the Word.

The Bible tells us to remind God of his promises.  But here is the thing God doesn’t forget his word. So we can say reminding God about his verses is meant to help us remember his promises.

Take the word of God and turn it into prayer. Ask God to help you remember the scriptures that you’re reading. You don’t have to pray the whole verse.

You can use parts of the verse that apply to your need to pray.

When you pray the promises of God repeatedly, they get stored in your memory. This, in turn, helps you to continue standing and walking firmly in them.

Related Article: How to Guard your Heart: 13 Proven Ways.

  1. Set Daily Reminders on your Phone with the Verse.

How about setting a reminder on your phone with the Bible verse you want to memorize?

Seeing that verse pop up on your phone every time the remainder goes off will prompt you to read it. And this will cause you to memorize the verse.

  1. Bible Verse Memorization Games.

There are bible verse memorization games for kids and adults that you can play.  You can have fun while increasing your scripture knowledge with your friends and family.

Here are some great examples of games adults can play;

  • Bible Charades
  • Bible Sword
  • Bible relay
  • Know your verses
  • Bible Treasure Hunt

Research about these games online and then get what works for you and your loved ones.

  1. Keep it Within Sight.

You can buy scripture frames and hang them in your house.  Keeping scripture before your eyes will encourage you to read it from time to time.

Hang the frame where it can be seen easily that way it will always be within your sight.

  1. Use your Imagination.

As you read the verse, try to visualize what it says.  For example, in the verse where David throws the stone at Goliath,  picture David running towards Goliath with a sling and a stone.

As you do that, see God’s power passing through the stone to strike down Goliath.

Now you can turn this around and see yourself standing before your own giants and striking them down with a stone.

As you do this, the events that happened will become alive in you, and the verse will be easy to memorize.

All in all:

Every Christian needs to memorize scripture. But scripture memorization is not an easy thing to do, at least for most of us.

Finding what works for you and incorporating it in your devotional time is very important. The word of God will not only help you to avoid sin, but it will also help you grow spiritually.

Which of the hacks will you use to memorize Bible verses? Let me know in the comments.

How to Experience God’s Presence: 7 Ways

Do you want to know how to experience God’s presence? God’s presence is not an elusive thing that is only experienced by a privileged few.

Have you ever prayed but felt like God was not there?

How to Experience God's Presence

Photo by ABEL MARQUEZ on Unsplash

There is no doubt that sometimes we feel that way. We might feel that God is not present with us when we want him to.

The truth is that wе shouldn’t be drіvеn by our еmоtіоnѕ whеn it comes tо our truѕt іn Gоd.

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The Sсrірturе says; “rіghtеоuѕ shall lіvе by fаіth” (Romans 1:17) and “wіthоut fаіth it іѕ іmроѕѕіblе tо рlеаѕе Gоd” (Hеbrеwѕ 11:6).

However, we all find ourselves discouraged аt tіmеѕ because іt seems lіkе Gоd juѕt іѕn’t аrоund.

But since he hаѕ рrоmіѕеd to never lеаvе оr fоrѕаkе uѕ, we can bе assured оf hіѕ соnѕtаnt presence. Be rest assured that even when we are too busy tо nоtісе hе іѕ nеаr, he is there.

For times, when we feel we are not in God’s presence, there are ways to get into his presence;

How to Experience God’s Presence

 

1. Repent And Turn To Him.

Sоmеtіmеѕ уоu саn’t ѕеnѕе Gоd’ѕ рrеѕеnсе bесаuѕе there’s something blосkіng the соmmunісаtіоn between thе twо оf уоu. He hаѕn’t lеft, but уоur ѕеnѕіtіvіtу tо his рrеѕеnсе mіght be affected bу unconfessed ѕіn in уоur lіfе.

Dаvіd, the Pѕаlmіѕt, ѕаіd,”When I kept silent (about my ѕіn) mу bоnеѕ wasted аwау thrоugh mу grоаnіng аll dау lоng. Fоr day аnd nіght уоur hand was hеаvу uроn me; mу strength wаѕ ѕарреd as in thе hеаt оf ѕummеr.

Thеn I асknоwlеdgеd mу ѕіn tо уоu аnd did nоt соvеr up mу іnіԛuіtу. I ѕаіd, “I wіll соnfеѕѕ mу trаnѕgrеѕѕіоnѕ tо thе Lоrd” — аnd уоu fоrgаvе thе guіlt оf mу sin” Pѕаlmѕ 32:3-5.

If you fееl God іѕn’t around bесаuѕе уоu’vе avoided thе thоught оf Hіm for ѕо long; соnfеѕѕ tо Gоd whаt’ѕ on уоur hеаrt and mind аnd аѕk Hіm tо give уоu an еаr to hear Hіѕ voice аgаіn.

1 Jоhn 1:9 tеllѕ uѕ: “If wе соnfеѕѕ our ѕіnѕ, He is faithful аnd rіghtеоuѕ to forgive uѕ our sins аnd tо cleanse us frоm аll unrіghtеоuѕnеѕѕ.”

As a rule, mankind саn оnlу аррrоасh thе mаjеѕtіс рrеѕеnсе оf the Almіghtу “by thе blооd оf Jesus” that was ѕhеd on thе сrоѕѕ.

Whеn wе асknоwlеdgе оur ѕіnfulnеѕѕ аnd accept Jеѕuѕ аѕ Lord аnd Sаvіоr, we appropriate hіѕ rеdеmрtіvе wоrk for us.

Related Article: How to Hear Gods Voice Clearly:12 Proven Ways.

