How to Spend More Time With God

The world is a busy place, there is always something to be done. God should always be #1 priority. In todays episode I give you different ways to keep God in the center of your daily life and just spend more time with him. 


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Transcript

[00:00:00] Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Lifted Podcast. This podcast we talk about faith, fitness, wellbeing in general, anything that lifts you up on a day-to-day basis. My name is Peyton. Oh, I hope you guys are enjoying this show so far. If you are, make sure you give it a rating and review because that is actually how these platforms.

Spread this around to more people who have never heard it before. So it would mean the absolute world to me if you leave at a positive rating and review, help it grow. I'm so excited. Have so many plans for this podcast. This is just the beginning. I've been feeling so much love and support already, so I just wanna be, give a big thank you for all of that.

I am super excited for today's episode because I'm going to be giving you a list and I, I think I've created, a pretty good list of things that you can do every single day to strengthen and deepen your relationship with God. Because if you're anything like me, before, 

I really, really struggled on trying to fit him into different [00:01:00] aspects of my life.

And I thought that Christianity and having a relationship with God was just this strict thing, like, you gotta go to church, and you say your prayer. You say your prayer every night. Every morning. And that was kind of it until I. Felt the presence of God and truly understood how good he was and how it's a relationship.

It's not something, it's not a chore. Like you shouldn't look at praying and going to church as a chore because it's not. It's something to value, and these things have really, really helped me to see that. So I'm very excited to give you that list of things that I do to kind of just keep him in the center of everything that I do every single day.

And it has really just increased my quality of life, honestly speaking because. Making him the center of everything just brings so much. Joy and just love into everything that I do. But first, I'm gonna give you my lift of the week. My lift of this week is that I have been going [00:02:00] and sitting out by the water.

I drive my job. Like 20 minutes, 15 minutes away from my job is this place where you can just go and sit by the water. And when I get off of work earlier in the day, um, like I have two days of the week where I get off at one o'clock and I have been going and just bringing a book and sitting by the water and reading, I bring my Bible out there.

It is so peaceful and it has been so good for me just to sit out there and listen to the water and look out on it and just do some reflections, some praying, some reading, just. Bettering myself. It's been a highlight for sure of the last couple weeks. I don't know why I didn't start doing it sooner, but I love being in nature and the weather.

I live in Florida and it's normally crazy hot, but the weather has been so nice recently, especially by the water. There's a nice little breeze. So that is definitely my lift. I actually just did it today a couple hours ago, so that is what made me think of that as the lift for this. I am huge on reading.

I would [00:03:00] love to make a podcast episode all about the different books that I've read. But I do this thing where I rotate. I do like two self-help books that are actually gonna really benefit me. And then in between I switch to a fiction book like a, I'm a sucker for romance books, so I'll squeeze one of those in between my self-help books just to kind of keep me flowing with reading.

Cuz sometimes if I'm listening or not listening, if I'm reading too many just informational books, I get bored and I. Get burnt out on reading. So when I kind of treat myself with a romance book, it really just motivates me to get through those self-help books. So I just finished Colleen Hoover's new book.

It starts with us. It was the sequel to, it Ends With Us, and let me tell you, that woman is so talented at writing books. I have, that's my fourth book I've read by her and I get through them so fast. One day, two days tops, that book is gone. It's done. So definitely recommend her writing. If you are a romance junkie like me, I have this idea [00:04:00] for the future of this podcast.

Once it grows a little bit, if you guys could send in your lifts of the week, and I could always, every single week, I could share a lift that. Someone sent in. I think that that would be so cool. It'll be a way to have like an interactive audience, which I think is super important because that's the main goal.

Like I wanna talk and I wanna connect with you guys, so let me know if that would be something cool. Oh, also, my socials are always in the show notes, so. So you can always reach me on those. And now without further ado, let's hop into the episode because I'm super excited to give you this. So the first thing, if you are new to all of this, the first thing that you have to do is you really have to open your mind and you have to open your heart.

to God because you're not gonna feel it if you, if any part of you is doubting it. Like if you're sitting there and you're like, yeah, whatever. God, sure. If you haven't really believed in him before and you're just trying to seek the benefits of, oh, well, Christians seem ha, seem happy, so I'm gonna just try [00:05:00] that.

Okay. God. Send me blessings. Like, it doesn't, it doesn't work like that. So you really have to open your mind and heart and just surrender yourself and just truly try. You can't, this isn't something that you just have to, the way that I really, really found my faith again, I I, when I, it was when I jumped all in, I surrendered everything.

