Lift OffSýnishorn

At the end of every week, we'll give you a challenge—something to try that might be outside your regular routine. Each challenge is designed to help you develop one important spiritual habit. This week, it's...

SPEND TIME WITH GOD

There's no formula or one right way to spend time with God. Whether you already know how you like to spend time with God, or you're still trying to understand how to hear God's voice, today's challenge is going to help you experiment with some new ways of connecting with God. Try it and see what you discover about God—and about yourself, too!

CHALLENGE

Even if spending time with God sounds like a good idea, so many things can get in the way. Some are non-negotiables that need to be done, like school or feeding the family pet. But some of what takes up our time is optional, like...

• Scrolling social media.
• Watching TV.
• Taking an extra 30 minutes to perfect your jump shot.

There's a spiritual practice called "fasting," in which people set aside a normal part of their routine to make space for meditation and prayer. Today, try giving up something that's optional in order to spend time with God.

1. CHOOSE WHAT YOU'LL GIVE UP: Ask yourself what activity takes up most of your time. It could be anything—a game on your phone, your makeup routine, reruns of your favorite TV show. Once you decide what you want to give up...
2. PICK A TIME OF DAY: The idea is to find a time when you won't feel in a hurry. Whether it's ten minutes before you leave for school or unplugging a little early at night, choose a time when you can focus on spending time with God.
3. MEDITATE ON THE ABOVE PASSAGE: The Scripture provided talks about how spending time in God's word helps us grow. You may have another passage you want to read or something you want to talk to God about. Go for it!
4. CONSIDER MAKING IT A ROUTINE: Once you've done this one time, you may realize that you could create a pattern of spending time with God in this way. Maybe there's a day of the week or time of day you want to fast on a regular basis.