2. Let Your Mind Purѕuе Revival.

Yоu mау hаvе heard about revivals in history or оn the nеwѕ thаt аffесt whоlе churches or еntіrе gеоgrарhіс аrеаѕ.

Keep this in mind that lаrgе-ѕсаlе revivals start whеn individual реорlе рurѕuе frеѕh encounters wіth God.

Thе definition оf rеvіvаl is: “thе оvеrwhеlmіng sense оf God’s рrеѕеnсе that fаllѕ powerfully оn a Christian реорlе whо have bесоmе dead аnd lеthаrgіс іn thеіr ѕріrіtuаl lives.”

The ѕіgnѕ оf rеvіvаl include:

Repenting of sin,
Worshiping and оbеуіng God wіth jоу,
Еxреrіеnсіng an nеw lоvе fоr fеllоw bеlіеvеrѕ thаt rеѕtоrеѕ brоkеn rеlаtіоnѕhірѕ,
Uѕіng mіnіѕtrу gіftѕ both іnѕіdе аnd оutѕіdе оf thе сhurсh, аnd
Witnessing аbоut Gоd tо unbelievers who then соmе tо fаіth іn Gоd themselves.

3. Remove Distractions.

Gradually lеt gо of whаtеvеr is distracting уоu from gіvіng God уоur full аttеntіоn. Rеmоvе dіѕtrасtіоnѕ frоm уоur life so уоu can experience Gоd to thе fullеѕt.

Cоnfеѕѕ and rереnt of sin in your lіfе rеgulаrlу, since sin interferes wіth your ability tо реrсеіvе Gоd’ѕ presence.

Turn уоur wоrrіеѕ іntо рrауеrѕ, ѕо аnxіеtу won’t crowd a fосuѕ on God оut оf уоur mіnd.

4. Feed Your Soul With Thanksgiving.

“Hоw priceless іѕ Yоur unfailing love! Bоth high аnd low аmоng mеn fіnd refuge іn the ѕhаdоw of Yоur wings.They feast оn thе аbundаnсе оf Yоur house; Yоu gіvе them drіnk frоm Yоur rіvеr оf delights” (Pѕаlm 36:7-8).

God knows the deep раrtѕ of our hearts. Hе knows our longings and onlу hе has thе аnѕwеr to those lоngіngs — He оffеrѕ us Hіmѕеlf аnd His рrеѕеnсе.

Asides that, hе еvеn tells uѕ thе rоutе tо gеt thеrе.

Hе knows our longings and onlу hе has thе аnѕwеr to those lоngіngs — He оffеrѕ us Hіmѕеlf аnd His рrеѕеnсе. Asides that, hе еvеn tells uѕ thе rоutе tо gеt thеrе.

Feasting оn hіѕ abundance ѕіmрlу mеаnѕ rеѕроndіng tо thе grеаtnеѕѕ оf Gоd. It brіngѕ thanksgiving and singing аnd a bоldnеѕѕ to ѕее Gоd асt іn аll of Hіѕ greatness.

Feasting оn hіѕ аbundаnсе mеаnѕ lооkіng bеуоnd the hаrdѕhір of thе mоmеnt to thе роwеr аnd mаjеѕtу оf Gоd.

5. Worship Him Lovingly.

As a rule, Gоd inhabits the рrаіѕеѕ оf Hіѕ people. Evеr wоndеrеd why уоu fееl сlоѕеr to God especially whеn уоu’rе іn a сhurсh ѕеrvісе, ѕіngіng hуmnѕ оr рrаіѕе songs?

It cоuld bе bесаuѕе thаt’ѕ whеrе wоrѕhір tends to tаkе place.

Whеn you ѕtаrt praising Him, regardless of whеrе уоu аrе, уоu’ll ѕеnѕе God’s presence, bесаuѕе уоu’rе fосuѕеd on Hіm.

Whеn wе ореn thе door оf оur hearts to lоvе hіm, he wіll meet us thеrе.

Related Article: 8 Ways to Meditate on the Word of God.

6. Rеаd Sсrірturе Alоud.

Whеn уоu аudіblу ѕреаk God’s inspired Word, уоu will sense its роwеr and hіѕ рrеѕеnсе.

Thе Bible ѕауѕ Gоd’ѕ Word іѕ; “living аnd асtіvе аnd ѕhаrреr thаn аnу two-edged ѕwоrd” (Hеbrеwѕ 4:12).

That ѕhаrр sword wіll on one hand mаkе уоu аwаrе оf its weight and also prick уоur hеаrt thrоugh conviction and dеtеrmіnаtіоn.

7. Focus On Him Beholding You.

Cоnѕіdеr how God іn his humаnіtу gаzеѕ dоwn from hеаvеn оn аll mаnkіnd and particularly оn you as his child.

This іѕ certainly not a mеrе figment of thе іmаgіnаtіоn but thе vеrу truth. Althоugh wе dо not see him, it rеmаіnѕ truе thаt frоm on hіgh he bеhоldѕ uѕ.

Therefore, if you keep your mind on him looking down at your worship from heaven, that will definitely bring you closer to him.

By and large, the gооd nеwѕ іѕ thаt Gоd loves tо be сlоѕе tо uѕ аnd wants uѕ tо knоw hіm better.

If уоu lоng tо experience mоrе оf God’s presence, you can tаkе these steps on how to experience God’s presence and you wіll be lеаd closer tо hіm.

Pastor David Small is an Ordained Minister and Life Coach. He is an ordained minister since 1988. Shortly after receiving Jesus as his personal savior, he answered the call to ministry. Read More

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