If You Feel Far From God Today

1) Praise Him.

Pull out your favorite worship CD or line up a playlist.  Even if you don’t “feel” anything the first song or two, just keep listening.  Turn it up loud, in the car or in your room.  Sing.  Eat up the lyrics.  I recommend: David Crowder, Phil Wickham, Tree63, and Brooke Fraser.

2) Encourage someone.

The only thing better than receiving is giving.  Text, email, or message someone a simple encouragement.  “Jesus and I love you.”  Send out Bible verses.  Say specific things about that person.  Warning: You might enter a crazy rush of encouraging people and start giggling madly to yourself.

3) Pray for someone.

Write out a list.  All the times you said, “I’ll pray for you” — take five minutes to do it today.  It might feel jumpy and awkward at the start: just press through it.  Pray in a widening circle, starting with your family.  Pray for missionaries, your church leaders, the weird kid in school, for the people in news headlines.  Pray for yourself.  Tell God about your day, your dreams, your worries, your hopes.  Thank Him.

— J.S.