I was like, I can't do this without you. I know that. I'm sorry I tried for so long and it just, that is just being vulnerable and just showing. I can't do this without him. Him and I know that everything I have is because of him. So what really got me in the beginning, if you listen to my faith journey, then you already heard this, but what really got me into it was worship music.

I, I listened to country music and somehow a song by for King and Country, it was, God only knows it just wet. It came. After one of my playlists. It was like a recommended or something. I don't know how I think it [00:06:00] was. I mean obviously it was God reaching out to that was how he got me the very first time and it just made me feel something.

So worship music, if you're brand new to this is. huge. Like it connected. If you're a musical person like me, like I love music, I connect with lyrics and words. I get emotional to songs. So worship music, a thousand percent, I now, I listen to it in my car rides. I listen to it on walks. I listen to it in the gym sometimes, and it's just, You can feel so much because it's like these people in these songs are saying all of the words that you can't think of yourself.

So when you're just singing along, you're opening your heart to it. Even if you're not even trying to just singing the words, you really just start to feel it. And. I just, I love worship music. I think that if you're just starting, I think that is the best way to get yourself into it, is to just listen to these songs and really start to feel it.

Because I, I can almost promise you that you will find a song that will make you feel [00:07:00] something, and that is the presence of the spirit. It's unlike anything you've ever felt before, so you'll know when you feel it. Another thing you can listen to, to ease yourself into it and to just learn more about it is podcast If you are.

New to this. That's what I did. I found podcasts, I listened to, um, just random podcasts. I would look up random things and I would just listen to people talk about God and they would throw in some scripture and I was just, I was curious about it. So I would just keep listening to these things until it just hooked me and I was just more and more, I was so intrigued by it after I heard this worship music, so I just kept digging into it.

So podcasts are great. I still listen to podcasts as much as I can. Every single Sunday I watch, um, elevation. Church. I watch him on YouTube and on Mondays, by the time the podcast is out, I'm listening to the podcast of, they're like an hour long and it's, it's perfect for me. When I'm at work, I'll put an earbud in and I go around and I [00:08:00] clean the gym and I just, I zone out and just listen to the word of God.

Another podcast that really grabbed me was The Happy and Healthy Podcast by Janine Apo, I believe is how you pronounce her last name. I started listening to that. Two years ago because I actually, I used to watch her on YouTube like years and years ago. Back when, like the 20 18, 20 16, YouTube was a thing where it was all like super saturated morning routines and stuff like that.

I was watching her then and I came across her podcast and I saw that she was saved and I just listened to her talk about her faith and it just really opened up my mind to it and. It really grabbed me. Again, there's no one thing that's gonna grab you and just lock in your faith, but these are definitely some great ways to start introducing it into your life.

And this isn't just for people who are just trying to introduce it into your life. Just more ways to fill your days with God is something that you should always be looking for. I'm still looking for more way. The next thing [00:09:00] is reading devotionals. This was also huge for me and it still is because the Bible can be so.

complicated, especially to someone brand new. It can be so intimidating. I remember when I got a Bible, I had no, I didn't even know where to start. I just looked at it and I flipped open to the first page and I was just like, whoa, this is huge. I don't know what to do with this. Um, I don't understand some of the things that it's saying, like, what does this mean?

This is like a million years old . I was like, what the heck is this? But um, devotionals. great because it takes certain parts of scripture and it just applies it into real life situations, and you can find so many different devotionals that can apply to your life. You can look them up, you can buy books. I have.

three or four devotional books, and each one has like a hundred or 200 in them. So I love reading one every single morning. It's a great way to start your day, and it's just, it can really lift you up because I can fi, I find most of the [00:10:00] time, whatever I flip to somehow it turns out to be exactly what I needed to hear, which is just definitely a really cool feeling.

So I definitely recommend devotionals because, , they're great. Like I said, Google search, anything going on in your life, how do I deal with this devotional or something like Stress Devotional or Love Devotional or school Devotional, anything like that. So just highly recommend. They make it so relatable and most of the time there's a little prayer at the end for you to say, and it's just a great way if you don't know where to start.

There's so many options now with. the internet, like there's so many options and so many things that will break down the Bible and scripture. Like it's, it's foolproof at this point. Like there's apps, there's just so many, like I get, I get a little reminder every single day on my phone, the Bible app, it sends me a scripture every single day, like it's foolproof and there's [00:11:00] just so many.

To get into it. The next thing is a little unexpected and I'm gonna have to explain it, but Christian accessories. So for example, like I have multiple Christian t-shirts, like I have a, what would Jesus do shirt. I have whole strength as a, I love what they stand for. I love that brand so much. They are a bit expensive.

