Staying consistent in your walk with God can be tough sometimes. Life happens. Everything around us demands our attention and if we’re not careful we can neglect our relationship with the Lord and soon grow stagnant in our walk with Christ.
In this article, we will be covering nine ways to ensure that we will remain consistent in our relationship with God regardless of the circumstances. Let’s get started.
Schedule a daily time to spend with the Lord
This tip is by far the most important! If you don’t have this, then being consistent with God is going to be a struggle. Everyone needs time to shut the door and be with the Lord and the best way to ensure that this remains consistent is to schedule. (Related article: How to Spend an Hour in Prayer 8 Helpful Tips)
Jesus told us that when we go to be with the Father we should “go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).
You see, the whole reason why we were created was to have a living relationship with the living God, and to love others as He loves us. So, the only way to have a consistent walk with the Lord is to have a consistent relationship with Him. If we can learn to master setting aside time in our day to be with Him we will find the reason why we were put on this planet and we will be filled with joy and purpose in the process. [Related article: What is Christianity All About? (The Truth)].
Some practical insight on how to do this is to find the best time where you are free from responsibility. Maybe this is in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night. Maybe you have a lot of time in the morning but no time at night, or vice versa. Whatever your schedule looks like, find what works best for you and make that time your time with the Lord.
For example, if you have an hour in the morning, set 6:00-7:00 to be with the Lord before your kids wake up. Or if you have very little time throughout your day, set short times to step away and pray and read the word as Daniel did.
“And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Daniel 6:10).
Now please understand, Daniel was a very busy man. He was one of the three governors who were over an entire kingdom (Daniel 6:1-2). If he found time to break away and be with His God, we can too.
Meet with other believers consistently
The Bible consistently reminds us to meet with other believers. In fact, we were created to be personal. God created us to have a relationship with Him, but He also created us to walk in love toward others. And what’s the purpose of walking in love toward people if we’re not supposed to have a relationship with them?
If we want to be consistent with God, we need to consistently meet with other followers of Jesus. The Bible tells us that who we surround ourselves with can affect us.
“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
If this verse is true regarding bad company affecting us negatively, it is most certainly true that good company can positively affect us. This is why the author of Hebrews warns us against neglecting to meet with the brethren.
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some” (Hebrews 10:25).
When two or more people come together and they all have a desire to be more like Christ, it edifies everyone in the group because you realize you are not the only one in the race. Not to mention you can learn from each other and share experiences. This is why the Bible says that we stir each other up in “love and good works.”
So, if you want a consistent walk with God learn to enjoy meeting with other followers of Jesus and learn to limit time with those who do not follow Him. This will ensure you will receive positive things from those around you and not negative.
Reassure your heart with the Word of God
This is something that is often overlooked because it hasn’t been taught much in our churches, but it is a necessary truth nonetheless.
If we look at men of God throughout the Bible we will find that they constantly reassured their hearts with spiritual truths. Here are just a few examples:
“He (Abraham) did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced (or persuaded) that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:20-22).
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
You see, we are bombarded with things all throughout our day and if we’re not careful we may fall victim to all the struggles life surrounds us with, and not to mention the so-called knowledge that people are so willing to impart to us.
So, how do we solve this problem?
We persuade our hearts with the word of God. If we want to live in consistent step with our Creator then we need to have our hearts in full agreement with Him every step of the way. We do this by meditating on the scriptures and praying the scriptures. (Related article: 3 Simple Tips on How to Renew Your Mind).
When you read the Bible it’s important not to just read it. Instead, we should develop a habit of communing with God about what we are reading.
Don’t just read over “for by grace you have been saved.” Thank Him for the fact that He saved you through no work of your own. Don’t just read over the scripture “Let not your heart be troubled.” Rather, confirm your heart by talking to God about the fact that you have no reason to have a troubled heart any longer now that He raised from the dead.
Remove sin out of your life
I know this is an obvious tip, but it is so obvious that people often neglect it. If you have sin in your life it will hinder your walk with God. This is why it is extremely important not to compromise with sin. If your conscience is violated listening to a podcast or a conversation, cut it off. If you’re watching a movie that is filled with everything that hell is probably filled with, turn it off.
Jesus told us to take sin seriously.
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:29-30).
Obviously, Jesus isn’t telling us to cut off our limbs and pluck out our eyes. However, He is telling us to get serious with sin and don’t give it a place in our lives.
