Inside: 40 Ordinary ways to worship God in your ordinary lives. Free Printable to help you worship God daily.
Never-ending laundry, dirty sink, dirty faces, homework battles…
This is my life, every day.
The mundane tasks of life never seem to end.
But yet we are called to worship God all day.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 (ESV)
But what does that look like in the 21st-century world of COVID, social media overwhelm, and chauffeuring kids all day?
Is it really practical? Is this truth still applicable today?
I’m not calling for perfection.
Many days I’m still distracted and feel like a failure:
- I yelled at my kids yet again,
- Said unkind things to my husband,
- Or left a need for someone else to do.
Nor am I saying you need to stop every five minutes to pray.
There are many creative ways to worship God.
We were meant for so much more. We were meant to jump and praise and sing praises to our God all day long. As the popular song by Mercy Me states,
Will I be able to speak at all
Mercy Me
So being a pragmatic Martha,
I brainstormed a list of creative ways to worship God throughout our ordinary days. I don’t want to just talk the talk, but I want to live out God’s truth and draw nearer to Him. Worship is so much more than sitting stagnant in a church pew.
So here it is, 40 ways to worship God in our daily lives:
**I have recommendations for items where applicable. Some of these may be affiliate products, which just means I may receive a small amount of income at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
1. Wake up and say good morning or thank you.
(Idea originally inspired by Rebecca Hastings)
2. Pray before eating.
Seems obvious, right? but many times we forget about the simplest options. My motto is to start with the most obvious.
3. Pray with intention.
I use the PrayerMate app to help me remember and keep track of prayer requests. A physical journal is also an option I’ve used in the past.
You can find some beautiful journals out there, including some of the examples below. Even just a plain ole notebook will do the trick. ( I recycle my kids half used school notebooks for all kinds of things.)
4. Memorize scripture.
You can use an app, a whiteboard, or even a scratch piece of paper. The main idea is to keep it visible.
Consider the following items:
5. Subscribe to a Christian blog.
A few of my personal favorites:
6. Read the Bible.
Even if you only read for five minutes, that’s five more minutes of time with God. I’ve even heard of some people having a Bible in their bathrooms. (Not my preferred method, but hey, whatever works for ya!)
7. Serve others.
Even serving your own family counts, because as all parents know, some days you are overwhelmed by jelly, Legos, and missing socks.
Related: 10 Unique Ways to Spread Kindness – Unfading Beauty and Strength
8. Sing or listen to worship music:
- While doing laundry,
- In the car,
- Or while cooking
- And more
9. Listen to a podcast.
My favorite times to listen to podcasts include my car, on a walk, or while eating my lunch
10. Fast.
Fasting can be for a whole meal or just a snack, but the point is to use the time to pray or meditate on God’s word.
11. Reach out to a friend.
Often when a friend pops into your head, God may be prompting you to reach out to them. Send an encouraging text message, a card, or even an old-fashioned phone call.
12. Play a game.
Bible Trivial Pursuit (with family or virtual) or Would You Rather?, with a spiritual twist (Would you rather sing Bible songs on the couch or on the deck, etc…)
Below are some unique examples I found on Etsy:
13. Write messages of God’s love on your driveway.
14. Make a card.
Making this a family affair could be a great way to include your kids as well. You could send some to nursing homes, friends, or even grandparents. One summer my church set up a great project for the kids to mail cards to members of our congregation who were unable to leave their homes.
15. Read a book.
I’m an avid reader, so I attempt to have at least one spiritual book in my reading rotation. While books can’t replace God’s Word (The ultimate book), they do offer fresh and challenging perspectives.
16. Practice daily gratitude.
This is probably one of my favorite things to do and something I’ve been doing for several years now. I can really tell a difference in my general outlook and joy when I forget to write down my thankful items.
17. Go for a walk
Either by yourself and use the time to meditate or pray or with your family and when you spot the things you are grateful for, speak them out loud. (This could be made into a fun game as well!)
18. Speak love and God into your family.
My favorite way to do this is by telling my kids I have a secret and whispering I love you, God loves you, or I think you’re amazing, etc…
Speaking specific examples of how you saw God in them when you catch them doing something kind is another great way to shower God’s love into your family.
19. Laugh.
You may be asking how this worships God. But I believe that part of honoring God is enjoying the life He has gifted us to live and there is no better way than laughter. Do you remember the last time you laughed so hard you peed a little, or even snorted?
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
James 1:17 (NLT)
20. Make something beautiful for others to enjoy.
Last year during the start of the pandemic, my daughter’s art teacher sent out projects for them to do at home. One of those was making land art. My kids loved it so much that they still talk about it a year later every time we walk in our neighborhood past the rock where our art was created.
21. Set up a Zoom meeting
Zoom meetings are great for more than business. For free you can have a conversation with long-distance friends and even conduct Bible studies with those same friends.
Because let’s face it, getting out of the house all in one piece with no tears is a victorious battle many days.
22. Smile
While this one may seem quite obvious, if you are more of a serious person like myself, I have to remind myself to laugh and smile. A simple smile is all the encouragement someone may need plus there is some truth to the saying of faking it until you make it.
From one of my favorite books:
Smiling, for instance, tricks your brain into thinking you are happy, so it starts producing the neurochemicals that actually do make you happy.
23. Listen to a stranger.
Take time to really listen.
This one is a tough one for me and I’m not saying you have to do this every time you go out. But if we take Jesus as our example, then I think we can see the many times he stopped to see a stranger:
- Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-10)
- The woman who touched his robes in the crowd (Luke 8:43-48)
- The woman at the well (John 4: 1-42)
24. At dinner or bedtime, give thanks and praises.
This is one of my favorite things to do, though I don’t do it often enough. But even if your kids resist as mine do at times, I hope my kids will remember this simple practice with gratitude. And, as a bonus, you just may hear:
I’m grateful for you mommy, which always melts my heart.
25. Pay and pray it forward.
Have you ever been a recipient of someone paying for your coffee or meal?
When my daughter was about 2 or 3 (and probably acting the stereotypical part), I was meeting a friend for coffee when the lady before me paid for my coffee. Maybe she just wanted me out of her way as soon as possible, but I was filled with gratitude.
26. Pray out loud in the car.
Even if family or kids are present.
Praying out loud can be awkward, but one of the most important things we can do for our families is to speak God’s truth and love out loud.
So in the same way that I teach my kids to say thank you, I want to pray and talk about God in front of them so that they may know God.
27. Popcorn Pray with your spouse.
Similar to #26, but I believe one of the most important things we can do for our Christian marriages is to pray. And for our Christian lives for that matter. To know God’s will for our lives, we have to be in communication with him.
I’m not going to say I do this all the time or even some of the time. I’m about as imperfect as it gets. But the more we talk with God, the more we know Him.
I do know the times when my husband and I are more consistent with prayers is when we are the closest.
**Idea from the following: No More Perfect Marriage Playbook – Mark and Jill Savage
28. