10 Tips for Growing in Faith

By Catherine Martin

1. Choose a word and a verse for the year. A key word and verse from the Bible helps you stay intentional in your life and ministry, and focus on what God is teaching you.  Example: The word “trust” and Proverbs 3:5-6.

2. Think through your spiritual growth plan for the year.  How are you going to live in God’s Word this year?  Will you join a Bible study or read through a one-year devotional Bible?  When will you spend time with the Lord?  Do you have a quiet place where you will meet with the Lord?  What books will you read this year?

3. Use the PRAYER ~ Quiet Time Plan to help expand your quiet time and experiment with new ideas for your relationship with the Lord.  Prepare Your Heart, Read and Study God’s Word, Adore God in Prayer, Yield Yourself to God, Enjoy His Presence, and Rest in His Love.  (Learn more in Six Secrets to a Powerful Quiet Time and A Woman’s Heart That Dances by Catherine Martin.)

4. Schedule a retreat with the Lord.  Spend a day alone with the Lord this year to draw near to Him.  Choose a book you’ve always wanted to read, a Bible study to help you study the Word, a teaching DVD or CD for spiritual challenge, and a journal to write out your insights and prayers.

5. Share with a friend what God is teaching you in your quiet time.  Meet once a week with a good friend over a cup of coffee.  Bring your Bible, journal, and devotional reading and share together.  This accountability is invaluable in keeping you consistent in drawing near to God.

6. Stop for a few moments during the day and reflect on your favorite verse or insight from your quiet time.  You may even want to write thoughts or Scripture on a 3 x 5 card and meditate on the Lord throughout the day.

7. Write out your prayers, requests, and answers to prayer.  George Mueller, a great prayer warrior, wrote 30,000 prayer requests on 3,000 pages in his prayer journal.

8. Write your thoughts in a journal or The Quiet Time Notebook.  Writing all that is on your heart will help you slow down and draw near to God.

9. Put together a quiet time basket for your quiet time resources.  You might include your Bible, devotionals such as My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers or Quiet Time Moments for Women by Catherine Martin, a journal or The Quiet Time Notebookä, a hymnal, worship music, MP3 player, prayer resources such as Operation World or The Valley of Vision, and pens, pencils, and other essential items for your quiet time.

10. Share your dance with the Lord in an online blog.  Consider going online at www.ministryforwomen.com and connect with women worldwide to grow in your dance with the Lord.  Ministry for Women gives you a profile page with your own personal online blog.

Additional Resources:

• Tips for Growing in Faith:  "Dancing with a Star - Steps for Growing Deeper with God"

Tips for Growing in Faith Tips for Growing in Faith Tips for Growing in Faith Tips for Growing in Faith Tips for Growing in Faith

• > Learning from God
  • Faith Topics - Learning from God
  • Sit Your Soul Down and Listen
  • Bible Women - He Speaks, She Listens
  • The Hidden Value of PH
  • Learning From The Master
  • 5 Ways to Win the Quiet Time Battle
  • Why Be a Woman of the Word?
  • How to Use the Bible
  • Becoming a Woman of the Word
  • Learning from God
  • Dancing with the Star
  • Private Lessons with God
  • Are We Too Comfortable?
  • An Unforgettable Mother's Day
• > Making Time for God
  • Faith Topics - Making Time for God
  • Christian Retreats: Rendezvous with God
  • The Danger of Holy Substitutes
  • Finding a Retreat Center
  • Food for the Soul
  • It's God's Time!
  • Power of Words
  • Bible Study - Women of the Word
  • 20 Ways to Improve Your Quiet Time
  • 10 Tips for Growing in Faith
  • Computer Time vs. God Time
  • External CPR
  • Not at the Tomb
  • Just Ten Minutes
  • Are You Tuning into God's Signals