100 Simple Ways to Connect with God , livre ebook

Bill Winston Ministries - Veronica Winston Dr.

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

132 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

Do you feel that sometimes your fellowship with God is dry, unengaging or disconnected? Well, it doesn't have to be! Connecting with God can be as meaningful and exciting as conversing with your best friend. 100 Simple Ways to Connect with God was written to help you foster a true day-to-day relationship between you and your Creator. Say goodbye to boredom and learn to enjoy the reality of His presence every day!

Sujets

Body

Mind

Informations

Publié par	Bill Winston Ministries
Date de parution	31 janvier 2018
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781635410099
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0174€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

100 SIMPLE WAYS TO
CONNECT
WITH
GOD
Any Time, Anywhere, Every Day!
D R . V ERONICA B. W INSTON
100 Simple Ways To Connect With God
All Scripture references are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
ISBN: 978-1-63541-008-2
Copyright November 2017
Published by Bill Winston Ministries
P.O. Box 947
Oak Park, IL 60303-0947
Copies of 100 Simple Ways To Connect With God can be obtained through:
Royal Christian Bookstores & Cafés
7600 W. Roosevelt Road
Forest Park, IL 60130
(708) 697-5333
www.royalchristianbookstores.com
www.billwinston.org
Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Content and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the author or Bill Winston Ministries.
D EDICATION
T his book is dedicated to those who “keep it real,” knowing that in spite of their imperfections, character flaws, missteps, and carnal moments, God still desires a relationship with them, and they unashamedly come boldly before Him, with the full expectation that He will complete His work in them.
To the people whose lives have been radically changed because one day they permanently connected with the God who is really, really good to know and hang out with.
And to those who refuse to let go of their God, who remain steadfast in their faith despite adverse circumstances, having discovered that it’s indeed true that without Him we can do nothing. And to you, to nudge you to get Him involved in everything on your journey of faith and to live an exciting life!
T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
Introduction
A Word to Beginners
Speaking
Reading
Reflecting
Listening
Sanctifying
Writing
Organizing
Refocusing
Abiding
Pressing In
Resisting Temptation
Recovering
Group Devotionals
Practical Tips
Closing Comments
Index 100 Simple Ways to Connect with God
I NTRODUCTION
C onnecting with God is all about relationship . Getting to know the God who loves you, saved you, and planned a good life for you. It’s where you learn what moves His heart, and where you allow Him to move yours.
Connection takes place when we respond to our loving God drawing us into eternal life in Him, in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). This union is so strong that the apostle John describes Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as “that we might live through him (1 John 4:9).
“Eternal life” describes the life and ministry of Jesus, which every believer now has (1 John 1:2, 5:11). We are called to be like Jesus (1 John 3:2) to walk as he walked (1 John 2:6) and to protect the eternal life which abides in us by loving our brother (1 John 3:14-15).
The goal is not to connect and disconnect, but to dwell in or live in God always, by dwelling in love (1 John 4:16) and walking in truth (3 John 3-4). God’s greatest commandments to love God and love our neighbor set a compass in our hearts, pointing back to God, so every deed and encounter can be assessed if it is truly on the path of life.
Pursuing God with relentless passion keeps our love for Him alive and infuses us with His love and grace to enrich our other relationships. Engaging God’s Word (the Bible) and His Holy Spirit continually are as vital to our soul’s health as oxygen and blood are to our bodies. We regulate the pump of our soul’s “heart” by communicating and communing with God. If we neglect the feeding and nourishing of our relationship with God, the soul’s heart stops pumping, and our soul grows cold and rigid towards God; dull, unfeeling, dispassionate, distant lukewarm, and unresponsive.
We endanger our very lives into becoming dead to God and alive to sin, instead of alive to God and dead to sin (Romans 6:11). Jesus prayed for our union with Him and the Father (John 17:21-23) that we would be one. As good friends and family, the more we “hang out,” the more like Him we sound and act. This is the destiny of every believer. (Romans 8:29)
God loves us soooo much that He will freely give us all things we ask of Him (Romans 8:32, Psalm 84:11, Matthew 7:7-8). Answered prayer begins with our commitment to and the pursuit of a living, active and, at times, exciting union or connection with God. God searches our hearts and seeks to develop a purity in our motives and attitudes. That is why the journey to answered prayer (connection time) is as important as the destination.
God is drawing us to converse with our Creator on a daily basis. Receiving salvation is our accepting God’s invitation to journey with Him throughout the rest of our lives, and follow Him as He leads us down the best possible path to a fulfilling life now and for eternity.
Spending time with God is not complicated, mysterious or mystical. It is as normal as having a conversation with the person sitting next to you. It does not have to be emotional, but it can be. It does not have to be long, but it is engaging when it is.
Time spent with God is when we get to know Him. Some call it a “devotional” time in the morning. I call it “connect” time at any time of the day or night. It is where we express our love and devotion towards Him. In turn, He speaks to us, through Bible verses, revelation of a hidden truth just revealed, or through an inward witness or knowing. He can speak audibly, but usually hearing from God is an assurance within our heart.
Connection with God keeps His presence a continuous living reality. We “connect” through many methods of interacting with Him and His Word, the Bible. Even though we cannot visibly see Him, the more we acknowledge Him, the more real He becomes to us.
Let’s review some definitions of the word connect to give us clarity:

