How to meet with God without going to church
Do you think you can only meet with God when you are sitting in your seat at church? I know many Christians who are trapped in this belief. So, it makes it really tough when you are in a point where you have a problem you need to talk to God about. There’s a way to meet with God daily to help restore and keep your soul….but, if you aren’t doing it you may become like a spiritual desert.
That’s where I was. In a spiritual desert.
Sitting in the seat during a funeral, dressed in my Sunday best, and listening to the celebration of the home going of a precious man, I realized I hadn’t met with God lately. Not the way his life and legacy exemplified. My Christian life was stagnant. I used stress and a busy life as an excuse. The more I claimed to have a close relationship with the God, the more I felt as if I was lying. That day driving home from the funeral I felt disconnected. I determined that I would not only restore the joy in my life, but I would restore my joy in the Lord. It had been a rough road – life had thrown our family some punches. But, I decided I was going be like one of those old toys called the weebles. I wasn’t going to stay down. I may weeble and wobble, but I was going to stand firm and tall in my walk with God.
For me, my restored walk began with prayer. I had already been a praying Christian. There wasn’t any thing or topic I wasn’t ready to pray about. But, I began to pray with more fervency and started keeping prayer journals. I started to meet with God daily and I wrote things down. Things deep in my heart, that I before I had only whispered to Him. Those faint whispers became written words. Sometimes I wrote them with big CAPITAL LETTERS <the equivalent to shouting at God> but I decided to be brutally truthful and honest.Β I chuckle now, because God knew my heart.Β He was a patient parent, waiting for me to be honest with Him.Β I want to share with you how I met with God daily.
Prayer Journal and Meet With God
Your prayer journal is your free pass to meet with God daily. There’s not many things in life that are free, so this is one I like to take advantage of!
I hope you are blessed to have some close friends. But, can you imagine having close friends and never spending time with them? What if you only thought about them, and how special they were to you? What if you never met with them to tell them to thank you or to hear how their lives were going?
Sadly, some Christians do that very thing. Despite loving God and having a vast knowledge regarding the Lord and His work, and having Him as their best friend, they don’t get to enjoy a beautiful relationship with their Heavenly Father. Why? Because they don’t talk to Him on a regular basis.
How is it possible to fill the head with spiritual knowledge and our lives with spiritual activities, which are all good, but we don’t nurture the most important relationship in our life?
Why You Should Meet With God With Your Prayer Journal
I want to ask you some hard questions, and I would like you to answer truthfully.
- Is your church attendance only from a sense of duty?
- Do you pray rote prayers-ones pre-written with no thoughts to your personal needs and wants?
- Is serving God fulfilling a sense of obligation?
The Bible tells us of people who had personal encounters and met with the Lord. They were energized, and it changed their lives. Moses met God at the burning bush, and his life took a new turn. God gave Abraham a promise, and it charted his life forever. Paul was knocked from his horse and changed his life’s direction.
Each of those people, and more had exciting experiences. While we may all want (or maybe not!) a burning bush experience, we can still have precious, intimate and beautiful times with God.
When we open our whole heart to prayer and His Word, we have the power to hear directly from our heavenly Father. Your personal prayer journal is one tool you can use when you meet with God.
Three Reasons To Meet With God and Keep A Prayer Journal
1. When you go to God expecting to take notes, you are expecting God to do something. You are expecting your heart to hear from God.
2. When you are writing your prayers, your calm your mind and are better prepared to listen. Writing your prayers keeps your mind wandering to the grocery list.
3. Writing in your in your prayer journal confirms in your mind not only that you are praying, but that God is listening. As you are able to circle answered prayers there’s no doubt God hears and listens to you.
In my book, The Creative Prayer Journal, I share 21 creative prayer journal ideas. These were, and are, ways that I creatively pray. They’ve opened up a new way for me to keep a prayer journal and to have meaningful conversations with God.
Are you desiring more meaningful prayer in your life? Would you like to start hearing from God and journal those thoughts and feelings? Pick up your copy of The Creative Prayer Journal today and begin opening the pages to your prayer journal today! When you purchase the book you have free access to a special Facebook Group where we uplift and encourage each other as we creatively pray each day. You can also find me in Facebook.