11 Habits to Re-Wire Your Thinking Towards God

All my life, as far back as I remember, I’ve been a believer of Christ. At different points in this life of mine, believer has meant different things. As many people have, I’ve found myself at strong points and weak points, ups and downs, and with both a feeling of closeness and distance from the Lord; all by my own doing.

Jesus was always important to me. I remember attending a church that finally felt like home at the age of nine, and something awakened in me that I had never felt before. As a tween and a teenager I attended that same church twice a week nearly every week. I loved it and I looked forward to it every week. I made friends within the church. I brought friends of all types, believers and non-believers, to church with me; sometimes weekly. This was an incredible foundation for me, and going to church helped to fill me, even on the weeks that I took away the least.

In my adult life, I’ve become a wife and a mother of four, and my relationship with Christ has become more important for both me and my family, but it has also become more difficult. With four small children it can be incredibly difficult to make it to church every week and I find myself limited in my efforts at times. Because we moved so much early on in our marriage, it took us years to find a church to call home for our family, and finally in the last few years we have. At this point in life, I know that I have to be more intentional in growing my relationship with God. I’ve been through enough hardship in my life, and on the flip-side have been so incredibly blessed by our great Creator, that I know I need Him. I need to be filled by His love and His word. Filled with faith in Him. Filled with the Holy Spirit! I need God to be the center of every part of my life, but I don’t always know how to do this. I don’t know why it takes me forever to figure things out sometimes, but for years I’ve felt like I’ve just been floating on the surface, unsure how to really dive into a stronger spiritual life. Through several Bible studies, messages, prayer, and some good hard soul searching, I’ve started to re-wire my thinking to grow closer to God and further from the world. I want to be very clear before I share these ideas with you… Some of these changes and habits were easier than others and some were actually difficult and took time to adjust to. Some are still a work in progress for me and some I really honestly need to try harder at. I am no expert at being a Christian and I will never claim to be. I am a sinner but a follower of Christ striving to be more Christ-like and for a better and closer relationship with my one and only amazing Creator!

I feel that it is important for me to re-wire my thinking towards God because the world tends to do a great job at turning my thinking anywhere else but where it should be. If you think about what we spend our time doing, watching, listening to, thinking about, etc., how much of this is God centered? How much of it do we prioritize over God? What I realized about myself recently was that my thinking has been world centered my whole life. Just going to church or Bible study alone has not been enough to take me to that deeper relationship with the Lord. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly important still and when you aren’t being filled by His word elsewhere, it’s a great place to start! Just being filled with his message can spark something in you, but if you’re going to church to be filled and then leaving church and filling yourself the rest of the week with things of the world, it is difficult to keep your mind, heart, and soul on the right track to Jesus. I realized that I needed to change what I watch, listen to, spend my time on, and the whole way that I think to go to that next level of closeness with Jesus. I needed to turn my thinking towards Him completely, which included seeking Him first in times of hardship, in times of joy and happiness, and every time in between. This is something that I am trying to work towards everyday and will probably continue to work towards for the rest of my life, but it gets easier each day and I find myself desiring more time with God the more time I make for Him. I feel His presence more than ever and I hope by making these changes and creating these habits, that feeling and closeness grow stronger and stronger.

The following life habits that I am working to form in my life are in no specific order. You could work on adding these changes to your life in any order and at any pace that works best for you. They may not all work the best for everyone, but they are changes that I have found to help re-wire my thinking towards God to grow closer to Him. These are habits that help me remember to seek Him first, and by living a more God centered life, I know I will be living a more blessed life. “31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33.

1. Devotions- The first place that I try to start my day is with a daily devotional. This can be a hard one to remember to do, because let’s face it, life gets crazy. In my house, mornings are extra crazy tending to babies and getting children ready and off to school. Sometimes I sneak in a devotion before the kids wake up and sometimes it’s not until after they’re all fed, changed, sent off to school, and settled down for the morning that I can grab my cup of coffee and sit down with my phone to read my devotion. Sometimes I don’t get to it until later in the day during nap time or even after bedtime. Whatever time of day you make to read your devotional, it’s a great habit to form to start making God the center of your life. My favorite devotional is an app on my phone called Daughters of the King Daily Devotionals. I love this devotional because it comes right to my phone every morning and you never know what the message will be. From my personal experience, the message often somehow relates to what I’m going through in life and really speaks to me. I feel guided and like God is speaking right to me! Like He hears me and He’s letting me know that He’s got me! There is a version of this app for men as well, called Sons of the King Daily Devotionals. I have frequently checked out their messages and have been equally impressed. You can download these apps on your phone, follow them on social media, or even check out their websites: Daughters of the King Daily Devotionals and Sons of the King Daily Devotionals. If you’re not one for apps or internet much, there are several great daily devotional books out there as well. I honestly have found book devotionals to surprise me and relate to my daily life just as well at times as the devotional apps I read. However you choose to add a devotional to your life, it’s a great way to fill yourself with His word and to help guide you through daily life in a God centered approach.

