6 things I changed to connect to God on a deeper level

I’ve been going to church for about 19 years and finally making deeper connections to God. 

For the first eight or so years I attended church, I was only going because my foster-then-adopted family took me. Yes, I enjoyed going to church, singing, making friends, and the leaders, but lacked a deep connection to God. 

During worship, I could feel the presence of God. I had asked Jesus into my heart. I knew God had done major things in my life (check out my testimony here). Something was missing, I couldn’t grasp the deeper relationship.

Change had to happen

For the last several years I have had a strong desire to know and connect to God more. I prayed, tried journaling, and read my bible. All good things, but nothing changed.

To see a change, I had to change more than just one area of my life.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 2″9

Significant changes:

1. Switching churches
2. Joined a small women’s group
3. Willingness to face big heart issues
4. Allowed myself to be vulnerable to other people
5. Connecting with another Christian mom with young kids
6. Consistently reading bible plans through YouVersion

These changes happened over 6-8 months starting with switching churches.

Finding a church connection

My husband and I had been going to a great church with an awesome worship team, great children’s ministry, we had served in our daughter’s preschool class, and had attended a parenting class. This was our church home, the one I grew up in, but felt on the outside. The church had grown significantly and we felt lost most of the time. We were needing a more intimate connection.

When I had gotten further along in my second pregnancy, I found it harder and harder to go physically, it was a 35-40 minute car ride. Our daughter’s car sick spells did not help either. After I had my son, my husband and I did not want to go back. 

We tried going to our friend’s small church for several weeks, but it didn’t feel like the right fit. Halloween came and my in-law’s church was doing a Trunk-or-Treat event that was less than 10 minutes away from our house.

We attended for the first time in November. It wasn’t love at first sight. The building was old. The worship team was ok, not the grand one we were used to. However, my husband’s parents and one of his sisters with her family went so we decided to try it out for a few weeks. 

We found humble people who are passionate about loving God’s children. The pastors of the small church care so much for members and their connection with God.

Women’s small group

At our new small church, I started attending their Wednesday women’s bible study. One of the first bible studies used Jennie Allen’s “Get out of your head” workbook with her companion video segments. It focuses on combating anxiety or other intrusive thoughts with God’s word and promises in Philippians. 

It was my first experience having the church address mental health. I had tried to cope with my childhood traumas (insert link to testimony) and thought I was pretty successful, but through the study and having other women being vulnerable helped me release what I had been holding onto.

[Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. John 5:16]

Connecting with others

It was important for us to find a church home that was closer to our house. We wanted to connect with other members easier. Since our new church was only 7 minutes from our house, I have easily been able to get together with another mom who has kids my kids’ age. Making friends with other moms can be difficult waters to navigate and I am so thankful for this new friendship.

Our church has holds events frequently to foster creating and maintaining friendships within the church. 

Reading bible consistently

I am a mom to a four-year-old and an 18-month-old. As a parent, it can be very challenging to find time for yourself for anything. 

Even before having kids, I found it more difficult to read my bible after moving out of my parent’s house; I lost their example and accountability of reading in the quiet hours of the morning. This is what works for me in my current season:

• Reading the verse of the day in the YouVersion Bible app. Checking YouVersion verse of the day is the very first thing I do when I open my phone. I do it before I scroll social media, before I check the weather or text messages. I click the bible app on my phone’s homepage and read the verse of the day. This is me choosing to connect to God before any recreational things on my phone.
• Completing short bible reading plans on YouVersion. I read bible plans that are typically 10 days or less. I found that if I do shorter plans I am more successful because it is less daunting and overwhelming. In the past when I have tried to complete longer plans, I had gotten behind, felt discouraged, felt like a failure, and gave up. Eventually, I went through it all and caught up! My “read your bible in one year” plan took two and a half years. Keeping the plans short is the key for me.
• Read the Proverb of the day when possible. I try to read my physical bible to model for my children.
• Asking God for a stronger desire to read His word. 
• Partner with a friend to read the bible together. This can be done digitally or in person.

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

Matthew 4:4

Biggest takeaway

I believe the two most important changes made were reading the bible consistently and connecting with a closer church that is following the heart of Jesus, serves its members, the community, and shows love unconditionally.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. John 13:34

Have you struggled to connect to God? What ways have helped you overcome?

Love, Heather

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