A little bit ago, in a season where I was struggling to connect with the Lord, I was having a difficult time getting into my Bible study and really engaging with the Scripture I was reading. I was studying Leviticus at the time, and while I typically really enjoy diving into unpopular Old Testament texts to discover what God might want us to know, I felt like I was going through the motions. I will say it again and again: studying the Bible isn't meant to be all about us, and it's not always going to be a fun, aesthetic time. The point of studying the Bible is to understand God and His character more, through His Word.

But sometimes, to do that, we need to make adjustments. It isn't honoring to God to just be going through the motions, disengaged from Scripture and dreading our time with Him. Just as relationships with a friend or significant other go through seasons, and you connect differently in different seasons, the same is in our relationship with God. And I've experienced firsthand that we can experience a deeper intimacy with our Father by being intentional with Him and learning about Him in new ways. I've found refreshment in some of my hardest seasons by purposefully not going through the motions and pursuing the Lord through a different strategy or spiritual discipline.

So, today I want to encourage you to shake up your Bible study routine if you are struggling to connect with the Lord. Step outside of what you have been doing and try something different to gain new perspective on Scripture and who God is. You never know what He might reveal to you or encourage you with by making even a small adjustment in your quiet time! I'm going to share a few strategies that I personally have implemented and been impacted by, and it is my prayer that they would also help you to draw closer with the Lord!

1. Try out a new Bible study tool.

Sometimes, we read the same Scripture over and over again throughout our entire life and it begins to lose its power as we study it. Sometimes, we simply struggle to focus or understand what God might be trying to teach us through His Word. Either way (or even for another reason!) trying a new Bible study tool in your quiet time may be the breath of fresh air you need to help you regain perspective and excitement about reading Scripture. I find that trying out a new resource can re-energize my time with the Father and break up what was becoming a mundane routine. It also allows me to read the Bible through a lens I hadn't yet considered, and that always leads to more growth in my life.

There are COUNTLESS tools for you to choose that matches your interests and study preferences. A few of my favorites include:

• Enduring Word Commentary (helps me dive deeper into what I'm studying and understand the Scripture more by breaking it down)

• Bible Hub (I LOVE the ability to look at the Hebrew/Greek translations because I get a better understanding of what the author meant in the original language! It clears up any confusion and can be surprising the differences in languages.)

• A new devotional, such as one from Daily Grace Co or any other Christian bookstore! (This can be completely tailored to whatever book or topic you want to study, at whatever intensity!)

I've also recommended to people Bible Project videos on YouTube that break down sections of the Bible or topics to easily understand, or GotQuestions for any specific questions you may have about the Bible or Christianity. The Bible app is a great resource for free daily devotionals and Bible studies, with so many topics and lengths to choose from! I have a Bible dictionary, which definitely makes my Bible study more interesting and adds another element of understanding with the visuals and scholarly definitions!

Whatever it looks like for you, pick something new to try, and invite the Lord to speak to you through it. You may never know how a change of pace can draw you closer to the Father in unique ways - ways that your spirit really needed.

2. Read about a person in the Bible whose life circumstances resonate with yours.

This is the strategy I have practiced most recently, and it has made a HUGE impact on how I connect with the Lord. In a season of heaviness and struggling to recognize the Lord's voice, I decided to read the book of Job. Now, I have experienced no where near the amount of loss that Job did, but his crying out to the Lord and unanswered questions really resonated with me. As I studied his story, I could empathize with some of his experiences and use his words to fuel the prayers I was struggling to put into words. I saw the Lord's character more clearly by seeing how He moved in Job's life, and in turn, that helped me see what God was likely doing in mine. I felt more clarity and peace about my own situation because I could see that God was still faithful, active, and kind in Job's situation.

I am all for reading difficult parts of the Bible, but not every season is an optimal space to understand God's heart in those Scriptures. Sometimes what we really need is to get humble and vulnerable with the Lord, bringing to Him our burdens and the weight of our circumstances, and one way we can do that is by reading about a character who is going through a situation or emotion that's similar to ours.

A few examples of this could look like:

• Busyness: Mary and Martha (Luke 10:31-42)

• Sorrow: Jeremiah (the book of Lamentations) or David (all throughout the Psalms)

• Sexual desire: Solomon (the book of Song of Songs)

• Temptation: Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11), Daniel (Daniel 6)

• Depression: Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18)

• Struggling with Unanswered Prayers: Hannah (1 Samuel 1)

There's so many others, but I'd encourage you to try this strategy if you're having a hard time connecting with God's Word. God intentionally included the stories and heartbreak of these people so that we can learn from them and see His faithfulness throughout their trials - it's a gift that He's inviting us to use in our own trials.

3. Incorporate worship.

Worship is a powerful, intimate way to connect with the Lord, and too often we leave worship in the church sanctuary. While worship doesn't have to be singing, it often is, and we have the opportunity to use our voice to praise and exalt the Creator of heaven and earth. We can use music to pour out our heart and emotions to the Lord, just as David did in so many of his psalms. Some of the most powerful ways I have experienced the Father's presence is through worship, and it has been a tool to help me get out of a funk when I'm struggling to recognize where God is in the season I'm in.

I do want to warn you: the point of worship is not to get something out of it. If we sing with the intention of experiencing a mountain top high, our heart is in the completely wrong place. Worship is intended to give God glory, praise Him for His character, and humbly express our feelings. Our focus should be on Him, not on ourselves. And when we approach it with that attitude, longing for more of Jesus (not an emotion), then He will show up and work in our hearts - even if it's not in the obvious, big way we would like Him to.

If you need some new songs to add to your worship playlist, here's what I'm currently listening to! By no means is it a comprehensive list of the best worship songs of all time, but it might add a little variety to your current set. :)

It is my prayer that this post would give you some inspiration on how to spice up your Bible study if you've been struggling to connect with the Lord or feeling as if you're going through the motions. Our time with Jesus each day is not meant to be a task we check off of the to do list, but an intentional, evolving time with our Heavenly Father that allows us to learn from His Word, draw close, and become more like Him.

I really want to encourage you to not give up if this is a more difficult season of recognizing His voice and presence, because even in the "drier" spiritual seasons, there's still so much for us to learn. The valley is where we are pruned and produce fruit, and while it might take a little more effort, it is so worth it to give the Lord our 110% when we study Scripture. Keep perservering, inviting God to teach you in new ways, and later down the road, I have confidence that He will give you clarity as to why those lessons were needed to bring you where you are. And even if He doesn't reveal that on this side of heaven, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His plans are always better than our plans.