For many teens, we are now halfway through the season of friends, fun and the sun! Summer is often a time where we tend to become lax and lenient with our time with God. It’s so easy to do with so many other activities on our minds and schedule. But just like every other relationship in our life, we must try to invest and spend time with our Heavenly Father. He wants a relationship with you, but it can’t be one-sided.
I completely understand the problem of getting into a summer slump with my devo. time. I become so consumed with worrying about problems and to-do lists, or spend too much time hanging out with friends or doing extracurricular activities that I lose sight of the most important thing in my life – God. I want to share with you a few things that help me stay committed and intentional about my relationship with my Heavenly Father.
- Be intentional.
Make it a practice to schedule time with God, otherwise you’ll keep putting it off and never do it at all. I find it works best for me to do my Bible time in the morning during the summer, but if you’re a night owl, set time aside late at night! Do it whenever works best for you, but the key is to make sure to ACTUALLY do it!
- Stay creative.
Sometimes, we think of spending time with God as repetitive or boring. Try changing it up with new and creative ways to be with Him. You can have your Bible time outside or at a park. You could pray while taking a walk or doing some stretching. Turn on some worship music and have a dance party. Pick a chapter in the Bible and talk about it to yourself out loud (I know, it sounds weird, but I find that the more I talk about the Bible to myself, the more I understand and love it!)
- Include others.
Sometimes the best way to stay accountable with our devotions is to bring a couple friends along. Set up a weekly time to meet and go over a study plan, Bible verses, or just talk about some things you’ve been learning from God. Not only does this help you stay intentional with your relationship with the Father, but it also gives you a chance to grow and learn together as Jesus-followers where you can discover His incredible kingdom together!
I hope this gives you a few new and creative ideas to stay intentional and passionate about your relationship with God during the rest of the summer. Even though it can be so easy to forget or put off, time with the Father is the most important time we can spend. He loves every moment with us. I encourage you to stay connected and pursue your relationship with Him wholeheartedly. You definitely won’t regret it!
Ashley Geideman is a senior in high school and lives in Grafton, Ohio. She loves all things fashion, beauty and music. Her passion is seeing others set free and living in the truth of God’s kingdom. Ashley’s other pursuits include writing, leading, speaking, singing and dreaming big. She shares all her dreams, inspirations and encouragement on her Instagram @legitashleytaylor.