2. Prayer- This seems like a no-brainer, right? Or too simple? But prayer is the KEY to a more God-centered life! You can’t easily have a relationship with someone you never communicate with, right? No, you can’t. Prayer doesn’t have to be difficult. You can pray in your mind or out loud, in a quiet space or a crowded room, in the car, or anywhere and anytime you feel you need or want to. If you don’t know where to start, try starting by just telling God what’s going on in your life; good or bad. Yes, He does already know, but God wants to hear from us. He wants to hear us tell him what we’re going through, what we feel blessed by, what we want, what we need, what we need His help with, what we’re thankful for, what we’re struggling with, and every part of our life. God wants us to give it ALL to Him. He wants us to have communication and a relationship with Him. It doesn’t have to be difficult. I don’t think there is a wrong way to pray, and over time, it’s something that improves with practice.

A great starter for prayer can be through your devotionals, as many of them follow their message with scripture and prayer. I often add to the devotional prayers to personalize them to my situation so that I may get more in depth in my conversation with God. There are many great introductions to prayer and my goal is to get to a point where prayer comes naturally in every situation, in every struggle, in every need, in every moment of thankfulness, and more. The more you do it, the more it will come naturally, so don’t be afraid to just open up and speak to God.  “And if we know that He hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:15. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

3. Listen To It- What you allow to fill your ears makes an impact on your life more than you may realize. This took some soul searching to figure out for me, but what I realized is that what I was listening to was affecting the way that I thought. To give an example, in a moment of heartbreak or defeat, you may be drawn to listening to a certain type of music that relates to your current state of mind. Maybe you listen to sappy songs that you feel relate to your situation or maybe it’s upbeat music to try and bring you up from your low. I think this is pretty normal for most people and I don’t want to say that it’s wrong, but I’ve personally found that a better direction to go in these times of struggle is to Him. Whether it’s a message of His word via radio or podcast or a flip of the station to some Christian music (which can also be relatable or uplifting), this is a life changing way to re-wire your brain towards God. Instead of turning to music that may not be sending the most Godly message or giving the most Christ-like advice, turn to something that will. This change has been a bit of a challenge for me, because this is something that I’ve never done in my life. Other than at church, I’ve hardly ever listened to Christian music, and because it’s something unfamiliar to me, it’s something I didn’t think I’d find to be appealing. Although it hasn’t exactly been an easy transition, I have found that the more I listen to it and get used to it, the more I find myself wanting to listen to it. It’s the same with any extra messages of His word that I can work into my day. The more effort I make to hear His messages, the more I crave to hear them and learn. It’s okay if you don’t make this transition all at once, but I’ve found that incorporating it a little more each week has helped me change my way of thinking toward being more Christ-like versus following the ways of the world.

4. Watch It- “8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8. What you watch goes much along the same lines as what you listen to. Again, you have to choose what you are filling your eyes and ears with, because if you aren’t careful, you may be filling yourself with thoughts that are not of or for God. Many shows or movies send messages that are not of or for God and in fact send a message or encourage thoughts that may be against God’s word. You have to choose what you let take space in your brain, because sometimes you hold onto those thoughts even when you don’t realize it. You may find yourself wondering, “Wait! Where did I hear that? Is it true?” A good way to avoid having worldly thinking take over is to guard your eyes and ears from it and instead fill yourself with things that are Godly. In today’s world, this can be extremely difficult. This is an area that I’m working to do more research on for myself in order to find better material to watch, but sometimes it is just a process of elimination. If I start watching a movie or show or hear of a movie or show that is against God’s word, I try to guard my eyes and ears by not watching it. I do the same for my children by screening what they watch and the games that they play. It may make me seem like the mean mom in the moment at times, but I know it is for their overall benefit, and they’ll forget about it in a few minutes or days anyways.

