Carol J German

You desire to know God whether you realize it or not. It is in your DNA. God wants to be found by you. He does not reveal Himself to every heart though. He lets you choose whom you will believe and serve. You have two choices, one is to seek God through His Son Jesus and the other is to seek the world which lies in enemy territory. One is everlasting while the other is not. One comes with eternal rewards while the other lives in despair. One is filled with hope and the other is absent from it.

In my faith journey, God has given me tools that aid in seeking Him. They have helped me to go deeper with God, and as I go deeper, God transforms my soul, heart, and mind. The longer I walk as a Christian, the more I understand John the Baptist’s sentiment in John 3:30, “He (Jesus) must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”

My faith continually gets stretched when God keeps reminding me that my life is not about me. Thus, the tools that God has given me help me to see my life through Jesus’ eyes. I have six tools that help me to abide in God’s presence. They aid in keeping my soul, heart, and mind awake to the fact that God is with me.

Abiding in God’s presence is like the cherry on top, the best of the best, receiving the gold medal that is meant for Jesus yet He lets you have it instead for choosing Him and believing.

Before I share these six tools, if you are a young believer just starting out, please give yourself grace as you seek God. Remember that He understands the shortcomings that you face living in a sinful body, and how strong your flesh is in wanting to do things your own way. It takes a conscious effort on your behalf to remain abiding in God’s presence. If you have believed for some time, also give yourself some grace if you continue to struggle in an area or two. You and I are works in progress until God calls us home.

Like anything new, learning to walk with God takes practice. You are developing new habits, ones that will lead you deeper with your Savior and Lord. Soon, God will become your safe place, a refuge where you will run to and feel safe and secure.

Tool #1 – Study the Bible. Think of God’s Word as spiritual food for your soul. If you take the time to eat nutritious food to fuel your physical body, your spiritual body needs to be fed as well. It keeps you awake and alert to the Holy Spirit within you. Start with small portions. Remember, you are seeking to learn about God and recognize His presence more than the quantity of what you read. Don’t be afraid of conviction. Where the Spirit is showing you what needs to change, God will replace with better things that will aid in you becoming more like His Son.

Tool #2 – Write down when you learn things. You do not have to be proficient at writing. Just jot down when the Spirit is showing you something. You can go back and review. It will keep you abiding in truth. Get a simple notebook and write things down.

Tool #3 – Memorize scripture. Take your time and memorize as much as you can handle. A good goal is to learn one verse per week. It is good to have God’s Word hidden within your heart. When your flesh is tired or the enemy is trying to trip you up, you can recite verses to keep disobedience at bay. Both your flesh and the enemy will come at God’s Spirit within you daily!

Tool #4 – Pray to God. Talking to God is like talking with your best friend. Keep it simple, honest, and real. Know that God already knows what you need and how He is going to meet your need. Prayer is more for you than Him. Prayer is an indicator to God that you believe and you desire to walk with Him. He will answer you and help you. It might not be how you expected, so keep yourself humbled and open to what He has for you. You are called to let go of your desires and wants and follow Jesus.

Tool #5 – Gather with other believers. It is good to be with likeminded people who are actively seeking God themselves. God joins believers together in unity. It is uncanny how God can take two people who are very different, but because they both are believers, they have a unique bond that brings them together. I have this with my friend, Tiffany. We come from very different backgrounds and have different likings, yet when we are together we are like soul sisters with a deep bond. Only God can take different personalities, cultures, experiences, and bring people together united in love.

Tool #6 – Listen to worship/Christian music. It is available in all genres. Music that praises God helps to keep your focus on Him. The more you fill yourself up with praise music, secular music will become simply empty words attached to good tempos.

Think of these six tools as your arsenal for abiding in Christ every day. Be alert to His presence in all circumstances. You will find Him in the big things as well as the little things. Be thankful too. This is a big key to seeking God. Thankfulness is another indicator God uses to gauge where your heart is with Him.

As you walk with God, your faith will grow stronger and you will recognize God more easily. Have patience with yourself and others as you learn to seek Him. Know that the Holy Spirit walks with you and helps you. Whenever you call out to God, He is there.