1. With a friend, visit three churches
where Christians worship in very different ways. Talk about the experience: How
was God honored? How did He speak to you?
2. Arrive at church 10 minutes early. Spend time praying that God’s presence
will be felt throughout the service.
3. Take a walk alone in nature, and sing
or pray aloud to God.
4. Read a novel written by a Christian (such as C. S. Lewis’
science-fiction trilogy or Narnia series). Talk with a friend about how you saw
God revealed in the book.
5. Visit an art museum and study several paintings with biblical themes. What
do they suggest about the nature of God? What insights do they provide?
6. Listen to Scripture being read on tape or CD. Close your eyes and allow your
mind to picture what you’re hearing.
7. Visit a church that has traditional stained-glass
windows. Identify the pictures and symbols they contain. What aspects
of God’s works and character are revealed?
8. As you study a portion of Scripture, draw
with symbols, words, and doodles what the passage is saying to you about God.
9. Play "I
Spy" throughout you day by
watching for God’s presence in the ordinary things that happen to you: a kind
word, protection on an icy road, the first gold leaf of fall. Each evening, share
with your family or a friend (or record in your journal) where you saw God at
work that day.
10. Praise God by writing an acrostic
around one of His names. In an acrostic, the first letter of a word starts the
first sentence; the second letter, the second sentence; and so on. For example:
Great and wonderful You are.
Oh, how my heart praises You.
Dear Savior, You are worthy of all my love.
11. Write your own
words to go with the the tune of a
familiar hymn or worship song. Sing your message to God.
12. Memorize a Christian poem, such as
"On His Blindness" by John Milton.
13. Take a vacation with God, a one-day
retreat where you get away from life-as-usual to be totally alone with your
Savior.
14. Kneel or lie
prostrate before God when you pray.
15. Read a story from a picture Bible with
an elementary-age child.
16. As you read your Bible, make note of similes
that liken things in nature to the attributes of God. For example, the fury of
the hurricane is like God’s anger; the gentle rain is like God’s mercy. Keep a
running list of these in your journal, or turn them into a Bible bookmark.
17. Create a shelf that contains mementos
of God’s blessings to you.
18. Write an imaginary letter to someone
who has never heard about God, and describe Him to that person. Or record what
you would say on tape.
19. Take five minutes to list all the adjectives
you can think of that describe God. Then thank God for each word.
20. Draw a cross. On the cross write every sin you can remember
committing, especially those for which you can’t forgive yourself. Write,
"Nailed to the Cross" over your words as a visual reminder that God,
for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you completely.
21. Pick a theme to study throughout a book of the Bible, such as the
love of God. With a colored pencil, underline portions contributing to that
theme.
22. Each day for a week, reflect on how your day would have
been different if you were not a Christian. Don’t allow
yourself to become blasé about the difference Christ makes.
23. Imagine yourself sitting on God’s lap.
How do you feel? What do you tell Him? What might He say to you?
24. For your five favorite hymns or worship songs,
find Bible passages on which they were based or that affirm the truth of the
songs’ messages.
25. Sit in the back of a children’s church
service, and listen to how those children respond to God.