Ten Ways You Can Draw Near To God . . . In the Midst of a Busy Life

This post is the brain-child of my FAVORITE 18 YEAR OLD IN ALL THE UNIVERSE... my niece, Dayne LoRe. She is a sophomore at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT. She is one smart and talented girl, so we asked her for some blog post suggestions. Thanks Dayne!

Dayne and I during her June Texas visit...

Who doesn't have a "busy" life these days? Often, when we inquire how someone is doing, we hear," I am really busy."

This verse comes to mind when I ponder drawing near:

"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you ..." James 4:7-8

Here are 10 ideas you may enjoy incorporating into your days:

1. Get the YouVersion Bible app on your phone. I love having God's word always handy when I have some extra time. It includes a verse of the day, reading and devotional plans, easy way to find a verse and lots more. It will even read the Bible to me while I get ready in the mornings.

2. Keep a praise journal and list God's blessings and gifts of the day. Try to add 10 a day. It can be as simple as, "Thankful I am not in the hospital today."

3. Listen to Christian music to begin your day, as well as throughout. Spotify and Pandora are handy. Some favorites include Needtobreathe, Chris Tomlim, Ellie Holcomb, Lauren Daigle, Of King and Country, Hillsong United, Andrew Peterson, and Kari Jobe. (Ryan's favorites are Elevation worship, All Sons and Daughters, and Bethel music.)

4. Pray out loud when driving alone; helps keep me focused.

5. Write Bible verses on cards and place them on your bathroom mirror, fridge, car dash, kitchen blackboard, or wherever you will notice them.

It's fun to change up verses on my kitchen blackboard. Love to see them all the time!

6. Keep a good Christian book going. Right now, Erin and I are both enjoying The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst.

7. Memorize favorite scriptures. I really like the Bible Memory app. Spend a few minutes on a new verse and a few reviewing others.

Holy Bible and Bible Memory app...fantastic!

8. Read a Psalm every night before bed.

9. Have a community or even one friend that you discuss God with and who you can pray with and for, and who will pray for you as well. This one is SO encouraging and faith building!