I read posts about being intentional ALL OF THE TIME. Intentional parenting. Being intentional in your marriage. With your job.
But, something I realized I have totally slacked off on, and probably the most important one- my spiritual walk, has been suffering.
I’ve slacked way off on reading my Bible. On remembering to pray. On seeking God in situations, instead trying to solve them myself. Just because I’ve read the whole Bible doesn’t mean I don’t need to keep reading it. I pray when I need something- but that’s not the only time I need to seek Him in prayer.
So, I came up with this list to help me be more intentional in my spiritual life:
1.) Placing my Bible on my nightstand. So, in the morning it’s the first thing I reach for. I plugged my phone in across the room so I’m not even tempted to grab it first. I always have a book next to my bed in case I can’t sleep- so why not make it THE BOOK?
2.) Fitting prayers in throughout my day. My favorite times to pray? In the shower. When I’m doing dishes. When I’m doing tasks that would normally have my mind wandering or daydreaming. It seems silly, but I have had some of my best conversations with God whilst scrubbing dirty pots and pans.
3.) Keeping a Gratitude Journal. I started a gratitude journal a few years ago, and wrote in it religiously for maybe two weeks. It has pretty much been on the shelf ever since. I’m going to make it a point a few times a week, to jot down what I’m thankful for. To scan through and see what I’ve written. When I’m grumpy, I can turn to that instead of other things. I think I’ll start a prayer journal as well.
4.) Get an accountability partner. Ask a friend to join you on this journey. Pray with them, and share your prayer requests with one another. Do a Bible Study together. Support and lift each other up.
5.) Share the Gospel with your Kids. Sometimes, because Sunday School does a lot of the work for us, we forget to be intentional in our children’s spiritual walks as well. We use a secular homeschool curriculum, for many reasons, so I have to be super intentional about teaching my son about the gospel. We like to buy Bible Stories for Kids books to read before bed time. (Comment below if you’d like a list of our favorites!) Or when he checks his calendar and sees different Holy Holidays, we try to go into a little more detail when explaining them to him- even if they’re not ones we necessarily celebrate. Spend extra time in prayer with your little ones, and teach them to seek God when they need help, but also in thanksgiving!
Sometimes just a few small changes can make a huge difference!
If you have been wanting to grow in your spiritual walk, join me! And let me know what you do to be more intentional.
