How To Include God in Your Everyday Life

What if I told you that the creator of the universe actually cares about every moment of your day. He sees every step that you take and he wants to hold your hand to guide you and protect you as you navigate life. He wants to be your shepherd. But God is such a beautiful person that he will never force himself onto you. He waits for you to invite him in. Here are some little ways you could invite God into your daily life. You may be surprised by the things God wants to be involved in. 

What are those things you do that you think God doesn’t care about?

What if God cared about the road you took to drive home? 

What if God cared about the colour you chose to paint your house?

What if God cared about what you posted to Instagram? 

What if God cared about the message you just wrote to your friend?

What if God cared about the clothes you put on today? 

Do you see what I’m getting at? 

What if I told you God cared about each of these things. 

What if you shot up a quick prayer as you approached the intersection and took Airly Road, which meant you avoided an accident?

What if the colour you chose to paint your house was what intrigued the buyer three years from now? 

What if God could speak to the souls of others through one simple Instagram post?

What if God wanted to love someone through your words, in a simple, everyday kind of message?

What if you remembered that you are made in the image of God and that you’re his representation to the world around you? Would that change the way you dress?

If we realised the impact of those little, tiny, everyday decisions, then maybe we might consider taking the time to invite God into them. 

@trustintheword

It could be as simple as actually stopping, laying aside your own ideas and asking God for his wisdom. 

‘God, I’m really vibing ‘Dulux White on White’ for this house. I’ve seen Three Birds Renovations do it. It looks amazing. When I envision my house, that’s how I want it to look. God, can you just tell me if this is outlandish? I’m also conscious that it needs to last. It needs to be functional. It would need constant cleaning to keep it in this pristine condition. I think I’d be up for the challenge. I think I would be alright with grabbing the pressure guns and hosing the house down. But I don’t know. You can see the future. You know better than me. What should I do, Lord?’ 

And at that moment, as you’re driving down the street, you see a White House that hasn’t been looked after and it looks awful. It’s got mould and dirt in all the creases and looks pretty lacklustre and not at all like the freshly painted houses you see on Pinterest. It’s like you can see your future before your eyes. Do you want to be cleaning that? 

Sometimes, it is as simple as inviting God in and listening for the whisper. When you take 42 selfies and you’re not sure which one to post. Ask God. He legitimately caresI love how my pastor, Shannon puts it. He says, ‘If it matters to you, it matters to God’. So instead of wasting an hour feeling anxious about which one to post, ask God and listen for that whisper, ‘this one’. Then you realise in this photo, the angle might not be as good but your smile is glowing and you look like a friendly and inviting person. Saved you an hour. You can thank me later for this tip. 

When you write a message, you can say (in your mind) to God (because God hears your thoughts!), ‘God what do you want me to say to this person? What do they need to hear?’ I cannot tell you how many times someone replies to me, ‘Nicola, that was exactly what I needed to hear today’. I am delighted to hear it but I am not surprised. I spent a moment including God and he used that moment in a meaningful way. The message carried purpose, far more than if I had just faffed about with my own thoughts or words. When you start replying to messages today, ask God, ‘What do you want me to say to this person?’ Or ‘How should I respond?’ In this way, you are praying continually and inviting God’s wisdom to shape your actions throughout the day. 

Does God really care about the way you dress? This passage in the NIV is one of my absolute favourites. In this passage, Jesus says that he even clothes the flowers of the field, and we are worth far more than flowers in God’s eyes. 

Check it out here in The Message paraphrase. I love the way Petersen puts it:

“Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen colour and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. 

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?

“What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:25-34‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Can you see that by inviting God into these small moments, these small decisions, you are seeking God first? You are steeping your mind in the things of God. God doesn’t want us to have two lives – the life here and now where we make our own decisions and the Kingdom life that fills in those moments in between our daily life. 

No, he wants our daily life and our Kingdom life to become one. He wants us to learn that he cares and that we can invite him in. 

If we learn to invite God into our small moments, our daily decisions, then how much more will we be ready to invite him into the big decisions when the time comes. 

‘God, is this the person I should marry?’

‘God, is this the house you have for us?’ 

‘God, is this the degree you want me to study at uni?’

‘God, which school should I send my child to?’ 

These are big decisions that shape your future. It would make logical sense to include God in these decisions. I believe that if we learn to invite God into the little moments, then we are in the habit of inviting him in when those big moments arise. If we learn to hear God’s voice in the everyday moments, we can recognise his voice when the time comes to make life-altering decisions. 

The idea of hearing God’s voice may sound foreign to you and that is okay. What an exciting experience you have in store for you! 

For now, start training your mind to invite God into those small decisions and listen for that little whisper from The Holy Spirit. I’d love to hear in the comments what moments you invite God into and how he uses those moments to shape your day and your interactions with others.