If you have been fiddling with sin, and yet you want a relationship with God that is consistent, all you have to do is repent. The Bible tells us that all we have to do is acknowledge our sin before Him and then He will forgive us.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Now after you have repented, move on with God as if you’ve never sinned. He doesn’t see your sin anymore and neither should you. Now, of course, if you sinned and it affected multiple people you should address it with those people accordingly, but as far as God is concerned you and Him are straight.
Fast often
This is a spiritual discipline that is often forgotten in the Church, but it is a spiritual discipline that is extremely beneficial if practiced correctly.
I feel as though a lot of people shy away from fasting because they simply don’t fully understand it, so let me explain it briefly.
Fasting is not meant to be something that we do to impress God or get God to do something. Rather, it is an act of the will to deny food for a short period of time to cause the flesh to be subject to the rule of our spirit man.
The Bible commands us to put off the old man and “put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:10).
The “new man” is our born-again spirit man. It is created according to the image of God, but our flesh and our mind are still needing to be renewed. This is why we spend time in the word and prayer: to renew our mind, but it is also why we fast to subject our flesh to the rule of the spirit. Otherwise, the former lusts we once walked in will be rampant in our lives. Fasting is a huge key in being consistent in our walk with God.
If you want to know more about fasting check out my article How Fasting Helps Your Relationship with God (A Brief Guide).
Limit time with worldly things
Just like it is important to rid ourselves of sin it is also important to learn to limit our time spent on worldly things.
What I mean by worldly things is things that are not necessarily categorized as sin, but things that are of this world. Things like movies, tv shows, media, finances, the to-do list. Although these things are not evil in themselves it is important to not meditate on them for too long. (Related article: 10 ways to keep your mind stayed on God).
The reason for this is because the things we are constantly thinking about we will produce in our speech and our actions.
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:18-19).
“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23).
So although things of this world are completely necessary, they should be limited in our thoughts and consumption. Because if we fill our minds up with things that aren’t of God and of His word then we won’t be able to respond to situations the way He would.
Make daily tasks reminders to commune with God
This tip is one of my favorites. It is simple but it is effective.
You know how you have a million mundane tasks to do every day? Take out the trash, fold the laundry, drive to work, do the dishes, mow the lawn, shower, etc.
What if you made those tasks times where you commune with the Lord? While you’re doing the dishes you just begin to talk with Him about how much you appreciate Him cleaning you from the inside out. Or as your driving to work you just begin talking to Him about the day and praying for your coworkers.
This is what I honestly believe the apostle Paul was referring to when He said, “give thanks for everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), or when he said, “whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).
Evangelize often
Our mission on this Earth is to reach the lost with the Gospel. If it wasn’t, Jesus would have taken us to Heaven as soon as we repented, but He didn’t. He left us here on Earth so we can proclaim the Gospel to a world that needs Jesus!
The Bible says that we are called to make disciples of all nations.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Understanding this is crucial to have a consistent walk with God because when you realize that you are here with an assignment it empowers you to get focused. The apostle Paul put it this way:
“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4).
Paul wrote that in the context of enduring hardship for the Gospel and running the race of life that is set before us. The truth is we all have the same mission: to make disciples.
Now that doesn’t mean that we all have to be missionaries to Africa or some distant nation. But it does mean that we all can be an influence on the world around us. You have co-workers, family members, friends, neighbors, and strangers that you encounter every day that need the Gospel.
Carry this mission with you everywhere you go and you’ll be a focused driven individual. You’ll soon discover that it’ll be difficult to not be consistent.
Find others to disciple you
Just like we need to evangelize the lost and disciple people, we also need to have people that can assist us in our walk with God. I sort of mentioned this tip earlier when I addressed the importance of spending time with other believers, but this differs in that you are looking for a mentor/accountability partner.
We all can learn from people, and there is always someone that is farther along in their walk with God than you. Now, this doesn’t have to be something that is formal where you meet with someone every week for a one on one meeting. Of course, it can be that way but it doesn’t have to.
It can also be just a natural conversation about what you’re experiencing and learning with God, and they can be an encouragement to you and a challenge to help you grow.
Sadly, this can be hard to find sometimes. Personally, I have rarely found someone who is able to pour in my life like this, but that doesn’t mean I don’t stop seeking to learn from people.
If you are in a situation where there are few people who are able to act as a mentor in your life, you can find Christian podcasts, teachings, and books that can build you up. Although this isn’t ideal, it is still beneficial.
If you apply these tips in your life you will have a more consistent walk in your relationship with God.
