7 ways to improve your spiritual life

Have you ever been in a relationship where you were taken for granted? One where you were not prioritized, and your efforts were one-sided?

Is it possible that your relationship with God is one-sided, and this time you are to blame?

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I hope you are not surprised to learn that both human and divine relationships function similarly; this should come as no surprise given that we were created in 'His Image,' remember?

Do you want to get closer to God but don't know where to begin?

Here are 7 sure-fire ways to get closer to God and become his best friend.

1. Give God your time and be intentional about it

Any relationship would require intentionality and effort, not spontaneity. For any significant familiarity or closeness to be created, you must not leave your relationship & communion with God to chance.

Don't say you will pray, study the word, or listen to God "when I feel like it" or "when I remember". If you make this mistake, you may never find the time or improve your relationship with him. 

2. Give God your attention 

Almost always, Time= Attention and attention is a good place to start. Attention is a currency, and we pay it for many things daily. The question is, how much of it do you pay to God? The creator of time himself.

The purpose of this question is not to arouse guilt but to set you up to make positive changes that will tune your time, desire, and affection to the One who loves you the most.

3. Set Alarms for personal devotions

(I feel like I heard someone say "cliché" *yawning when they saw 'alarms'); but really, how about that time you set REPEAT alarms to wake up or prompt you to do something? 90% of the time, you did them. If you need that external reminder to devote personal time to God, use your alarm.

An example to emulate is Jesus Christ. Look at how often he took time to 'withdraw' himself to be alone for the sake of prayer (Luke 5:16).

4. Involve God in your daily activities 

For instance, Pray before opening social media every day. Read a chapter of the bible before your breakfast or morning coffee.

Meditate on God's love and confess His promises while you drive or do the dishes, etc. By incorporating a spiritual activity before or during any activity, you carry God with you and draw closer to him.

Don't wait until you have nothing to do; you can give God your attention while going about your daily activities.

5. Be mindful of what you watch or listen to

Consciously curate your environment and digital space. Utilize your music library by creating prayer, worship, and meditation-inspiring playlists. Are you a fan of podcasts?

That's fantastic! You can add your set preacher or other preachers of the Word of God and follow them on social media.

Additionally, an audio Bible is a way to help keep your senses sharp while reading the bible, especially in moments where there are distractions.

6. Leverage Social Media 

Have you ever been present when someone argued whether SM had done more harm or good to our society? Guess what? In this particular scenario- you're in control!

Follow Godly pages that make content that will prompt you to pray, worship, and study your Bible. Join events that build your faith, edification, and fellowship with other believers.

7. Get connected to a faith-based Community!

In any facet of life, you are more likely to complete a plan or achieve a goal when you have one or more persons doing it alongside you than when you embark on your own! On this note, I would like to recommend the YouVersion App. 

If you haven't heard of it, it's a bible application with features to make your communion with God a daily habit. The app makes your fellowship and study of the word more delightful, enjoyable, and feasible.

You can also add friends and do devotional plans and challenges together, spurring one another to love and good works, as the bible tells us in Hebrews 10:24.

Final Note

Let desire drive you. Maintain your focus. Constantly remind yourself that beyond activities: God is the focus of your attention. He is the one you are getting to know, love, serve and grow in a relationship with. In this way, you know that it is not about ticking off boxes or telling your community/accountability team of your achieved goals.

This is how you achieve viable growth in Christ, growing in faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love for every one (2 Peter 1:5-8).

Finally, I want to end this post with a song recommendation *smiles, so here goes Listen to I'm Done Writing by Kaytez Kanu. 

Grace and peace be unto you.