1. to link two things 2. associate somebody or something with another 3. get along well 4. establish telecommunication link for somebody (Microsoft® Encarta® Dictionary).
1. to hook up, link up, unite, bond, associate, relate, get along, hit it off ( Thesaurus.com . Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition . Philip Lief Group 2009. http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/connect (accessed: October 27, 2017).
1. to become joined 2. to have or establish rapport (“Connect.” Merriam-Webster.com . Accessed October 27, 2017. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connect) .
1. to come together to form a single unit; unite, fuse, marry, unify (“Connect.” Merriam-Webster.com . Accessed October 27, 2017. https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connect) .
Did some keywords stand out to you? To link two things…to unite…to join…establish rapport…marry…unify…to get along well. That is exactly what God wants with us! A di vine hook-up, a BFF for life and even beyond! But more than that, an all-knowing, all-seeing God invites us to walk with Him daily as He reveals His true nature through His Word, during our prayer time, and through life experiences with others. Adam, Enoch, and Noah walked with God. Abraham was a friend of God. The Lord was with Joseph, Moses, Joshua and David. And He is with YOU!
Developing the habit of daily talking with and listening to God is as important as the act itself. Habits can make or break us. Good habits consistently followed produce good things in our lives, so committing to meeting with God every day to “check in” with Him before the day gets too hectic will prepare us for making better choices during the day.
God calls us, His Church, a “House of Prayer.” Prayer is a part of a wider range of activities spent with God where our union with Him and conscious connection with Him is strengthened. In the pages that follow are descriptions of what we can do during those times. Be encouraged to try several of them, as the Holy Spirit leads you. (Isaiah 56:7, Mark 11:17)
To most of the people around you, it may not make sense to begin your day talking to a God who you cannot see. It may seem absurd to expect this same God to give you clear direction on matters that you must tend to that day. It may seem ludicrous to expect that by reading a Bible written hundreds and thousands of years ago, you can learn principles to live by in the 21 st century. Well, ignore the naysayers! God has a lot to reveal to us, and we do not want to miss a word of it!
By spending time daily in the presence of our Creator, we can get to know Him and understand His plan for our lives. When we connect with the Eternal, our perspective changes from what is only possible with men, to what is possible with God. Many of life’s challenges can be resolved and overcome with God’s guidance.
There is no guaranteed formula for what will achieve your “divine connection” on any given day. But the truths that anchor our souls and feed our spirits come from time spent with God. Hearing God’s will through His Word helps us to develop a genuine personal relationship with God. When the storm winds blow, our daily time with God will have established a spiritual relationship that no naturally-based disaster or spiritual attack can destroy. (Matthew 7:24-27)
Keeping our connection with God strong and solid is crucial to holding steady as the world declines into more ungodliness. Jesus (the Word) is the truth we stand on, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to keep standing and ultimately prevail. Our fortitude, endurance and perseverance through hard times is a powerful witness to help others press through the darkness in pursuit of the light, showing them that the power of God is a reality in our lives.
Just like our conversion, our time with God is personal and intimate, and only our own. When there is no one else to encourage us and keep us from giving up on life, God is there. Jesus tells us to always pray and not faint. (Luke 18:1)
100 Simple Ways to Connect with God gives you a variety of ways to open up your heart to God to receive the reality of His love and the assurance of His guidance. There is no set rule on how long to take or how many different methods to apply in a single devotional time. What works beautifully one day may seem dr