Like I think I spent like $30 on a t-shirt from them, but they were just these two dudes that started out. From their garage making Christian gym wear. So I, I love their backstory, so I have absolutely no problem supporting them. But I have a shirt with their logo on it and it says, faith over fear. I wear a, he would love first bracelet.

I have, I'm looking at my wrists right now. I have a Proverbs three five bracelet that says, trusting Lord with all your Heart. I have a bracelet that says, set your mind on all things, or set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. [00:12:00] I have a, I can do all things who through Christ who gives me strength bracelet.

I have a cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. Bracelet, I wear a cross on my neck every single day. I have a cross car ornament that hangs from my rear view mirror and it's just, The way that it works for me is just little reminders constantly. Like I can swear to you that I feel like these bracelets have superpowers.

It's weird. I don't know. But one day I remember I was in this situation and I felt really uncomfortable and I just, I had this desire to be like petty about it. But I remember I looked down at my bracelet and I saw he would love, first it was like, thing going on my brain. I just like had this idea. I was like, I need to look at my wrist,

And then I saw my, he would love first bracelet and just instantly I just like turned my cheek and I was okay. Everything was fine. And I was like, I had all of my urges to be petty. Were just gone and it was just, Because I'm [00:13:00] wearing scripture on me. I swear it's like superpowers. And same thing with like the cross on my neck.

Like if you see me in person, you'll probably see me grab it multiple times a day because it's just. A reminder, like I'll just grab onto it. When I'm working out in between sets, I just grab onto it just to bring him his presence into my awareness, because I know that he's always with me. Same with the orna of my car.

I'm driving. I just grab onto it like he's protecting me as I'm driving right now. He's with me right now, especially worship music, um, singing as loud as I can, grabbing onto that cross windows down, screaming, crying, sometimes just praising him. It's just. You need like just putting him into your awareness at all times.

It really helps. So that's what I mean when I say Christian accessories. I'm not trying to be all like cutesy, like buy these bracelets. Yeah. . No. Like it actually really helps me. So I recommend for sure. The next thing is to spend more time in nature for [00:14:00] me. I find God in nature like no other. I find him on my walks.

I find him by the water. I find him when I go on. I live in Florida, so there's no mountains here, but whenever I go on vacation and we go hiking, That is where I find God. I find him in his creations more than church, more than sitting in my room praying. I find him in nature, especially like just on a nice day you just look around and like today by the water, I was like in tears because I was like, this is so beautiful.

Like I feel so at peace. I was praying and I was just in nature. You just take a deep breath, like the air, the wind, everything just, it just brings you into reality. Us as people. We're not meant to be like house plants. We are meant to go outside. We're meant to feel fresh air and sunlight and just, it brings so much peace.

So, , definitely spend more time in nature. I have really found for me that you don't necessarily need church to find [00:15:00] God. I do think that that community is super duper important. Like for me right now, I'm gonna be totally open and honest with you guys when I say that I don't attend mass every single Sunday because I don't have a church that I necessarily.

Love right now. Um, I was brought into a Catholic household and I don't like my Catholic church, so I take it on my own and I bring myself into the community through online spaces. Like I said, elevation Church. That is what I would consider my church as of right now. When I move away, I'm definitely gonna find a church that I really, really love.

But as of right now, I attend online mass every single Sunday. So, I definitely don't think that you need, because I mean, church is so flawed. Like I had a bad experience in a church and it brought me away from God for years. So you don't need a church to pray, nor do I think that. It's something like that you should [00:16:00] feel shame for.

I do. I do think that you should listen to preachers because I mean, I fill my days with that all the time, so it's become so accessible to everyone. Like go on YouTube and just look up sermons and look up masks. Like I said, elevation Church. I love Pastor Steven. He is. He speaks to me. He speaks to so many people.

I know that. And it's just, , I definitely recommend. So with that being said, pray everywhere. You do not need to be in a church pew to pray because I know that that's probably a big excuse like, oh, I just, I don't have a super strong faith cuz like I just don't have time for church. You know, I'm busy. Well first of all, like God, to be your first priority anyways.

But second of all, you don't need to be in a church, Peter, to pray. I find most of my most powerful prayers have been literally like the gym bathroom. weird places. I just break down in prayer. Like it's just, you do not need to be in a church pew to say a prayer. Next thing I wanna point [00:17:00] out about your prayers is honestly like, I don't know, this might be controversial.

I, I don't know, but like, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't know, but my relationship with God is like, yeah, a loving father, savior, like he's above all things. . But at the same time, at the same time, he's my friend, so I talk to him as my friend. I don't, I don't speak in tongues and I find that that kind of takes away from my relationship when I try to be super formal, because then I end up focusing more on that and if I'm speaking okay, rather than just talking and praying because that's, I mean, that's what it is.

