4 Creative Ways to Connect with God in Addition to Prayer and Bible Study

What is a prayer walk? Author Heather Adams shares, “A prayer walk, simply put, is going somewhere with the intention of lifting up prayers for people and situations along the way. It is a kind of “moving intercession.” Of course, personal petitions are welcome.

A prayer walk can accommodate any schedule. Whether you need a break from the office cubicle or Fluffy requires a daily jaunt, it’s simple to incorporate prayer.  

Unsure about starting? I often begin with a praise song. Then, I invite the Holy Spirit to join me as I “present [my] requests before the throne” (Hebrews 4:16) or intercede for others. Some Christians pray for the places, people, and neighborhoods they pass along the way. Others lift the needs of the city, state, or country to the Lord. 

Far from formulaic, a prayer walk can even include other prayer warriors.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/krblokhin

I discovered the power of “one word” years ago. Many women in the writing group to which I belong were discussing their new word of the year. Each writer explained that she had prayed God would reveal a specific word upon which she should focus. Faithful believers, they assured me this habit proved a dynamic way to spend time with God. 

For more than two months, I asked the Lord to give me “one word.” Soon, I noticed a specific word all of the time--when I read scripture, attended church, or listened to podcast episodes. That word launched a regular rhythm in my life. But why choose “one word”?

Why Choose One Word?

I’ve found this process helps me focus my attention on specific biblical concepts. Kathryn Graves describes her experience this way: “Whenever planting myself in a chair and my fingers on the keyboard seemed less compelling than, say, the laundry…the Lord sent 'persevere' whizzing through my brain.” Like Kathryn, my “one word” tends to redirect my thoughts and remind me of my relationship with the Lord.

If you’d like to choose “one word,” I recommend you:

• Pray for Wisdom. Ask the Holy Spirit to attune your spirit to His as you discern what He intends for you. Pay attention to words that jump off the page of the Bible or draw your curiosity during the church service. Set aside unhurried moments to listen for the voice of God as He prepares you.
• Consider Areas for Spiritual Growth. Do you long for God to transform a certain area of your life? Would you like to overcome or develop certain habits? Brainstorm a list of words related to these areas.
  
  

Once you’ve decided on a word to anchor your thoughts, explore its meaning as you:

• create a collage, drawing, or printable image featuring your word. Hang your artwork on the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, or at the office--somewhere you’ll be reminded of it each day.
• dive into an in-depth Bible study. I like to research the word’s meaning in the original language and record verses of scripture that include the word. I also journal about any relevant information and quotes from Bible scholars that I discover in reliable commentaries. 
• read Bible studies or books related to your word.
• ask the Lord to reveal ways He wants you to embrace the word in different settings. How might you apply the word differently at home, work, church, or in your community?
  
  

Do you feel unsure about next steps? Elizabeth Delaney’s article includes scriptures and prayers to help guide you. 

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/patpitchaya

Fasting also leads believers into deeper connection with the Lord. How do we know? The list of biblical adherents conveys its value. 

Biblical Examples of Fasting:

• Moses fasted at least three times. Exodus 34:28 (NKJV) records, “So he was there [Mount Sinia] with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” God’s prophet also abstained for forty days from food and water when he interceded on behalf of the Israelites. (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25)
• David embraced the same pattern, fasting with contrition and repentance for committing adultery with Urriah’s wife, Bathsheba. Months later David prostrated himself on the ground clad in sackcloth. Bereft of food or comfort, he begged God to spare his infant’s life. 
• Queen Esther instituted a three-day, citywide fast among the Jews before approaching Artexerxes without permission—an act punishable by death unless he extended mercy. Her goal? To seek God’s will, favor, and protection. 
• A teenaged Daniel and his friends reaffirmed their commitment to the Lord when, as Babyloninan captives, they abstained from foods forbidden by Jewish law. God rewarded their act of worship with “knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.” (Daniel 1:17 NIV) 
• Blinded by an encounter with Christ, the apostle Paul dedicated three days to prayer and fasting. Following a miraculous healing? The man who once persecuted believers dedicated his life to the pursuit of the Messiah.
• After His baptism, Jesus embarked on a forty-day fast in the Judean wilderness. Though absent of sustenance, Christ’s scriptural knowledge provided the spiritual power needed to thwart Satan’s three-pronged effort to derail Him.
  
  

If the people noted above considered fasting a worthwhile way to connect with God, perhaps we should incorporate it as a regular part of our faith walk. 

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Jorg Greuel

A pink notebook rests on the ledge near my bedroom window along with a Bible or two. It contains multiple years of prayer requests. An intercessory prayer journal, the pages are a record of God’s goodness and a testimony to His faithfulness.

Name after name boasts a check mark next to it. A few others remain starred—indicating the need for continued appeals on behalf of a family member, friend, colleague, church member, or stranger. 

Will Journaling Help Me Connect With God?

King David penned more than half of the Psalms—words of desperation, praise, and lament put to song. While conversation with God takes many forms and none is more spiritual than the other, David’s sacred prayers — along with others memorialized in scripture — indicate the significance of writing our petitions and praises to the Lord.

Other types of journaling include Bible journaling, gratitude journaling, or recording personal prayers. 

• Bible journaling-My husband presented me with a journaling Bible several years ago. Since then, I’ve jotted responses, thoughts, questions, and more in the ample margins. In reference to Bible journaling, Jennifer Heeren notes, “You read something that God says and then you respond to it in writing. It’s like having a conversation with the living God.” 
• Gratitude journaling-At times, circumstances and struggles will challenge even the most optimistic individual.  When life overwhelms or anxiety blossoms, this style of journaling battles against negativity and fosters a heart-attitudae of thanksgiving to the One who provides for our spiritual, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs.   
• Prayer journaling-According to Debbie Przybylski, “Prayer journaling is a way to dialogue with God daily, so that we can remember what and how God is speaking to us.”
  
  

Intimate conversation builds the foundation in every relationship—including our connection with the Lord.

Can I encourage you to share your heart with Him? Invite Him into the joyful spaces and hurting places. Celebrate. Grieve. Praise. Listen for the still, small voice of the Counselor and Comforter.  

God created you to enjoy His presence. Whether you connect with Him through traditional means of Bible study and prayer or less familiar methods of worship, the Lord longs to spend time with you—His beloved child. 

Photo credit: Unsplash/lilartsy