I have a son who is currently a two-year-old toddler. He's at the stage right now where my wife and I are teaching him to have good public manners. Greeting people with a "hi" and leaving by saying "bye." Learning to be gentle with other people. Asking for something with the word "please." Saying "thank you" when something is done for him. It's a struggle at times, but…

The other day, my wife and I had a medical appointment to go to. Before we left the house, my wife asked me if I wanted to bring a book along with me. She informed me that the appointment could take a while. I said that I didn't need to bring a book and that I had my phone with me anyway. Now most people use their phones to kill time with things that are inherently entertaining. They'll watch…

I use rituals to help cultivate my spiritual life. Rituals are simply activities a person does on a regular and consistent basis. Having a coffee every morning at 9 AM can be considered a ritual. Brushing your teeth before bedtime can be considered a ritual. Reading a book to your child before they sleep can be considered a ritual. We have rituals for…

I bought some fake LED candles the other day. I use them to enhance the space that I'm in when I'm praying to God. I particularly like to pray on the floor with a prayer mat. The battery-operated candles are a nice addition to make the space more conducive for prayer. I find that they simply enhance the atmosphere.

I have spent well over a year now attempting to commune with God for ample amounts of time each day in prayer, Scripture, worship, and contemplation. My hope is to get as close to Christ as I possibly can while on earth. I've already discovered plenty of personal benefits to communing with Christ. Here are just four overarching benefits that I've noticed.

If you want to have a vibrant spirituality that influences and permeates every part of your life, you're going to need to put in the work. Having a close relationship with Christ doesn't "just happen." Just like any other relationship, it takes intentional and consistent effort to grow your friendship with Jesus. We can't…

If you're going through a tough time in life, here's something that can always help you: praying to God. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6 ESV). Instead of…

I try to engage in a time of stillness and meditation every day. My main goal when practicing stillness is to increase my awareness of God. I attempt to perceive God for who He really is in my life. At the same time, I hope to cultivate personal humility by decreasing my view of myself. I hope to…

At times, I don't know what to specifically pray about for other people. I try to pray for multiple people like family and friends every day. But for one reason or another, I may not know what to specifically pray about. It's usually because…

I sometimes use objects to support me in my regular prayer habit. One of these objects is a prayer mat that I've had for many years. Although it's not a common practice for Christians to use prayer mats, it's not entirely unheard of either. Christians have been known to…