Other than finding some good Christian friendly shows or movies, you could also fill your eyes and ears with His word by watching sermons on TV. I feel bad saying this, but it might seem boring at first. It could take some effort the first few times, but if you find a pastor you really enjoy watching and find to be relatable, watching sermons on television can be another great opportunity to fill yourself with Jesus! You can flip it on the TV while you’re doing laundry or other housework or if you just have a few minutes to yourself and you feel that need to be filled. Much like changing what I listen to, the more I watch church on TV or even online, the easier it gets and the more I crave it. I find myself looking for His message anywhere I can find it, and thankfully it’s not hard to find with today’s technology.

5. Read It- This also goes much along the same lines as the last two habits. Choose what you’re filling yourself with wisely. Try to avoid reading things that steer you away from God and His word. Instead, choose the Christian based novel or magazine. Turn to your devotional book. Select a Christian based self-help book that will guide you to being the best you in Christ instead of the best worldly you. Pick up your BIBLE! This is something I need to try harder at. Seek out scripture that relates to your situation at the time and just start reading. Flip the Bible open to any page or start in the New Testament and go from there. This is obviously the most direct way to fill yourself with God’s word, and although it may take some effort and practice, it’s a great way to learn and build a stronger relationship with God.

6. Speak It- “20 From the fruit of their mouth, a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:20-21. Change the way you talk. Speak life into every area of your life. Take from all those Christ-like things you listened to, watched, read, and more and start speaking those things into your daily life. Changing the way you talk will help to change the way you think, the way you see, the way you feel, and the way you live. As a child and a teenager, my parents used to correct me when I said I was getting sick or coming down with a cold. They would tell me to instead say that I was fighting a cold or sickness because my words had power. I didn’t always understand this then, but it is a concept I am growing more familiar with as an adult. Your words do have power over your life and speaking good Godly positive words over your life is a life changing habit that will bless you in your relationship with the Lord.

Change the way you speak to yourself and change the way you speak to others. Instead of joining into a negative conversation, which can be so easy to do, try turning the conversation positive by either redirecting the conversation or trying to look at it from a new and positive perspective. There is a difference in what people want to hear and what they need to hear, and speaking positivity in a gentle way can help turn their thinking to God as well as your own. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29.

7. Find Fellowship- “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17. Seek out good Godly friendships and spend time with those people. For some people, this can be a step outside of their comfort zone, but it doesn’t have to be so hard. One place to start in finding good Godly friendships is at church. Strike up conversation with your neighbors in church before or after service. If they don’t easily jump into conversation, that’s okay, you can always try with different people another time. If this method is proving to be more difficult or is too outside of your comfort zone, try getting involved more at church through groups, volunteering, or a Bible study. These activities will connect you with others who are also seeking Christ. Some of my very best friends I have met through Bible studies, and it’s an amazing blessing to surround myself with other women who not only understand me and what I’m going through at our similar stages in life (as mommas), but that will bring me up when I’m down and speak Godly advice to me when I need it most. I know I can count on these beautiful friends to steer me towards more Christ-like talk, thought, and decisions instead of jumping into the pits with me when I’m down. This is important to me because I know that it’s what I NEED to hear, even when it isn’t what I WANT to hear. Good Godly friends are like gold and will help you grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus!

On the flip-side of this topic, I feel it’s worth mentioning to guard yourself from those relationships that may be toxic and steering you away from the Lord. You don’t have to go and ditch all your friends that don’t go to church or even the ones who are non-believers, but be careful of the time that you spend with them and what you take away from your time with them. Also be conscious of what you put into those friendships. Remember to speak life and positivity and encourage a life that is more Christ-like, even if only by example. If you find that these friendships are bringing you down and you can’t turn that around through prayer and other efforts, you may find yourself making the difficult decision to cut ties. This is a decision you would have to pray on and feel comfortable with, but always remember to do what is best for you!

8. Church- “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20. Church is another seemingly simple habit to start, and may be even kind of a no-brainer for some. Find a church you love, no matter how many churches it takes to find that right one, and try to go as often as possible. Life happens to all of us and there will be times you may not be able to make it every week, but just because you miss a service or a few doesn’t mean you can’t keep going.

