We engage the Lord through daily personal encounters by welcoming the Holy Spirit, asking the Lord to speak to us, praying the Lord's Prayer and listening for His response.

It is easy to hear God when you are in His presence.

Here is a guide to help you encounter God daily!

Expression Overview:

You connect with God through expression. When you express through creativity, you are beholding your Creator and reflecting His image. You feel the closest to God when you are able to commune with Him while creating something - whether it is through writing, drawing, painting, playing an instrument, dancing, filming, editing, styling, or anything that is creative.

This is how you have conversation with the Lord.

You may create during your encounter with God, or after you have heard from Him. When you create, you can slow down to hear God and catch the revelatory gifts He wants you to partner with. When you create, you are able to enter into freedom because you surrender yourself and your thoughts, and are able to hear God’s voice. Because you are looking at the Lord when you are creating, there is an intimacy that is shared. There is sanctity in knowing He has trusted you. There is surrender, communion and a closeness that you experience when you are creating with the Lord that brings healing to your heart, fresh revelation, and innovative ideas and solutions.

Creating can be a healing balm to you because your expression is an avenue of connection with the Holy Spirit where there can be an exchange of lies for His truth. This is how the Lord speaks to you in the way you will understand Him. You are reflecting the nature of your Creator when you express in creativity, so behold the Creator, and create.

Some Encouragement For Expression:

As a creative, you can’t get away from being creative! Embrace your creative tendencies instead of trying to push them aside. To encounter God is to let Him see you fully. Don’t resist how you were created. He has made you in His image to be creative. Those who connect with God through expression use their creativity to encounter God’s presence, but also have the unique opportunity to bring other people into an encounter with the Lord through their gift.

Remember you are ministering unto the Lord and not unto man. The worst thing you could do is draw attention to yourself; the best thing you can do is draw attention onto God! God delights when you connect with Him the way He created you to! When you are intentionally pursuing intimacy with the Holy Spirit while creating, He is removing any guilt or shame. This is intimacy and not performance.

- God is more interested in your heart than your ability.

- Worship is not limited to singing... it is expressed through the life we live and the gifts we steward.

- Your creativity reflects the Creator who made you.

- Don't strive for perfection; offer God your authenticity.

- Comparison steals the joy of expression. Celebrate the unique gifts God has given you.

- God often speaks while we're creating because our hearts are focused on Him.

- Every gift God has given you can become an act of worship when surrendered to Him.

- Your expression may encourage someone else to encounter God.

- Creativity is not reserved for artists... Every believer has been uniquely designed to reflect God's glory.

(1) Connect With God Through Expression

Here are some practical ways that you can connect with God.

Journal Your Prayers
Write your conversations with God. Express your thoughts, questions, victories, struggles, and gratitude through journaling.

Write a Psalm of Your Own:
Read one of David's psalms, then write your own prayer of praise, thanksgiving, repentance, or trust. Be honest and write from your heart.

Create Artwork:
Draw, paint, sketch, or design something that reflects what God is teaching you or reveals an aspect of His character. Your art doesn't have to be perfect—it simply needs to be an offering to Him.

Play or Sing Worship:
If you play an instrument or enjoy singing, spend time worshiping without worrying about how it sounds. Worship is for an audience of One.

Write Down What God Is Teaching You:
Create a notebook of lessons, Scriptures, answered prayers, and spiritual milestones. Over time, you'll see God's faithfulness throughout your journey.

Express Gratitude Creatively:
Write a letter to God thanking Him for His goodness. List the ways He has been faithful and celebrate what He has done.

Memorize and Recite Scripture:
Speak God's Word aloud. Allow His truth to shape your heart as you declare it over your life.

Use Your Gifts for His Glory:
Whatever talent God has entrusted to you, intentionally dedicate it to Him.
Whether teaching, cooking, photography, woodworking, music, technology, writing, or serving... offer your gifts back to the Lord.

Create Without Comparison:
Don't compare your gifts to someone else's. Celebrate the unique way God designed you and faithfully use what He has entrusted to you.

