8 Ways To Be Consistent In Your Walk With God
What’s Inside: 8 practical ways you can implement today to learn how to be consistent with God.
As Christians, we are saved by grace. We are also kept by that same grace.
But we also have a responsibility to grow in grace.
As Peter was admonishing the saints that the coming of the Lord was near, maybe you would think that there wouldn’t be time to form a new habit of growth in one’s spiritual life,
WRONG.
He still told them they need to augment their spiritual growth.
The Responsibility of How to Be Consistent with God
The word grace in the Greek is αὐξάνω and means to grow, augment, to increase and become greater.
I love that the word augment is used. To augment something means to make something GREATER by adding to it. We already have been given the wonderful salvation of Christ but it doesn’t stop there. We are called to augment, or add to the faith that was gifted to us.
The key to being more consistent with God is summed up in a gem of a Scripture where John the Baptist was foretelling of the Messiah with 6 little words.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
If you look up one of the definitions of consistency in the dictionary you will find that it means:
: firmness of constitution or character.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure here.)
What is the Biblical Meaning of Consistency?
The word consistency, as we know it, isn’t in our modern day Bible translations but the practice of consistency is. Let’s take a look at the words of 1 Corinthians 15:8 written by the Apostle Paul:
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. -1 Corinthians 15:8.
Paul is urging the beloved brothers and sisters of the church at Corinth to be steadfast and unmovable in their Christian life.
Let’s take a quick look at what the words steadfast and unmovable mean.
- Steadfast is the word hedraios- ἑδραῖος and means to be firm, immovable, steadfast
- Unmovable is the word ametakinētos ἀμετακίνητος and means to be unmoved and firmly persistent.
Be steadfast and unmoveable
Why is Being Consistent with God Such a Challenge?
Consistency can be difficult. If you don’t believe me, let me ask you how many times have you tried to lose weight or stayed faithful to an exercise program. The same hold true with making a habit of quiet time, prayer and of the reading God’s word.
Jesus asked this stinging question to the disciples on the Mount of Olives about prayer:
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Matthew 26:40-45
Sweet Sister, even the disciples had a hard time with being consistent with God in their prayer closet.
We have high and lofty goals in our desire to be consistent with daily prayer and reading the word of God. Let’s look at the definition of consistency in a different way- a more flexible way.
Consistency is allowing the Holy Spirit to help you form a habit of drawing near to God with grace.
Consistency is allowing the Holy Spirit to help you form a habit of drawing near to God with grace
A consistent prayer life won’t be found in condemning yourself. The only way god’s people will find true growth and consistency is by taking your eyes off of your old self and placing your eyes on Jesus.
Our everyday lives have been changed by grace and our christian walk should reflect that. In fact, the person most worthy of the gospel of Christ is you. It’s not your accomplishments in your present or former life.
It’s in the faith of the gospel and precious grace. Not a single day goes by that we don’t need grace.
Read other Devotional Articles HERE
The Importance of Making Time for God
A plant without the life giving nourishment of water will die. A plant without the rays of sun for strength will also die.
It has been said, If consistency helps you grow in God, then inconsistency shrivels your faith.
If consistency helps you grow in God, then inconsistency shrivels your faith
Sweet Sister, Inconsistency kills faith.
As believers, our life source as a child of God depends on nourishing our relationship with Him. We have an amazing promise from the New Testament in the book of James that says,
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
James 4:8
Maybe you’re tired of word studies but bear with me. I really believe it sheds light on this good and wonderful gift God has promised us.
The text ‘draw nigh’ in the Greek is ἐγγίσατε-engizō and means to bring near, to join one thing to another, to draw or come near to and to approach.
Sweet Sis, when we bring ourselves near to God, when we join to Him and come and approach His throne, He will join to us, approach us and come near to us.
THAT is His wonderful promise!
The importance of making time for God is the lifeblood of our relationship with Him.
The importance of making time for God is the lifeblood of our relationship with Him
Grace Helps us Be More Consistent in our Walk with Jesus
Christianity isn’t a ‘do this or do that’ type of mentality.
