How I did it: I realized, after one particularly bad year, that I needed to stop living the way I had been. That I needed to start communicating with God the way I used to, and even more then I used to. Once upon what feels like a lifetime ago, though it was only a few short years back, I talked with God on a fairly regular basis. I also had those break-down-on-your-knees-begging-and-pleading kind of prayer experiences 1-6 times a month. Then I lost my sense of self, I got sucked into the world and started to not just be in, but of it. Let me tell you, looking back, that was the truly low point in my life. When I was doing what some call "truly living", it was more like suffocating, loosing more and more of myself. "Easy living", in retrospect, felt like dying. So, this year, I decided I had to change it. I had gone a year pretty much immersed in a culture and lifestyle that completely contradicted everything I believe in, not that I hadn't been slipping before, last year was just the lowest point. It dawned on me that life got bad the minute I stopped praying for the right reasons. As soon as I started trying to use prayer as a safety net, only when I really needed something, my quality of life slide further and further into a rut. But this year, when I started really talking to God again, throughout the day with many prayers. Not just asking for help, but prayers of thanksgiving, and prayers just for the sake of praying. I'm a much happier, much more content person now that I've taken up this habit again, and I'm very glad for it. At first one of the things I did to get myself back into the habit was turn off my car radio because I'm in my car a lot. I stopped trying to drown everything that I didn't want to think about out. I started talking to God again, the silence and being alone encouraged it. This was so beneficial, i really would recommend it to anyone, especially if you feel you don't have time to take a portion of your day and talk to God.

Lessons & tips: God is not just a safety net, don't try to use Him, and prayer, that way. To build a strong relationship with God you have to talk to him when you're not in trouble. He is the ultimate confidant, he already knows everything so you can tell him anything. You can be forgiven, His Grace is exceeding, ask for it and He will grant you that, you only need accept it. But don't take it for granted or abuse it. There is wrath as well, and He does not take kindly to continuously broken promises.

Resources: The Bible, church, Christian friends, the school of hard knocks.

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Mar 27, 11:27PM PDT | 2 comments | 5 cheers