Dawn Baker, a member of our church, shares some thoughts and resources to help us grow our personal relationship with God
In my experience it is always important to have meaningful points of contact between myself and another person if we are to develop and grow any sort of relationship. Only by sharing time and conversation together do we discover more about one another and deepen our connection.
I feel that our relationship with God works in a similar way. In addition to scheduled times of worship, teaching and prayer at church gatherings each week, I believe that God longs to have us seek Him personally for ourselves day by day so that we can grow our relationship with Him. Reading about Him in the Bible and talking to Him in prayer are key ways of opening up that conversation and getting to know Him better.
Making time to focus our attention more fully on God in the midst of all our busy-ness and distractions isn’t easy but I have come across various tools which might help us make the most of any opportunity we have. Click on the highlighted links below for more information about each one.
Some of them are available free online and some to purchase as printed material. Why not try exploring some of these for yourself and also ask other people in church what they find helpful as they seek to grow their personal relationship with God?
It would be great to hear about some of your recommendations too via office@peopleschurch.co.uk
Daily reflection and prayer (free online)
Lectio365 A daily devotional resource that helps you pray the Bible everyday
Bible (YouVersion) Multiple versions of the Bible (some also available as audio) along with devotional material
Reimagining the Examen Prompting prayerful reflection on your journey with God day by day
Digging deeper in Bible study (free online)
Bible Gateway Offering different English translations and paraphrases of the Bible (as well as ones in other languages!). It can be searched by a specific passage or topic. Also gives tips on how to engage more deeply with the Bible and includes some Bible reading plans.
Bible Hub Encourages learning and practical application of the Bible. Gives access to different translations of the Bible, allows searching by topic and offers some helpful Bible study tools such as maps and dictionaries.
Bible Project Summarises themes and books of the Bible and includes short animated videos.
For all the family (free online)
Bible for kids (YouVersion) Helping children to engage with the Bible in a way that is age appropriate. Forty-one Bible stories are read aloud along with interactive animations and games to reinforce the message of each story.
Daily reading & prayer (printed material to purchase)
Some established organisations produce daily notes for Bible reading and prayer, usually gathered into dated collections published every 3 or 4 months. Some of them also produce similar material for children and youth. The notes can be purchased from them online or by phone and delivered by post. Have a look at Scripture Union, Bible Reading Fellowship, CWR & The Good Book Company.
Christian books can also be purchased online from a number of different outlets. Their websites usually have useful filters so you can browse areas of interest such as daily devotionals, prayer, Bible study & Bible journaling. Contact the Church Office for more information on these.