Religious Duty vs Relational Devotion:How to turn your spiritual activities into encounters!

03.02.21

Getting close to God is not something you can formulate like an equation with exact steps, it’s more so like building relationships with someone new. It takes communication, quality time spent together, thoughtfulness and intentionality!

Have you ever been in a one sided relationship? The kind where you’re always giving, but it seems like the other person only ever calls when they need something? It often puts incredible strain on the relationship. Yet, many of us do that to God and then we wonder why we’re not any closer to Him. We talk to Him about ourselves, expecting Him to fix all our problems, all while never asking Him about what is on His heart! Here are 12 Ways to shift from religious duty to relational devotion in your spiritual life!

1. Start looking at reading the Word and journaling like “texting with God”. When you read his words you learn about his character, his desires, his like and dislikes!

Have you ever played 21 questions with someone in order to get to know them? Imagine if you read into the text of God’s Word as much as you read into the texts you get from your friends and family? It’s ok to ask God, “What does that mean?” or “Why did you say that?” The Bible is a living book! It was never meant to be read like a novel, it was meant to be experienced like a personalized text where you have the opportunity to talk with the author and enter into a conversation with Him about how it applies to you! Don’t just read the Bible to know God’s ways or actions, read it to understand His motives and character. So many times, when we read the Word, it leads to questions, but instead of running to God to ask Him about them, we run away from Him. I think this is because people are afraid they might find something they don’t like. Here is the total truth though, there has never been a time where I have humbly brought God a question and didn’t like what I found about the things I did not understand. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” There is a person behind the text within the Bible and His name is Jesus. Everything you read is an opportunity to get to know Him more.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrew 4:12

“ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

2. Start looking at prayer like “long phone calls” with God. It’s a place for you to share your heart with Him and to listen as He shares his heart with you.

If you don’t listen for a reply when you pray, you’ve entered into religion because religion is one sided. The Bible says that idols don’t have ears or mouths. They can’t hear you, nor can they reply to you. But our God is alive! Yet often times, we treat Him like an idol and have no expectation to get a response, simply because we aren’t listening for one. Don’t be so caught up in the world that you treat God they way they treat their idols (Psalms 135:15-18; Psalms 115:4-8). Prayer is a conversation! My dad, Pastor Dana Gammill always says, “God is always speaking, it’s our hearing that intermittent.” Sometimes God answers prayer by doing what we asked, other times, He answers them by speaking to our heart about how He has a better option than what we have asked for! Jeremiah 3:33 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” God is waiting for our call! He longs to speak with us about the incredible plans, dreams, ideas, and adventure He wants us to do together.

“But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.” Psalm 66:19

3. Begin to look at worship like “a long car ride” with Jesus where you hold hands and jam together, singing songs of joy that brings life to you.

In Zephaniah 3:17 it says that the Lord, “will rejoice over you with singing." (NKJV). Even worship is two-sided. It’s a response that overflows from our hearts as we encounter the love song of Jesus over us! One of the most romantic gestures my husband has made since we began dating was writing love songs for me. To hear him declare his love for me to everyone who will hear it overwhelms my heart with such trust and joy. In the same way, when we hear the song of God’s heart and that His love for us is unending, it touches the deepest parts of our soul and effortlessly produces thanksgiving and joy because of this fulfilling relationship we have found.

Many times, when I spend time with God, I start by quiet myself and listen for what He is singing over me. The Bible says, “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). I believe that in order to even love God the way He deserves to be loved, we must first be filled. Sometimes I replace the word love in that verse with other verbs to remind myself of how much I need to be filled before I can produce anything else, “We sing, because He first sang over us. We dance, because he first danced over us. We give, because He first gave to us. We delight God, because He first delighted us.” Worship is so much more than just singing and dancing, it is choosing to do every action of your life with the soul intention of bringing God joy.

