wow wow wow! I’m so happy to be back & to continue this faith blogging journey.

I started college about 6 months ago. Although COVID has made socialization & gatherings a bit difficult, I’ve still made so many friends who I’m growing to love & care about deeply. I’ve learned so many things in classes that challenge me but also excite me. I joined a new sorority with girls I adore. I’ve dealt heavily with time management, and my agenda is my saving grace!! (shoutout to the enneagram 1’s out there ily)

But man, despite my frequent planning, I sure do feel like I’m losing time! I have to remind myself pretty frequently to step back and just enjoy a moment I’m experiencing. I also have to convince myself to spend a night or two in my dorm- praying or reading my Bible. Have I done a good job? Nope!

It’s funny- I struggle so much to remember or find time to pray, but I long for it. I feel conviction over it. The Lord knows it is on my heart despite my failure.

Moving to a new city & state meant I lost my home church. Although I could stream services and connect with my high-school small group leader any time I desired- it was not the same.

In trying to find a new church home, I poured most of my energy into analyzing messages that pastors gave. I picked apart sermons, re-read Bible passages, and talked to my parents after some services. I’ve gone to every event I can attend to focus and listen. But, in that process, I simply forgot to pray about it.

In the same way, I finish my days tired and drained. I often turn to Netflix or tik tok to help me fall asleep, or sit and chat with my roomies for some time late at night. In turn, I still forget to pray. It feels like simple stillness is hard to come by.

Because of this, I’ve been contemplating about how to really pray when I feel like I have no time. I’ve always thought I should pray at night and in the morning like 2nd Timothy 1:3 states- but sometimes that’s not very realistic.

When I walk to class by myself, I try to appreciate the world around me. Whether that be the greenery on campus, the sounds of people laughing, or the weather (even though it’s always humid or rainy, yuck!!!) every-once-in-a-while I’ll shoot a prayer up thanking God for giving me the ability to be in this environment. Sometimes that’s the only prayer I’ll speak all day- and that’s okay.

A friendly reminder to me & maybe some friends reading this, is that prayer comes in so many forms. Sure, you can speak a long, thought-out prayer out loud, but you can also listen to worship tunes in the car, read a few bible verses and reflect, or thank God for a moment while you’re in it. Journaling can be prayer, or blogging, or singing, or dancing!!

I, for one, find myself praying the words of every Elevation worship song I sing! Finding a worship song you resonate with is a wonderful way to connect to the Lord.

Regardless of how you chose to spend time with God, remember that there’s no rules or requirements. If you get distracted, know that it’ll be okay! A true connection with the Lord is worth the struggle to find stillness.

1 Chronicles 16:11 says “seek the Lord and His strength; seek his presence continually!” I think this should be our goal every day. It might be hard, but it’ll be so, so rewarding in the end.

Some of the ways I’m working on furthering my prayer life is scripture memorization. Psalm 119:11 says “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” After reading this verse, I wrote a few pieces of scripture in a journal and recited them every night. I now have 5 (EEK! I know its not a lot but it makes me happy) verses memorized, and sometimes the Lord will put one of them on my mind and heart during the day. I highly encourage y’all to try this with me!!

I know prayer can sometimes feel like a chore. Another addition to an already overwhelming to-do list. But y’all, the reward… aka BEING PALS W/ THE LORD… is so worth it.

Thank you for reading all the way through 🙂 It has been a while since I’ve posted, and I forgot how refreshing it is to get my thoughts onto a page (or in this case, a screen). I love y’all so much. SUBSCRIBE!!