Like you wanna be vulnerable, you want to be a real relationship, like you don't. I mean, for me, like I said, if you find speaking in tongues and you're more old school about it, like full support, any way that works for your relationship, but me for personal, like. You should see me like I'm sitting [00:18:00] there outside most of the time is when I get into my out loud speaking prayers.

I'll just sit outside and I'm just like, looking up at this guy and I'm like, oh, I don't know what to do, man. Like, I'm kinda lost. Can you, you help me? You know? The next thing is to just fill your media with more Christian stuff like. Be careful on who you follow on social media. Like if you're following all these astrology pages and these people who are into the tart cards and manifestation and not manifestation in what you think, there's a certain level of manifestation.

You know what I'm talking about When it becomes more witchcraft, because honestly, like I, in a certain way, I, I do believe in manifestation, I think, but it, it's prayer. What it is, it's speaking, quote, quote, speaking things into existence. It's, it's a form of prayer. So manifestation in a way is real, [00:19:00] but not in the way where it's like you write things down 20 times and then you burn it and say it over and over again, and putting yourself into this position where you're your own God.

That is not good, and you're inviting. So many negative things into your life when you practice all this stuff. I've heard so many horrible stories relating to all of that witchcraft stuff, and it's so scary. So if that stuff is all over your social media, just if you're not even following them and they just pop up on your feed.

Block them. Do whatever you have to to get rid of that stuff. It is terrifying and so much of our society is filled around that stuff and it's just, it's so sad to see, like I remember being at school and I would see these, they just whip out their crystals and teart cards in class and start saying like, spells.

Like, this is so scary. I, I don't wanna get involved. People would ask me and they're like, oh, I'll, I'll, I'll tell you your future. Like, and I'm like, no, you can't. You're not God. But thank you praying for you. So I'm [00:20:00] not gonna tell you to just strictly follow pastors.

Like there are so many influencers out there who are Christian. They don't just post Christian content. . I mean, for me, for example, like I posts mostly fitness content, but I am not shy about the fact that I'm a Christian, uh, on my stories. Almost every single day I'm posting something relating to my faith, and I'll throw faith into my fitness and my workouts and just, there's so many influence.

Like Alex Eubank, he's a huge example. He, he's one of my biggest motivations and inspirations. I love everything that he stands for, and I love how he deals. his community because he is, he's a gym guy. He is a fitness influencer, so he shows his physique, so he gets, but he's so just strong in his faith and it's just, it's really inspirational to see that.

So influencers like that, like there are so many that you wouldn't know, but just don't spread around all that. [00:21:00] witchcraft, manifestation. Be your own God stuff, because that will fill your mind. It can be so tempting. Like sometimes I'll see this stuff and I'm like, get anything you want in 10 days with this tactic.

And I'm like, oh, really? And then I'm like, no. Another thing along with media is movies. I have found some really great faith-based movies. I have two that I have listed here that really, really help strengthen my faith. And one of them this. Game changer. It's the case for Christ. This movie is so good. It's this man who his wife ends up, they're atheist and his wife ends up getting pulled into the church and she just starts to feel God and everything and he goes crazy.

He's like, I don't wanna lose my wife to this, not my family. So he goes all around the country trying to dis. The resurrection of Jesus and he just, he can't, like, he goes on this journey trying so hard to prove that [00:22:00] Christianity is false and he, he can't. It's just one of the most backed up evidence-based faiths in the world.

And there are just so many facts that prove that he did die on that cross and he was resurrected so, . That really helped strengthen my faith because I always had those doubts, like, is this a form of magic? Like, I don't know. But that movie is just a total game changer, so I highly recommend it. It's on, I watched it on Amazon and it was like a dollar 99 to rent.

If you have Amazon, so highly recommend. And then the second movie was, this one's completely fiction, but the shack. . I loved this movie. I sobbed. Um, it's very sad. So, um, be prepared to cry. I sobbed like a baby. It is so good. It's this man who, he had something really, really horrible happen to him. So he just lost his faith in God.

And he goes on this whole spiritual journey and it's just, Incredible. It really helped strengthen your [00:23:00] faith. Oh, I just got chills. Okay. Anyway, the next thing is honestly, just take care of yourself. You are in such a clear state of mind when you take care of yourself. So go to the gym, take care of the body that you were gifted.

Take care of your mind. You don't have to just sit there and like there's so. Problems with the Christian gym community thinking that we're so vain. Like, yes, there is a point where if you're finding your identity in your physique only, like that is not good. So you wanna make sure that it's taking care of yourself and taking care of the temple that he gave you.