“From here on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with the right heart. For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 TPT

“Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.” Romans 12:1 TPT

“Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another with the Psalms, and with festive praises, and with prophetic songs given to you spontaneously by the Spirit, so sing to God with all your hearts! Let every activity of your lives and every word that comes from your lips be drenched with the beauty of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. And bring your constant praise to God the Father because of what Christ has done for you!” Colossians 3:16-17 TPT

4. Look at dreams like “watching movies with God”. He hand picks the images you need to see to encourage and empower you in your current season! Sometimes the plots are hard to understand, but as you allow the director (Holy Spirit) to speak to you, He will unveil the deeper meaning and all of the hidden nuances of the film you watched.

When my husband and I were dating we loved going to movies for a date night. We’d watch together, and then spend the hour after the movie discussing the plots and pointing out all of the neat things that others might not have caught. In the same way, dreams are a great connecting point with God. The Lord spoke to many people in dreams throughout the Bible, to prophets, leaders, and unbelievers alike. King Abimelech, Jacob, Laban, Joseph, Daniel, a Pharaoh, A midianite man, Solomon, King Nebuchadnezzar, the Magi’s, Joseph (Jesus’ earthly father), and Pilate’s wife received important revelation from God in their dreams as they slept about what God was about to do in their lives. A few were warnings, others were spiritual insights, and some were prophetic information about the future. Interpretation can be tricky, but when Daniel was interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams he said, “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…” (Daniel 2:28). The more we get to know God, the easier it is to understand the symbolic language He uses in dreams. The Bible says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” (Proverbs 25:2 NIV). Many times, God conceals the meaning of our dreams in this symbolic language because our pursuit and search of His interpretation proves to Him that we are after His heart and not just blessings.

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17

5. Look at visions like “going on adventures with God!” God will take you to spiritual places where you can gain greater understanding of His kingdom and way of living!

Visions are displayed on our sanctified imaginations. They are day dreams where God whisks you away, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” (Revelation 4:1). Ezekiel spoke many times of visions, trances and heavenly encounters God gave Him (8:3; 11:24; 40:2) along with Daniel (10:1; 10:8; 7:15) and Jesus’ disciples (Matthew 17:9; Luke 24:23). You can find this communication means all throughout the Word of God. There is a day coming where Jesus will return to deal with evil once and for all, so that Heaven and earth can be fully reunited and restored, but we don’t have to wait until that day or death to experience the heavenly realm. Visions often give us a glimpse into Gods heart, thoughts and plans for the future. They show us how the Kingdom of Heaven operates!

“I have also spoken to the prophets, And I gave numerous visions, And through the prophets I gave parables.” Hosea 12:10

6. Starting seeing intercession like being a “co-worker with God”, where you work together to see something beautiful created in the world around you!

Intercession means to stand in the gap for someone or something else. It’s to act as a bridge from man to God. When we partner with Christ, He opens up the heavens, and we stand in the earth as a vessel that connects others to Him. In short, intercession is partnering with God to see His dreams become reality in our realm. God has a dream to have relationship with all men and women, when we use our God-given earthly dominion, it gives God permission to move on the hearts of those around us until they begin surrendering their own lives to Him.

“So you were fed up and decided to destroy them. But Moses, your chosen leader, stood in the gap between you and the people and made intercession on their behalf to turn away your wrath from killing them all.” Psalms 106:23 TPT

“Be a righteous king, judging on behalf of the poor and interceding for those most in need.” Proverbs 31:9 TPT

“Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before him, for if we ask anything agreeable to his will, he will hear us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we also know that we have obtained the requests we ask of him. If anyone observes a fellow believer habitually sinning in a way that doesn’t lead to death, you should keep interceding in prayer that God will give that person life. Now, there is a sin that leads to death, and I’m not encouraging you to pray for those who commit it. All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin that does not result in death. We are convinced that everyone fathered by God does not make sinning a way of life, because the Son of God protects the child of God, and the Evil One cannot touch him.” 1 John 5:14-18 TPT

7. Look at praying in Tongue as “receiving secret messages from God”. As you pray you’re downloading encrypted files from Heaven! When you seek God, the Holy Spirit will help you decode these messages at the perfect moment and will give you revelation light that brings understanding of exactly what you or others around you need.