Dance Before the Lord:
If it feels natural to you, express your worship physically through movement, celebrating God's goodness with joy and freedom.

Build Something That Honors God:
Whether it's woodworking, gardening, photography, baking, or another creative outlet, invite God into the process and dedicate your work to Him.

Reflect Through Photography:
Capture moments in creation, people, or everyday life that remind you of God's goodness. Instead of simply taking pictures, ask, "What is God showing me through this?"

(2) Worship & Pray in the Holy Spirit

Start with your favorite worship song and pray in your heavenly language.

(3) The Lord's Prayer

A starting guide when praying to God every day!

"Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name...

Begin praying by declaring,
“Father, you are HOLY!”

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven...

Pray for God's perfect will to be done in your life.
"God, not my will, but yours!"

Give us this day our daily bread...
Tell God what it is that you need. He is our Provider!

And forgive us our debts...
Repent. Lay down your sins before God and ask for forgiveness.

As we also have forgiven our debtors...
List by name those you need to forgive and ask God for help!

And lead us not into temptation...
Grace is a gift we all have access to. Open the gift and accept God's grace to overcome sin.

But deliver us from evil...
Declare, "No spirit but the Holy Spirit" is welcome in your life!

(4) Go Through Your Personal Prayer List

Begin by praying for:
Yourself
Your Family
Your Friends & specific people as they come up in your spirit
Your Job
Your City
Your Church & Church Leaders
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
(Psalm 122:6)
+ Add your own

(5) Read the Word

Find a devotional plan that challenges you:

Include:
15 Minute Scripture Reading:
READ:
1 Chapter in Psalms
1 Chapter in Proverbs
1 Chapter in one of the Gospels

30 Minute Scripture Reading:
READ:
1 Chapter in Psalms
1 Chapter in Proverbs
1 Chapter in one of the Gospels
1 Old Testament Chapter
1 New Testament Chapter
1 Chapter in Revelation

(6) Give God Room to Speak to You

"Speak Lord, Your servant is listening!"

(7) Ask Him to Teach You His Ways

Exodus 33:13b says, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.”

After He speaks to you, ask Him to teach you.

(1) Repeat what you heard God say out loud.
(2) Write down what He says and obey Him.

This is a way we steward God’s words!

(8) Close in Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for creating me in Your image and uniquely designing me with gifts, abilities, passions, and creativity that can bring You glory. Everything I have comes from You, and today I willingly offer it back to You as an act of worship.

Help me to use what You have placed in my hands to honor You and serve others. Remove every fear, insecurity, and desire for approval that keeps me from expressing the gifts You have given me. Teach me to create, serve, speak, and live with confidence, knowing that my greatest audience is You.

Give me spiritual eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart of understanding. Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening.Show me how You want to use my life, my gifts, and my creativity to reveal Your goodness and point others to Jesus. May everything I create and every gift I steward become an offering that reflects Your beauty and brings You glory.

Lord, keep my heart humble and grateful. Protect me from comparison and pride, and remind me that faithfulness is far more important than recognition. May my life be a continual expression of worship, bringing honor to Your name in all that I do.

Thank You for inviting me to partner with You and use the gifts You have entrusted to me for Your Kingdom. May my life always reflect the beauty, creativity, and love of my Creator.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Additional Key Expression Scriptures

Exodus 35:30-35
"Then Moses said to the Israelites, 'See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel... and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs...'"

God empowered creativity for His glory.

Psalm 33:3
"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy."

Colossians 3:23-24
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

Psalm 90:17
"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands."

Romans 12:1
"Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."

Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

1 Peter 4:10
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."

Psalm 150:6
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.""

Recommended Books:

Indescribable:
Encountering the Glory of God in the Beauty of the Universe
Louie Giglio and Matt Redman

A Wellspring Thought:
Expression is more than displaying a talent... It is offering your heart to God through the gifts He has placed within you. When we surrender our creativity, abilities, and passions to Him, ordinary moments become acts of worship. God is not looking for perfect performances; He delights in hearts that joyfully express their love for Him.