When God asks us to trust, something in us rebels. It feels intangible and just out of reach. We want Him to leave us with our worry a little longer because at least it feels like something is being done about our problem. Have you ever considered that trust is actually God’s gift to us and not the other way around?

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time asking God for things. But I often neglect to notice the grace of God’s movement in those areas. The goodness of life and the peace of our day comes from looking for grace. But we’ve got to train ourselves to find it. Reminders from scripture and spiritual practices help us notice what He’s done.

The world stage is just ablaze with sad headlines and upheaval. It tries to spark fear in us. Have you felt it? Jesus is no stranger to upheaval. In the midst of all of this, Jesus, who was afraid of nothing, speaks ever so gently to us saying--What are you really afraid of? You have turmoil because things are up in the air. But I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The only way we will persist through interruptions that will inevitably shake our plans is by embracing the life we find ourselves living, and embracing the change that follows rather than running from it. By opening our clenched fists, refusing to give our schedule the final word, and opening our hearts to the gifts that might be hiding inside the inconvenient. By being present to the presence of God with us.

With the internet and social media at our fingertips, we are constantly bombarded with notifications that interrupt us. We need to purposely tune out the world’s noise and intentionally focus on the Lord. We need to enter a time of silence and solitude, when our phones are on “do not disturb,” and distractions are nonexistent.

So how do we do this? We schedule it.

I’m in awe of how God wired us with the ability to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. Yes, our senses help us navigate the world, but they can also help us draw closer to Him. Like a good father, God longs to connect with us throughout our day, and one way to cultivate this connectivity is by engaging our senses.

I needed to invite God into my world and give him the sacred space to reshape my identity. He lovingly led me into the pages of his word, where I found myself written all over his story.

The God kind of love is so completely faithful and just and accepting that it has the ability to make us completely secure, and safe. So that we have no physical need for worry because there is nothing to worry about.

Prayer is often seen as a solitary task using our own internal voice to connect with God. In borrowed prayer, we join with fellow Christians in the greater longing for God. I have found that no matter how often I repeat the same prayer, I can find new depth of meaning in its words and a greater sense of calm with each reciting.

In a busy world full of distraction and constant pressure to be doing something and going somewhere, it can be nearly impossible to be present. In fact, it has become our normal to find ourselves rushing from one place to the next, overwhelmed by to-do lists.  But that’s not how God wants us to live. 

While there are extra holy moments with God, when we feel the divine presence closer than our breath, the reality is mundane most of the time. How can we keep our close feeling with God when ordinary times can leave us seemingly not even thinking about Him?

Where are you, Lord? I have whispered those words on more than one occasion throughout my spiritual journey, and I’m sure you also have. Experiencing a disconnection from the Lord can leave us wandering in a wilderness of doubt and questioning. But He never disconnects from us and longs to be close again.

I’ve realized that we will never hear God’s voice in the same way as someone else does, because, as poet Rainer Maria Rilke writes, God speaks to each of us as he makes us. Our intentional God knows every messy bit of our story more intimately than anyone ever has or will, lovingly familiar with our differences.

I want my faith to flourish like wildflowers, but I must be more intentional in cultivating the conditions for spiritual growth. However well-intentioned we are to practice our spiritual disciplines, sometimes we run into obstacles. Here are two of the most common ones, and some thoughts on how we can overcome them.

Consistent time with God is how we center our lives around Him, get regular direction, and grow closer to Him relationally. In fact, I would argue that consistency is more important than length of time or what you do. These are a few ideas for doing it more often - with no shame added.