There’s something so fun about having inside jokes with a best friend. You can say one code word, and suddenly you both break out in laughter as you cherish memories with that person. Praying in tongues is kind of like that. It’s a language that cannot be understood by the enemy or others, where the Holy Spirit begins praying His perfect will through you while downloading truths and encouragement into your spirit for the moments when you will need it the most.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26

“It is good that you are enthusiastic and passionate about spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. When someone speaks in tongues, no one understands a word he says, because he’s not speaking to people, but to God—he is speaking intimate mysteries in the Spirit. But when someone prophesies, he speaks to encourage people, to build them up, and to bring them comfort. The one who speaks in tongues advances his own spiritual progress, while the one who prophesies builds up the church. I would be delighted if you all spoke in tongues, but I desire even more that you impart prophetic revelation to others. Greater gain comes through the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless there is interpretation so that it builds up the entire church.” 1 Corinthians 14: 1-5

“So then, if you speak in a tongue, pray for the interpretation to be able to unfold the meaning of what you are saying. For if I am praying in a tongue, my spirit is engaged in prayer but I have no clear understanding of what is being said.” 1 Corinthians 14:13-14

8. Look at repentance like “saying I’m sorry and changing your actions when you do the things that breaks God’s heart”. If we keep doing the things that our significant other detests, the relationship won’t last. We must be considerate by learning to care for what the other person loves and hates. Repentance is the prerequisite for coming close to God and entering into Heaven. The Bible says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2 NKJV).

I don’t know about you, but when people I love do things that break my trust, a genuine apology makes it much easier to enter back into unhindered enjoyment of the relationship. In a similar way, sin gets between us and God. When we live in sin, it makes us impure and keeps us from being able to hear God clearly. If we want a two-sided relationship with God, we must be willing to repent so that nothing can stand between us and His holy nature.

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah” Psalms 24:3-6 NKJV

9. Look at giving tithes and offering like “buying gifts for God”. When we give, we’re saying, “God, I’m thinking of you and want to show you how much I value You!”

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 NKJV

“You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.” Deuteronomy 15:10 NKJV

10. Looking at meditating, soaking or “Selah” moments like “giving God a hug or cuddling up in His lap as he whispers sweet things into your ear”. It’s deeply breathing in all that He is while thinking on His goodness and all the ways He has been faithful to you. As you press into His presence and give your time just to be with Him, He will embrace you and bring the peace, comfort and security that can only be found in His arms.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalms 46:10 NKJV

“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” Psalm 63:6

11. Look at community service and serving others like “acts of service for God!” When we help God with the things that are on His heart it shows Him we’re not in the relationship just for ourselves and for what we can get from Him.

I love acts of service. When someone takes care of something that is my responsibility without me having to ask, I feel cherished. It’s like they’re saying, “Hey, I see how hard you’re working, and I want to help you so you can get that break you need.” When we become God’s hands and feet, it brings Him the kind of pleasure we get from a well-deserved rest.

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the One who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is God’s messenger will share a prophet’s reward. And whoever welcomes a good and godly man because he follows me will also share in his reward. And whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of my humble disciples, I promise you, he will not go unrewarded.” Matthew 10:40-42 TPT

“I’ve left you an example of how you should serve and take care of those who are weak. For we must always cherish the words of our Lord Jesus, who taught, ‘Giving brings a far greater blessing than receiving.’ ” Acts 20:35 TPT

12. Look at faith like having “confidence in God’s loyalty and faithfulness to you.”

Trust is an Important part of people feeling like they can be vulnerable with each other. It’s always believing the best about God’s intentions, motives and actions. The more you trust in the person you’re in a relationship with, the more they’re willing to become vulnerable with you. This is why the greater the faith we have, the more willing God is to show His wonder-working power to us. Faith is not just believing He exists, it is believing that He is good and that He is who He says He is! God always believes the best in us, how much more should we believe the best in Him seeing that He is perfect?

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

The more you connect with God in these ways, the deeper your relationship will become. There are so many other ways to interact with Him, but I encourage you to use this list to transform your thinking. Try to move from a place of checking a religious duty off your to-do list, to actually enjoying God’s company and leaving space for Him to interact with you in the midst of all of these spiritual activities.