Summer came to an official end yesterday. We spent this weekend soaking up the last bits of summer sun, swimming at the pool, and playing with friends. How was your Labor Day weekend?
With the end of summer comes the start of school, fall sports seasons, and a renewed focus back on the work of life. Summer is that season where we all take a little break from the intensity and focus. The season for rest and renewal. Even if you didn’t dip your feet into the water or walk on a sandy beach, hopefully you did take time this summer to relax a bit.
We take vacations from school, our jobs, the everyday routines, the stresses of “real life”, but did you also find yourself taking a vacation from God this summer? I often do. With most churches also taking a summer break to recharge before the fall programming season, you may not have had your regular Bible study or small group. With the kids home all summer, you may not have had your quiet time for prayer and reading. With vacations, camps, and other irregular schedules you may have fallen out of your habits of regular time with God.
So, how can we get back into our habits and start off this next season on the right foot? As we begin to refocus on school and work, let’s also refocus on our relationship with God. Below are 3 ways to renew your faith this fall:
1) Schedule time with God on your calendar.
I spent much of this past week sorting out the family calendar for the fall. Adding in key dates from the kids’ school calendars, game days for soccer and softball, and scheduling other activities. The weeks are already looking alarmingly full (and that doesn’t include my work calendar!).
If you’re also calendar-driven, add appointments on your calendar for your time with God. Putting this time in writing will give you that extra accountability and reminder. Don’t just put down your small group or Bible study time, but also add time daily for you and God to meet as you work through the week’s Bible study topics or just to catch up in prayer.
2) Get into God’s word.
The Bible probably wasn’t on your summer reading list or in your beach bag, but this fall season is a great time to open its pages again. Join a Bible study, start a reading program (BibleGateway.com has some great ones – even an app for your phone), or just get into its pages each day. We need God’s words to speak to our souls and guide our hearts. Even just a few verses a day can be invaluable. Make a plan now on how to incorporate more of God’s word into your daily routine. If you’re already in the habit of daily Bible reading, consider changing your approach or choose a different Bible translation to add a new perspective.
3) Renew your conversation with God in prayer.
You probably didn’t completely take a vacation from prayer, but did you ease up from the conversation this summer? Renew your relationship with God this fall by committing to more regular prayer. Not just the on-the-run prayers or the Sunday-morning-in-church prayers. Those are great, but God wants more from us. He wants us to truly spend time with Him, sharing our lives, our concerns, and our dreams. He wants us to also spend time listening to Him, allowing Him to enter the conversation to comfort, encourage, and guide us. The Pray Deep page here is full of ideas and resources to help you renew those conversations with God in prayer.
What are other ways you’re getting back into your spiritual habits this fall?
If you’re looking for a way to reconnect with God this fall, my devotional prayer journal, Pray Deep, is a 21-day focus on prayer, with each day guiding you through a different prayer topic or type of prayer. As you explore these prayers and spend time with God, you’ll find the ways you connect best with Him in prayer. You’ll discover old favorites as well as new ideas to spark and enliven your prayer life. Click HERE to learn more.
{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}
3 Ways to Renew Your Faith this Fall – Prayer & Possibilities
Summer came to an official end yesterday. We spent this weekend soaking up the last bits of summer sun, swimming at the pool, and playing with friends. How was your Labor Day weekend?
With the end of summer comes the start of school, fall sports seasons, and a renewed focus back on the work of life. Summer is that season where we all take a little break from the intensity and focus. The season for rest and renewal. Even if you didn’t dip your feet into the water or walk on a sandy beach, hopefully you did take time this summer to relax a bit.
We take vacations from school, our jobs, the everyday routines, the stresses of “real life”, but did you also find yourself taking a vacation from God this summer? I often do. With most churches also taking a summer break to recharge before the fall programming season, you may not have had your regular Bible study or small group. With the kids home all summer, you may not have had your quiet time for prayer and reading. With vacations, camps, and other irregular schedules you may have fallen out of your habits of regular time with God.
So, how can we get back into our habits and start off this next season on the right foot? As we begin to refocus on school and work, let’s also refocus on our relationship with God. Below are 3 ways to renew your faith this fall:
1) Schedule time with God on your calendar.
I spent much of this past week sorting out the family calendar for the fall. Adding in key dates from the kids’ school calendars, game days for soccer and softball, and scheduling other activities. The weeks are already looking alarmingly full (and that doesn’t include my work calendar!).
If you’re also calendar-driven, add appointments on your calendar for your time with God. Putting this time in writing will give you that extra accountability and reminder. Don’t just put down your small group or Bible study time, but also add time daily for you and God to meet as you work through the week’s Bible study topics or just to catch up in prayer.
2) Get into God’s word.
The Bible probably wasn’t on your summer reading list or in your beach bag, but this fall season is a great time to open its pages again. Join a Bible study, start a reading program (BibleGateway.com has some great ones – even an app for your phone), or just get into its pages each day. We need God’s words to speak to our souls and guide our hearts. Even just a few verses a day can be invaluable. Make a plan now on how to incorporate more of God’s word into your daily routine. If you’re already in the habit of daily Bible reading, consider changing your approach or choose a different Bible translation to add a new perspective.
3) Renew your conversation with God in prayer.
You probably didn’t completely take a vacation from prayer, but did you ease up from the conversation this summer? Renew your relationship with God this fall by committing to more regular prayer. Not just the on-the-run prayers or the Sunday-morning-in-church prayers. Those are great, but God wants more from us. He wants us to truly spend time with Him, sharing our lives, our concerns, and our dreams. He wants us to also spend time listening to Him, allowing Him to enter the conversation to comfort, encourage, and guide us. The Pray Deep page here is full of ideas and resources to help you renew those conversations with God in prayer.
What are other ways you’re getting back into your spiritual habits this fall?
If you’re looking for a way to reconnect with God this fall, my devotional prayer journal, Pray Deep, is a 21-day focus on prayer, with each day guiding you through a different prayer topic or type of prayer. As you explore these prayers and spend time with God, you’ll find the ways you connect best with Him in prayer. You’ll discover old favorites as well as new ideas to spark and enliven your prayer life. Click HERE to learn more.
{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}