Not every church fits for every person, and that’s okay. You have to find what feels right to you. Going to church is about filling yourself with His word, and for me, finding a good church means finding a pastor with the ability to share God’s message in a way that it is relatable. The Bible isn’t always so straight forward and easy to understand, so finding a pastor who can share God’s word in a way that I can understand and relate to is important to me. Another thing I look for in a church is a great youth program so that while I’m getting filled with the Holy Spirit, so are my children. A great praise and worship team is another bonus in finding a good church and helps to build that habit of being filled by what I listen to. “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish on another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16.

9. Role Models & Mentors- This one kind of goes along with fellowship, as your role models and mentors could also be your friends. Just like in your friendships, you have to be careful who you look up to and look to for advice. In today’s world, society focuses so much on celebrities and so many people look up to celebrities, idolizing them and even modeling life choices based on their examples. The importance we place on celebrities is unreasonable and truly causes a lot of idolization of a lot of ordinary people who are not always setting the best and most Godly examples. One small way that we can change our thinking towards God is by carefully choosing who we look up to as role models and who we look to for advice and consider our mentors. Try to avoid wasting time and thought on those people who are not a good example of what you’d like to model your life on. Turn your focus to role models and mentors who are good leaders in a life lived for Christ.

10. Giving & Volunteering- “A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” Proverbs 18:16. “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25. Giving and volunteering can be a rewarding way to grow closer to Jesus. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45. Serving others, whether it be giving your time, your talent, gifts, or any other form of giving is pleasing to God and you will be blessed by doing so. Giving and volunteering makes me feel good and it is rewarding, even without recognition or immediate reward. I know that God sees what I do, and by Him, I will be rewarded for my efforts. When you have little time to spare or little money to spare, this can be a difficult habit to approach and incorporate into your life. All I can say is to give what you can, and God will supply your needs. By doing so, you will be leading by example towards a life more like Christ. You never know who you may affect and the chain of events you may set into place by doing so, so do what you can.

11. Seek Godly Advice & Surround Yourself With His Word- Seek out His word in every situation. Build up your treasure chest of scriptures to help you through every trial of life so that in a time of need, you know where to look. If you’re looking for guidance and advice, seek Godly guidance and advice from a trusted source. There are so many ways these days to seek out God’s word. You can literally jump on Pinterest or Instagram and with a quick little search, thousands of pictures with scripture and inspiration pop up. Seek out His word on social media, on the radio, on the TV, on the computer, on your phone, in your friendships and relationships, when choosing your mentors, and anywhere you can think of. One of my favorite ways to surround myself with God’s word is to literally surround myself with it in my home. I hang it on the walls, use it as the background on my phone or computer, and place it on my shelves. With so many options for home decor these days, it is becoming easier and easier to find home decor with scripture. One of my favorite places to buy home decor with scripture is Hobby Lobby, and they have a lot to choose from. It’s a nice way to decorate your home with a daily reminder of God’s love and His word. By surrounding yourself with His word, you will be filled with it constantly, building a stronger foundation for yourself and your life in Christ.

All of these habits are about making small changes in order to grow to be more like Christ and to have a deeper relationship with Him. You don’t have to apply them all at once, at any specific pace, or in any specific order, but each of these habits will help you to re-wire your thinking towards God and that will ultimately lead you to a happier more blessed life in Jesus. I don’t share all of this because I’m already “there”, nor am I in some high and mighty place with the Lord. Frankly, I don’t even feel qualified to be writing this blog post, but it’s been on my heart and on my mind and once I started, the words just came and kept flowing. I am working on these habits and changes myself in my every day life because I, too, want to grow closer to my Creator and live a more blessed life in Him. I want to change the way that I think from being worldly to being Godly. So I find myself here, sharing the habits I’m forming and changes I’m making in hopes that these words and ideas will bless you in your walk with Jesus.

As I am still walking this journey, I love to learn new and more ways to build a stronger deeper relationship with God. If you have ideas to re-wire your thinking towards God that I haven’t shared here, please share them in the comments! I would love to be blessed by your words and ideas! Thanks so much for reading and visiting the blog! I pray that you have a blessed day and a blessed life ahead of you! <3