But just take care of yourself like you will come to appreciate what you were given so much more in a clear state of mind, fueling your body properly. Junk food, it, it literally messes with your mind. , you don't think as clear as you do if you eat right and it's, it's food is literal medicine. It is so cool.

But that could be a [00:24:00] whole nother episode about proper nutrition. And honestly, like your faith motivates you to take care of yourself more because it just makes you feel so much more grateful. Like I, once I found my faith, that was when I really lost a lot of weight and then I got into the gym and that strengthened my faith even more because it's like, , I was given this like, this is such a gift, why was I not taking care of it before?

And it just, it just brings God into the center of it and honestly working out for me. It's such a place where I find God. So it's been really, really cool to see. Like recently I've been dedicating my lips to God, so praying between sets, listening to worship in the car beforehand, just blasting that, listening to worship.

during my lifts, and then I always do a warmup on the treadmill. So I've been watching quick sermons on the treadmill before my lifts and just dedicating time like that out of my day that is normally just me time and making it completely just centered around God will change your life. Like [00:25:00] it has been huge for me.

I've had some of my best lifts because of it, and it's just something that I really, really love to do now. Like don't get me wrong, I still have my lifts where I'm. Blast into Drake and just, you know, not the nicest songs. I'm definitely guilty of that still, but it's been really, really nice and like just a clear state of mind to dedicate like at least three or four of my lifts every single week where I'm, I'm not listening to that trashy music And then the last thing that I have for you is something that I actually just started. So I recently got a. Prayer Journal. If you are a writer like me, just being able to put all of my thoughts and my, my prayers on paper has been huge for me. It's really just allowed me to express myself in a way that sometimes in my head, I don't get that same effectiveness and I know that it's just as effective.

Whatever prayer works best for you, that you feel that way. I'm not gonna tell you that one way works better than [00:26:00] any other, but for me, I'm a writer. I love to write things. I've. I've always journaled for, since I think I started journaling in like seventh grade, so I've, I've been huge on writing for a long time, so I don't know why I've never started a prayer journal before, but it's been really, really great and I've been really enjoying it.

So, , definitely recommend that. And then overall, honestly, like just journaling in general, like getting your thoughts out. It, it is, it's almost like a form of prayer, especially just if you treat it like prayer, it is like you don't even have to be writing. Like you don't have to start like, dear God, thank you Heavenly Father for the like, it doesn't have to be like that.

It can just be you writing out your thoughts and writing out what you're grateful for. Gratitude is huge. Like just. There's so many mindset aspects behind it. Like whatever you're agree. I've made a whole episode about gratitude. Highly recommend one word can change your life. Spoiler alert, that word was gratitude.

But I went in all on [00:27:00] how many benefits there are to practicing gratitude and starting a gratitude journal. So definitely recommend listening to that. But, uh, shameless plug right there. So yeah, definitely recommend a prayer journal. I love it. Like I said, I just recently started, so not gonna sit here and pretend that I've been doing it for years.

Um, I'm still new to it, so sometimes I'm like going back and I'm erasing and I'm like, why am I erasing like this is to God. So, He can, he can hear my thoughts. Anyway, so that is what I have for you guys for today's episode. I hope it helped you. If it did, again, make sure you leave this a rating, review anything, shoot me a DM on Instagram.

I would love to hear how you guys spend time with God if, cuz I'm always looking for new ways, so I would just love to hear from you guys and. Um, there's no one way, there's no one correct path to deepen your relationship with God. That's not what this is. I'm not telling you that this is a checklist.

It's not a to-do list. I'm not saying if you do all of these, you're [00:28:00] guaranteed to feel his presence and you're gonna just, everything in life is gonna get perfect after you do all this. Like, that's not what I'm saying at all. It's just. This is stuff that helps me in my day-to-day life. That just helps me really hone in on that relationship with God and make sure that he is in the center of everything that I do, because so much is going on in life, and it can be so easy to just push it back to the side of your mind like, oh, I don't have time for this right now.

But you have to make time and just you do have time. Like I said, car rides. Anything. If you're like, oh, I work all day. How am I gonna, well, how do you get to. You have time to listen to a sermon. You have time to read a devotional in the morning, get up five minutes earlier to read a devotional. So it's just whatever you put into it, like you're definitely gonna get because he is there waiting.

The amount of effort that you put in, that's what you're gonna feel. Because like I said, he's never gonna draw back from you. He's not the one that's drawing away from you. [00:29:00] He is right there. So as soon as you start reaching. Oh, he's there with open arms, I promise you. So that is what I have for you guys.

I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you guys do something this week that lifts you up, and I will see you guys next week. Bye.