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Pursuing God through Holy Habits

June 14, 2022 By Jennifer H. Yates

14 Jun
Pursuing God through Holy Habits

Every morning, I get up, brush my teeth, get my coffee, and sit down with my Bible and journal to spend time with God. I don’t think about it or decide if I will follow through. This time set aside for prayer and Bible study is part of me. It’s been a habit for so many years that I don’t even entertain the idea of any other way to start my day. It’s a holy habit.

Pursuing God through Holy Habits

I didn’t always start my day this way. Early in my marriage, I allowed other distractions to pull me away from my time with the Lord. Sleep, food, television, other people, even my own mood–all of these have at one time or another taken precedence over Bible study and prayer. But the further I got from God’s Word, the more I started depending on my own strength to get through the day. And you can imagine how that turned out. I was grumpy, impatient, frustrated, and miserable.

Eventually, I slipped into sinful patterns of thinking, speaking, and doing. When we are not abiding in Christ, we can do no good thing. The spiritual disciplines are not for checking off a list or feeling good about ourselves. They are holy habits of abiding in God and His Word so that we are encouraged and empowered to bear good fruit.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5, ESV

I became so desperate for the peace and presence of God in my life, that I determined I would never again begin the day without seeking Him first through prayer, worship, and Bible study. Yes, I was still working full time. Yes, I still had small kiddos at home. Yes, it was a sacrifice. But it was so worth it.

Forming Holy Habits

For me, morning was the only time I could get alone with God to be still, to read and study without distractions, and to pray and worship Him. I tried other times, but I couldn’t make it work. So, I set my alarm a little earlier and made it a habit to seek Him first every day for the rest of my life. And you know what? God showed up.

That Word came alive to me as I began to pray and study. The wisdom and truth contained in those holy pages transformed my thinking. His Word comforted me when I was troubled. His truths shaped me to be a wife and mother after God’s own heart. My circumstances didn’t change, but I did. And even on the days when I didn’t feel like it, His heart for me drew me to that secret place with Him because the habit had been formed.

A habit is there for you when the desire is not.

Jennifer Hayes Yates

A habit is there for you when the desire is not. We may not always feel like reading the Bible or making time for prayer and worship. That’s why making a daily habit of the spiritual disciplines is so important. The habit is what keeps us centered and overrides the obstacles to growing our faith.

So, how can you pursue God through holy habits?

First, understand that spiritual growth is a process. Our sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit by which we are being formed into the image of Christ. It takes time, so be patient as you are learning and growing.

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

2 Thessalonians 1:3

Second, know that the end goal is to grow your relationship with God. It’s not about earning salvation or striving for favor. We are made righteous with the Father at the moment we repent and confess our faith in Christ. The purpose of these holy habits is to grow in godliness because we love Him and want to please Him.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…

Colossians 1:9-10

Third, God’s grace is sufficient when we fail Him. And you will fail Him. I have mornings that I rush through my quiet time or my mind is distracted. I still fall into sin and make a mess of things. But because I have a habit of daily time in the Word, I am quickly convicted and drawn back into fellowship with Him.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Philippians 3:12

Pursuing God through holy habits is all about making our spiritual growth a priority. When we seek God and His kingdom first, He takes care of all those other priorities we worry about–our lives, what we will eat, what we will wear.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

Pursuing God above all else is the highest calling and the surest way to be the wife, mother, and woman of God He has called you to be.

Want to learn more about forming holy habits? Get my FREE Quiet Time Guide and learn how to simplify your daily time with God.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Bible study, Christian devotional, devotional, growing your faith, how to grow your faith, Jennifer H Yates, Jennifer Hayes Yates, one thing, Pursuing God through Holy Habits, quiet time, religion vs. relationship, spiritual disciplines, worship

« 3 Ways to Discern the Voice of God

Hey there, my friend

Hey there, my friend

I want you to know that you don't have to be overwhelmed, confused, or too busy to be fruitful and productive. You can be grounded in the Word and growing in your faith.

Even if you have encountered chaos, hypocrisy, legalism, or suffering. God's Word is the truth we must be grounded in to thrive and bear fruit.

I'm Jen, and I want to encourage you with practical strategies and helpful resources to grow your relationship with Jesus one intentional moment at a time. Even if all you can give right now is 15 minutes, you CAN seek Jesus and grow your faith.

Come hang out with me in my Facebook community, download some free resources, or take the FOCUSED 15 Challenge to get started.

You can get God's Word into your heart so that you can be transformed to live a life that is fruitful for the Kingdom!

Jen

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jenniferhyates

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You want to study the Bible and grow your faith. I You want to study the Bible and grow your faith. I know you do. And I know you want to start each day with a habit of spending time with Jesus. I also know that even when your heart is right, life can often get in the way.
Groceries must be shopped, laundry folded, homework checked, meals prepared, work done, relationships built, ministry carried out. And even when we have the best of intentions, it’s really hard to stay consistent with an in-depth Bible study.
But when we don’t stay in the Word, we don’t grow. Relationships are harder, work suffers, real ministry is impossible, and our hearts grow discontent. That’s because apart from HIM we can do nothing. And His Word is the truth we need to walk in day by day.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to just settle for the crumbs from the Master’s table. That’s a lie from the enemy. Instead, you can sit down and feast on His Word. Even if you are super busy.
In the FOCUSED 15 Challenge, I will show you how to study the Bible in just 15 minutes a day. I’m not talking about reading a daily devotional. I’m talking about getting into the Word so you can grow your faith.
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Celebrate the liberty of life and freedom of worsh Celebrate the liberty of life and freedom of worship many died to give you. 🎉
And remember the freedom from sin that Jesus died to give you. ✝
#independenceday #freedom #liberty #letfreedomring
Instagram post 18058625983321017 Instagram post 18058625983321017
Ever tried to read the whole Bible but got stuck s Ever tried to read the whole Bible but got stuck somewhere around Leviticus? 😩
I used to struggle with that as well. It's why for years I only read the parts of the Bible I could easily understand and apply--Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and the Epistles. 
And while those books certainly helped me grow, I was missing out on the biblical context that would have given much more meaning to those passages.
Without the whole Bible in its historical and cultural context, we will never grasp all God intends for us to understand.
Join me in my online study series, Anatomy of the Bible, where I teach the chronological, historical, and cultural overview of the whole Bible in 10 short sessions.
Click the linktree in my Bio for more information.
#drawingevercloser #bedeeplyrooted #growingyourfaith #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #focused15challenge #womenoftheworld #intheword #jesusandwomen #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus #linktree
If you have never put your faith in Christ, then y If you have never put your faith in Christ, then you are probably tired of searching for fulfillment and a sense of peace. The truth is that we all hunger for something that we spend our lives trying to satisfy, but it’s a longing only God can fill.
We were each created by God to know and worship Him. God loves you and desires a personal relationship with you. 
Our sin separates us from a holy and perfect God. But He made a way to reconcile us to Himself through trust in Jesus Christ.
You can’t save yourself. But you can make a decision to surrender to the Lordship of Christ and follow Him and His ways. It’s the best decision you will ever make because you will be made right with the God of all creation. And that is the only way to have true peace.
If the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart right now, respond to Him as He leads. If you have questions or want to talk with someone, you can email me at jennifer@jenniferhyates.com.
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🌿 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our L 🌿 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18a).
🌿 "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God..." (Colossians 1:10).
🌿 "We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing" (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
🌿 "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples" (John 15:8).
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