In our relationships with other people, we grow by being present and listening to each other. The same is true for our relationship with God.  God desires a close relationship with each one of us.  But we must choose to make time for him and to quiet the world around us to hear from him.

We want to help you create a habit of spending consistent time with God.

To begin, pick a time and place.  Schedule it.  Get it on the calendar.  The discipline of this will be the first big step towards establishing the habit of connecting with God.  

Below you'll find helpful resources like Bible reading plans, some thoughts on prayer, and a Bible study method that can combine all of the above.  All are great places to begin.

Many would see the Bible as rather dull — a kind of outdated rulebook, full of contradictions maybe, irrelevant to the lives of people today. So what's the deal?  What’s so special about the Bible?  

To just scratch the surface, it’s uniquely popular. It’s the most successful literary creation ever, more influential than Shakespeare or any other great texts. It’s completely international. Homer has been translated into forty languages, Shakespeare into sixty, the Bible into well over two thousand — ten times more than any other book.   Most importantly, it tells us about Jesus.  The Bible reveals to us the man who is at the center of our faith.  It details the accounts of people who were eye-witnesses to the single most important event in all of human history- the resurrection.

Beginning to read the Bible is one of the most significant things you could do to build your faith.  

Why not begin today?

Prayer is a conversation between you and your heavenly Father.  The best place to begin is to pick a time and place and... just start!  Don't beat yourself up, but just start small!  

What if you began every day for the next 30 days with prayer?  Why not begin today?

At one time or another we've all been told we should pray... but how do you really do it?  If God actually already knows what we need before we ask it, why ask it?   Anthem's Teaching Pastor Andy Stanley addresses these questions and more in the series "Grown Up Prayers".  

You can watch it on demand here:

SOAP is a simple yet profound way to study scripture and to pray.   You can simply follow the prompts below.  Sometimes it's helpful to journal and write down responses to these!

Read a passage or chapter.  What stood out to you most?  Write it down.

What do you think about it?  What does God seem to be revealing to you through it?  Do any words stand out?  Think about who the author is and who the passage is written to... does that help you understand it differently?

How do you apply this to your life?  Remember, the goal isn't to believe the right things but to do them!  Are there any areas in your life that are in tension with what you read?  Is there something you need to do with it!

Talk to God.  Maybe write a prayer out asking God to help you apply this passage to your life.  Pray for others who may be dealing with similar things.  Ask God to use you in the lives of others.