Am I doing this God thing right?
Have you ever wondered if you’re doing this God thing right? That you don’t know how to go deeper with God? Or felt stagnant in your relationship with Him? You hear that the Bible comes alive, but still haven’t experienced it for yourself? I used to ask myself ALL of these questions. I always feared that I was doing it wrong, until God reminded me that there’s no such thing.
When it comes to getting to know God on a personal level we get to come exactly as we are. This is why it’s called a relationship. Think about how we grow in relationship with our parents or a best friend. All we have to do is spend time with them and let them into our heart. So often we think we need to show up a certain way, say the right things, or know all the right scripture to feel like we’re doing enough, but Jesus just wants to connect with your heart and love you as you are. After all, it’s not anything we do that changes us, it’s simply His love.
This is why I created the J.E.S.U.S challenge! God has opened my eyes to the simplicity of walking with Him and getting to know Him. Because of that it’s now become my greatest passion to help unlock this understanding for people in every stage/age & walk of life.
The simple method of the JESUS challenge helps you feel capable to grow in relationship with God 1:1 at home. Going to church on Sunday is important, but it’s in your everyday relationship with Jesus that makes or breaks your ability to grow with Him.
One of my favorite verses that explains this is John 15:4:
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
When we pursue daily relationship that’s us doing our part to remain in Him and the Jesus Challenge is a tool that helps you do that as well!
The J.E.S.U.S Challenge is an acronym and each letter of JESUS stands for what you will do in your quiet time with God each day. These simple steps help break down 5 pivotal practices that can help your relationship with Jesus FLOURISH.
The Acronym breaks down like this:
J- Journal
E- Experience
S-Study
U-Understand
S-Speak
First you’re going to JOURNAL to Jesus just like you’re talking to a friend. Sharing your heart with Him is how you’re going to give Him access to your heart. The more specific we get the more specific He gets to show up. This is also how we start to feel like this is a two way street. Nothing is off limits. If you’re anxious that morning – tell him about it. If you’re fearful of the future – explain why. If you have doubts about God being real – be honest. God isn’t intimidated by your unbelief. In fact He’s the safest person to tell that to because you’re giving Him an opportunity to speak truth into it. Then you’re going to EXPERIENCE His presence. You just gave God your heart in the journaling and now He gets to show you His. Take some time to worship, listen and be still. It’s in experiencing His presence that we start to transform from the inside out. Next we’re going to STUDY. Just one verse a day! I have over a year of plans you can choose from, but you’re also free to choose your own verses. It’s easy for the bible to feel overwhelming, but God has shown me that it’s really so simple and the key is taking baby steps and starting small. During this portion you’re going to say the verse out loud & try to memorize it. There’s so much power in memorizing scripture because it reminds us of what’s true when the devil tried to feed us lies. Scripture is our WEAPON. Then you’re going to try to UNDERSTAND the verse of the day. It’s easy for the Bible to feel like a bunch of words, but when we are intentional about understanding & applying it to our lives – that’s when we will start to feel it come alive. Something that God reminded me is that He created my brain and knows how I learn. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and will make things click when they’re supposed to. During this portion you’re going to ask yourself 3 simple questions:
1. What does this verse teach me about God?
2. What does this verse teach me about myself?
3. How can I apply this to my life?
Lastly, you’re going to SPEAK. Say a prayer to wrap up your time with the Lord. Speak the verse of the day over your life, add in any prayer requests and anything else that’s on your heart. Life and death is in the power of your tongue. Something happens when we speak truth over ourselves in prayer. It helps us stand in the authority we ALL carry with Jesus living within us.
This method changed my life & I know it can change yours! It’s meant to help you feel confident in your ability to grow with God one day at a time. Remember, this is a Journey! There’s no need for perfection or performance. Make sure your motive to grow with God comes from a place of knowing you’re already 100% loved as you are. This will keep you in the right perspective & in alignment with His love. Living FROM His love & not doing anything FOR it.
Something tells me if you’re reading this – you’re right where God wants you to be. Trust the process!
Madeline Grace is a young believer based in Southern California, who, while working as a social media marketer, fell in love with the possibilities for community and ministering to people through Christian TikTok. Her full-time work is the JESUS Challenge, which has daily posts on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook going through a different book of the Bible each month. She hosts the It’s Giving Grace podcast where she expands on topics that she believes will help people nurture their relationship with God and is the author of The Jesus Challenge: A 31-Day Prayer Journal to Grow Your Relationship with God.