Here’s a list of things that Christianity is not.
- It’s not a to do list of what to do or what not to do.
- It’s not putting a lot of demands on your life from outside influence.
- It’s not posting your Bible study or journaling online.
- It’s not about utilizing a daily prayer list.
- It’s not about the approval of others in your personal life and seeing how the comment section on social media takes off.
Here’s a list of what Christianity is about:
- Grace
There is nothing wrong with most of the things on the first list, but living out our faith is about the intentions of the heart in desiring to live a holy life and implementing those desires. It’s about human beings and their sense of responsibility to loving God.
When we come to Jesus, He changes our hearts.
In the beginning, your consistency might be difficult. Hang in there. You aren’t a robot or automaton. Grow in grace as you devote yourself to God. There will come a time when the burden of doing it outweighs the joy.
Examples of God Being Consistent from Scripture
Here are a few Bible Scriptures God has qualities that are always consistent and are important to the foundation of us learning how to be consistent.
Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
Psalm 71:3
In this Scripture we find God as our habitation that we may continually go to. A habitation is a place to dwell or a place of refuge. This Scripture shows us that these places are ours continually.
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
Psalm 102:25-27
Psalm 102:25-27 shows us that God’s creation can change but He is eternally the same.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Hebrews 13:8
Hebrews 13:8 shows us one of the most beloved verses about the character and quality of consistency. He is the same from the past, to the present and eternally. Praise the Lord for that good news.
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Numbers 23:19
Numbers 23:19 speaks of another characteristic of God’s steadfastness- He has not and will never lie.
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Malachi 3:5
The above 2 Scriptures are a proclamation that Christ Jesus never changes.
Psalm 102:27
But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Psalm 33:11
Have you ever met someone who says one thing and then changes their mind, That is not a quality of God. Not only is God consistent, we can know that His counsel stands forever,
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Colossians 1:17
Another beautiful example of the power of God and His existence.
Examples of God’s Children Being Consistent in Scripture
Below you will find some hard hitting examples from Scripture about what God expects from us and our consistency,
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58
We are not called to be Christians that go with the ebb and flow of the tide. We are to stand steadfast in the midst of external circumstances.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9
It might not come second nature to us, but we must not only serve ourselves. We must be an extension of goodness to those within and without the body of Christ.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Hebrews 10:23
Holding fast brings to my mind clinging to something with all of my strength. A different translation says we should hold tightly and firmly, even seizing our faith.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
John 8:31
A beautiful command to us explaining what consistency is- continuing in His word. Continue in the Greek here means to remain, abide, to sojourn, not to depart, to continue to be present, to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure
Tools to Help You Be More Consistent with God
Now that we’ve learned about what consistency is, how God has qualities that are always consistent and how we should be consistent, here are some practical tools to help you be more consistent with God.
Desire
If you don’t have a heart that desires the things of God, ask God to change your stony heart.
A note about fervency: desire does ebb and flow. That’s when we must perform the duty of being consistent and the fervency will follow. The most important thing is that you don’t condemn yourself.
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1 Peter 2:2a
Peter tells us that our needs are as basic as a newborn seeking nutrition from it’s mother. Our food is for our spiritual nourishment.
If your fervency is cool for the Lord, ask the Lord to fuel your desire. Then go and live for Him even if you can’t feel His presence.
Schedule
It’s not shameful to schedule your prayer time. A digital or paper planner can really be a great tool for any Christian who needs reminders to perform a daily quiet time. Another great thing to implement is to set an alarm every hour and take a minute to pray.
Saturate your soul in God’s word
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:11
The word hid means to hide, treasure, treasure or store up.
What a beautiful illustration of what we are to do with God’s living word- to hide it, treasure and store it up in our heart.
God’s word can be practically applied to our lives by way of daily Bible reading and also Bible study. You can also practice Scripture writing of Bible verses / Bible books and verse mapping which is a form of word study and application of Scripture.
