So, you’ve read our tips on how to have more focused quiet times with God, and you’ve been able to grow and go deeper in your relationship with Him. But now you’re looking to do something a bit different—something a bit more creative.
When we spend time with God, our goal should be to foster a deeper relationship with him and grow in our Christian walk. We do this by reading our Bibles daily (how God talks to us) and through daily prayers (how we talk to God).
But I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes the routine of it all can make times with God feel a bit mundane. Just like any other relationship (e.g. a marriage, for instance), sometimes doing the same thing day in and day out can hurt your relationship more than help it. Routines are good, but it’s nice to “spice things up” and do something different. It can ignite the passion in your relationship and help you connect in a new way.
So here are 7 creative ways to spend your mornings (i.e. quiet times!) with God! Hopefully these tips will help you grow in your relationship with God and provide you with different ways to glorify and worship him.
Prayer Walk Out in Nature
One of my favorite ways to connect with God is through prayer walks.
I love pouring out my heart to God and expressing my thoughts and emotions to Him through prayer. I usually do this from a quiet, solitary place where I can focus because my mind can wander easily if there’s a lot going on around me.
But sometimes what helps me focus isn’t being alone in a quiet place with my eyes closed. Sometimes I need to “walk off” any anxiety I may be feeling and clear my mind, or I need to get up and move around in order to up my energy levels. It’s in these moments that I like to go on prayer walks.
A prayer walk is pretty much in its name—it’s taking a walk while praying to God. I’ve been going on prayer walks with God ever since I was a newly baptized Christian, and it’s helped me grow so much in my prayer life by helping me focus my mind better. Getting my blood pumping and circulating helps clear my mind and boosts my energy; and when I’m feeling better physically, it allows me to do better mentally, which is why I feel like I can better focus my mind on praying to God.
I particularly love praying out in nature. Whether it’s at the beach, in the woods, or by a lake, being surrounded by God’s creation helps me to feel more connected to him because I get to stand in awe at what he created. Even if I go for a prayer walk in the park or around my neighborhood, I can still look up at the sky and see the majesty of God. It’s refreshing.
So consider going on a prayer walk with God. It doesn’t have to be in the most Instagram-worthy location, like around the cherry blossoms in D.C. or along Lake Tahoe on a summer’s day. The goal is to do something different in your prayer life, and going on a prayer walk just might be that different thing you need. Not only will it help you focus your mind and heart on God, it can also boost your energy levels and make you stand in awe at all the things—big and small—that God has created.
Do Some Artwork of the Scriptures
For the more artistic types, creating a piece of art based on the Scriptures may be one of the best ways to express yourself and connect emotionally with God.
A common trend in the Christian community these days is something called Bible Journaling. It’s described as a way for you to engage with the Word of God. Whether that “engagement” is through highlighting Scriptures that stand out to you, or creating works of art in relation to the Scriptures, is really up to you.
When most people think of Bible Journaling, they think about actually doing the artwork in their Bibles. There’s a bit of controversy on this, and we definitely aren’t recommending that you draw and paint over the pages of your Bible to the point where you can’t read the text…
But there’s nothing wrong with taking a canvas and some paint, or any other medium of your choice, and expressing what a Scripture means to you.
I personally like to do some Bible lettering on my iPad or take photographs of things that remind me of different Scriptures. It helps me get closer to God, and it also helps me express my emotions to Him in ways I may not be able to verbalize easily.
Have Your Quiet Time With God at a Coffee Shop or Cafe
I’m not a coffee drinker, but I definitely love a good coffee shop!
If you’re a college student, coffee shops and cafes tend to be the best place to study when you need to get out of the dorms/apartments and the library is full or closed. If you’re a corporate professional, coffee shops and cafes tend to be the best place to “get away” from the office while still having a place to get work done or meet up with colleagues.
So when it comes to doing something a bit different in your quiet times with God, consider having your quiet time at a coffee shop or cafe. Sometimes the excitement of a quiet time is finding a unique location to be in.
If you read our post about how to have more focused times with God, you’ll know that we recommend having your quiet times first thing in the morning. If you went to a coffee shop or cafe first thing in the morning, then not only will the place be quiet, but you’ll also be able to get yourself a good ol’ morning cup of coffee or breakfast. You’ll get your spiritual manna (as you read your Bible) and that physical manna (some real food!) all in one morning!
Go on a Date with God
Okay, I admit—this sounds a little crazy!
Usually when we think of “date night”, we’re thinking of going out to dinner or the movies with someone. It feels a bit odd to do those things by yourself and say you’re “on a date with God”…
But going on a date with God is actually a great way to take your quiet times to the next level! It takes a bit of planning and should be a bit more special than just reading your Bible and getting time to pray.
So how do you have a date with God?
- Block out a few hours in your calendar to spend with God. Having a date with God should be more special than your typical daily quiet times. You should block out a few hours to spend with God and make sure that the time can be protected (i.e. there are no distractions or interruptions). If you really want to make it feel like a date, try blocking out time on a Friday or Saturday.
- Plan to go somewhere special. Take a mini road trip or plan for an overnight. I love being out in the woods—it’s very calming and brings me so much peace. So when I’ve planned dates with God, I like to drive to the redwoods and go on prayer walks there (it’s also a great place where I don’t get phone reception—so no distractions)!
- Be in the moment and connect with God. Regardless of what you do on your date, make sure that you’re using that time to draw closer to God through His Word and prayer. The Bible is how God talks to us, and prayer is how we talk to God, so you don’t want to do just one thing and not the other (could you imagine a date that talked the entire time without letting you speak?)! Your date with God shouldn’t just be about finding a unique place to visit—it should really be a time where you get that focused time with God to work on your relationship with him.
Write Your Own Psalm (i.e. Poetry or Song)
Whenever I need to connect with God on an emotional level through the Scriptures, I often turn to the Book of Psalm. The Psalms are filled with every emotion under the sun—joy, peace, anger, fear, depression, excitement, happiness… There’s literally a psalm for nearly every emotion you may be feeling!
One way to get creative in your times with God is to write your own psalm (i.e. poetry or song) to God. You can use the psalms as inspiration for what you write, or you could even model your own psalm after a particular psalm in the Bible. One thing I’ve seen done before is take one psalm and translate it into your own words. You could even use the structure of one of the psalms to help you pray through things in your life.
There is so much that you can do with the psalms! Whatever you do, have fun and emotionally connect with God through it.
Sing Your Favorite Worship Song
I am not a singer by any means. Like at all.
But I do love listening to worship songs on YouTube and at least humming along to them! I love the melody of every song, and I especially love meditating on the lyrics as I sing them.
What’s really awesome about singing along to your favorite worship song is that it’s truly a way to worship God with all of your mind. Music is a way for us to use both sides of our brains. Apparently, the left hemisphere of our brains decodes the words/lyrics of a song, and the right hemisphere decodes the melody. Pretty amazing, right?!
So if you struggle at all in your thoughts or mind and need to draw closer to God in that area, start with singing along with your favorite worship songs.
Dance Your Heart Out
Dance, like other forms of art, is an amazing way to express yourself and draw closer to God.
I definitely don’t have a talent for dance (I’m lucky when I can keep a beat!), but I love watching other people connect to God through dance. It’s incredibly inspiring to see people tell a story through their movement.
Even if you aren’t a professional dancer, getting up and moving your body could simply make you happy! Who wouldn’t want to worship God with pure joy?!
Hopefully you enjoyed these 7 creative ways to spend your mornings with God! Have you tried any of them before? Do you have any additional ways you like to spend time with God? Let us know in the comments below!
