Prioritizing Intentionality with God as ‘Normal’ Life Rushes Back In
Friends- anybody else up for a secluded beach vacay after the first half of this year?! haha Sunshine, slow walks taking in the ocean and a warm breeze inviting us to slow down and process with the Lord? I’M IN! haha Those slow down moments are truly my favorite part of beach vacays. And as we navigate and re-assess this “new normal”, I don’t want us to miss the Lord in all of it ya know? Because if we’re being extremely honest, we have no idea what the future of our world holds. What unprecedented things may still be ahead even in the next 6 months- but WHATEVER comes, we c a n choose what we hold onto. We can actively set our feet on a firm foundation. The ONLY firm foundation strong enough to keep us steady and safe when the inevitable storms come- it’s Jesus. (Mat 7:24-27) And I truly believe this is a n e w season that He is inviting us into in our relationship with Him. An opportunity for us to break through anything that’s been keeping us stagnant and pursue Him with intentionality. So that we can be women who aren’t swayed or live in chaos or anxiety, but instead are able to deeply know and hear God. What if in the overwhelm, we became steady women deeply rooted in Him? What if we claimed the next 6 months as a season where we create intentional space to prioritize the Lord in our day?
It simply looks like setting the Lord before us and consistently landing in Him instead of ourselves. And the beautiful truth is that the Lord isn’t just interested in you figuring out life based on 5min every now and then with Him. He doesn’t just want to be a rule book for a perfect quiet time that solves all your problems. He wants to be your PERSONAL Savior, counselor, friend and Lord that walks w i t h you in y o u r every day.
Intentionally prioritizing the Lord is how we become women who don’t run dry but are well-watered women who are wise and steady and confident and can hear His voice clearly for our lives. It’s what allows us to know we are imperfect, yet surrounded by endless grace and empowered to do the very thing He has placed before us in our season.
So let’s prioritize God in o u r lives, schedules and emotions and find freedom in knowing Him intimately and personally- and let’s start n o w in this season!
HERE’S 7 PRACTICAL THINGS TO HELP YOU PRIORITIZE INTENTIONALITY WITH THE LORD AS “NORMAL LIFE” RUSHES BACK IN
1) S l o w down. Create boundaries for normal distractions.
Can I be really honest? We can’t expect to experience God more deeply, hear His voice clearly and live above the overwhelm if we continue living our lives like everyone else does in constant hurry, restlessness and distraction. I break down this idea of un-hurrying our souls & schedules and learning to walk with Jesus instead of running ahead of Him here, but I truly believe it’s one of the most important places we can start. So find some ways you can create boundaries with tech & social media so you aren’t constantly being distracted by them, create space in your schedule only for what matters most, practice lingering in the moment and create space to hear & feel God. Don’t rush, slow down. Read more on this huge shift that’s changed our lives here.
2) Have a Restart Weekend!
Take a weekend to restart and kick off your new season intentionally. Delete your Social Media apps, clear your schedule and spend a few hours each day getting away to a quiet place with the Lord and worshipping to those songs you’ve encountered his presence powerfully to in the past (I love our playlist for this!), spend time surrendering this past season and all of your expectations, fears, dreams or worries for this new one at His feet. Imagine yourself releasing control, laying those at His feet and then being surrounded by His peaceful presence. Spend time praying, listening, journaling what you hear and simply planting yourself in His presence. Ask Him: what do you have to say about this new season in my life, how do you want me to love and pursue you deeper, what are you wanting me to shift my focus to or be more intentional about, how can I serve you well right where I am, what can I do to get out of my own way and prioritize you more in my day?
3) Practice daily Silence and Solitude.
This anchor practice has truly changed how I’m able to more clearly hear God’s voice and focus in on Him throughout the day. It’s a place Jesus continually landed of getting alone with God and quieting all external and internal noise. I break it down here, but basically it’s a separate 5-10min time each morning where you simply quiet yourself and practice b e i n g with the Lord. No music, no Bible Reading- just practicing giving God your attention and letting your whole being r e s t in the Lord in quiet before the world rushes in. Start setting a 5min timer, breathe deep & repeat, imagine yourself being grounded in His presence and peace, practice being still and listening for His voice and feeling His presence. This is our safe place. SO many of you have tried this and it has changed your lives too- it truly is so powerful!
4) Create a good for the soul morning routine & a plan for getting into the Word.
I love starting my mornings with skincare, silence & solitude, reading the Word & intentional time with the Lord, a quick stretch and speaking truths based in Scripture out loud over myself. Getting in the Word is THE most important way for us to prioritize God and not be swayed by truth that ISN’T FROM GOD. We simply cannot be women of God if we aren’t planting ourselves in the Bible. Find a reading plan or study you want to begin and plan out what you’ll read for the rest of the year. I RAVE about and seriously have loved using The Bible Recap this year. It’s a chronological reading plan to read the Bible in a year and it comes with corresponding 5min podcast episode for each day’s reading to help you grasp what you just read! Start small, don’t feel like you have to spend hours in the Word. Start with 15min, start fresh, practice building your spiritual muscles by simply coming.
5) Get involved in a life giving community & Worship!
Whether it’s online small groups, Church at Home or getting involved in person again- surround yourself with a community of people who love you and the Lord and d o life with them especially now. Be intentional about the voices you listen to; submit yourself to the spiritual leadership God’s placed in your life through your local Church and follow their lead. Attend any opportunity you can to worship and give Him all you’ve got as you ask Him to deeply encounter you with His presence.
6) Practice giving your attention to God throughout your day.
I created a freebie of 10 habits (& how I implement them) that help me to give God my attention and be aware of His nearness in every day moments, grab it here! How might the Lord want to be loving you, speaking to you or growing you in simple mundane moments? In everyday decisions and reactions and errands. Practice shifting your focus to Him, asking Him what He thinks, choosing a Kingdom perspective and you’ll begin to experience God’s presence more deeply and consistently.
7) Choose unconditional obedience.
I think one of the biggest reasons we feel like our relationship with the Lord is a roller coaster is because our obedience to Him is dependent on our circumstances. But steadiness comes when we settle in our souls that God is WORTH it regardless of what life throws at us. When we’ve truly surrendered and trust that we are safest in Him, He is GOOD & loving Him brings us freedom. So when hard circumstances & crazy occurs in these next 6 months, c h o o s e GOD anyways. Go deeper in Him, fix your gaze on Him instead of media. Choose to worship and trust and claim His truth/peace and serve Him anyways. *He is NEVER SHAKEN, and when we place HIM as our filter, we don’t have to be either. Remember- we don’t obey God because He will bless us. We obey God because He has our HEARTS.
AND HEY, there’s a real life girl over here wanting to squeeze your hand and remind you that the Lord simply wants our h e a r t s. Not our perfection, not an insta worthy quiet time, not obedience just for obedience sake. He simply wants you to experience His LOVE and presence- that’s why you were created. That’s why He wants you to prioritize Him at the core, that’s why daily intentionality with the Lord is a game changer, because it’s t h e r e that we experience being loved. It’s there where we find our sure footing that’s based in His love and faithfulness toward us.
And in turn naturally have the desire to love Him in return and live our lives intentionally serving and following Him. It’s no longer forced or feels like a chore. It’s our response and our spirits being aligned with His. Because HE is where true fulfillment is found. So receive His DEEP HOPE!
As you simply and intentionally prioritize Him in your life during this new season, He will draw your heart and mind closer and closer to Him! Just come. <3
xo,
Lanissa