Cultivate your prayer life
Imagine the beauty of knowing that you have the honor of going into your secret place to talk to the God of the universe at any moment.
My husband tells the story of how he first met me in church. He saw me at a distance but it wasn’t good enough. He had to talk to me in hopes of building a connection between us.
The same is true of God. We can know Him at a distance, we can know His word- but it’s not good enough. We must form an intimate bond with Him and share our innermost thoughts, prayer and desire. We must cultivate a relationship with Him and learn how to pray consistently.
Your place of prayer can be a cozy chair, kneeling at the side of your bed or at a chair in front of your desk. Some might even take their prayer life mobile and go for a prayer walk. These are all very practical options. God isn’t interested in the position of your body as much as he is looking at the position of your heart.
God isn’t interested in the position of your body as much as he is looking at the position of your heart
My church has a daily online telephone prayer call that lasts about 15 minutes. A prayer leader volunteers and signs up for a specific day and shares about 3 Scriptures and prayer points. Praying is done communally out loud as a group. It’s a short prayer time to help the congregation remain unified and focused on the Lord.
Writing down your prayers in prayer journal is a wonderful way to see God’s faithfulness concerning answered prayer. A prayer journal can simply be a notebook.
Gather with the Saints (go to church)
Going to church isn’t just a recommendation but a command.
I’ve met many Christians over the years who have stopped going to communal church on a regular basis and say they can do it all alone.
Who were all of the epistles written to in the New Testament?
The church.
Who was Paul’s heart grieved for and who did he pray for?
The church.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25
The word for assembling in the Hebrew is the word episynagōgē ἐπισυναγωγή which is where we get the word synagogue from. The church in the earliest days gathered where at the synagogue.
As believers, we strengthen and learn from one another- and that is indispensable.
With the advent of Covid, most of us were forced to do church online which was a great blessing. But now that Covid is over, many haven’t returned to gathering with the saints and a spirit of complacency is alive and well in those who used to deem church attendance important.
As I recover from my recent chemo treatments, there are many days that I can’t make it to church. I’m tired and my body is weak. Simply getting in the shower is a real ordeal and I can’t do it without the help of my husband.
I watch our church services online, but I can truly testify that I am always in a better place mentally after worshipping the Lord with my fellow believers in the Lord. There is nothing like elbow to elbow live singing, giving, hearing a sermon and closing in prayer with likeminded members of the body of Christ.
Guard your heart
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. –
Proverbs 4:23
You must guard your heart from the devil- he is actively causing you to give up the good gift of salvation. The KJV says to keep your heart but many translations say to guard your heart.
Be mentored
A mentor relationship is when an individual with more experience and knowledge passes on what they have learned to someone with less experience in a specific field. A christian mentor is one who will guide you, direct you and teach you how to live a godly life in Christ. A mentor could also be an accountability partner with whom you check in with your daily quiet time and who is a confidant in your Christian walk. We can’t forget that God has placed pastors in the church to watch over the souls of believers. (Hebrews 13:17)
Purge sin from your life
We are saved by grace as Christians and also forgiven. (1 John 1:9).
Thank the Lord for that!
But that doesn’t mean that we should hold on to secret sins (either from our former manner of life or present walk). We should always search our hearts for anything that is displeasing to the Lord and repent of that behavior. (Psalm 51 is a perfect example and prayer of this).
God gives us the strength and ability to let go of sin and live victoriously for Him.
Sweet Sister, we’ve learned about God’s consistency, our consistency and 8 necessary points to help you live consistency before the Lord, which are:
- Desire
- Schedule
- Saturate your soul in God’s word
- Cultivate your prayer life
- Gather with the Saints (go to church)
- Guard your heart
- Be mentored
- Purge sin from your life
We can take comfort in the fact that God is a consistent God and that, by His grace, we can also walk in consistency with Him.
My prayer is that your desire for God be magnified and you learn how to be consistent with God. Praise the Lord for the good work He has begun in you and that He will finish!
