Life as a college student, as you can go read in the Staying Faithful in College Blog, can be a struggle when it comes to faith. There’s always something happening and so much to do and it’s just busy busy busy all the time. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either but it’s extremely important to incorporate time with the Lord. With these few steps, I’m going to tell you what’s helped me personally!
Put your phone down!
Yes, I know, it’s super cheesy but I swear, this is huge! Recently, I discovered that I had spent an average of about 4-5 hours a day on my phone. As a college student, and for anyone else who owns a phone for that matter, that’s way too much and in little to no way God honoring! I could have gotten so much done with all that time but instead, I wasted it on a screen. I didn’t even read my Bible those days because I was too distracted by my phone, and that cost me. In fact, it cost me emotionally a lot of the time and because I felt so distant, I didn’t fully recognize my worth. So, I’ve been trying to read my Bible first before I think about picking up my phone again and so far, it’s been a great success and I feel so much closer to God! When I read, I put my phone away in another room as well so that I'm not even tempted to check it. So, with all that, put your phone down, it’ll be alright!
Constant Prayer
It may sound strange, but never stop praying. And no, this doesn’t mean that you need to be on your hands and knees 24/7. Throughout the day, just constantly be talking to God, whether it’s thanking him or asking for help, it all matters. Becoming a prayer warrior helps you to feel powered by Jesus and the more you rely on God, the more you feel his love and protection. Even when you feel distracted while praying, pray about the fact that you’re distracted and ask for focus. Just always talk to God! You can do it anywhere, any time!
Make Time for God
As said before, taking some time out of your day to read to God’s word and pray is incredibly beneficial and important. One thing you can do is wake up earlier to read your Bible and Pray. That’s hard, I know, but when you start, you’ll want to keep going. A very wise friend of mine uses an analogy, “The first step in working out is going to the gym”. He says this because once you’re at the gym, you’re already there so you might as well work out. Once you wake up and are out of bed, you might as well read your Bible because you’re awake. Another thing you could do is the opposite, stay up later. Make it the last thing on your mind before you end your day and go to sleep! One thing I found was that, often, I have nothing to do for about an hour at a time and I could fill it with watching YoutTube, or I could read my Bible and spend my time with the God of the universe.
I hope this could help you on your busy journey of getting to know Christ and spend time with Him! As you go on further with this journey, you may notice that at times, it’ll get harder before it gets easier. Just remember to stay focused on God at all times and to control how much you get distracted, don't let it control you!
By: Tyler Dixon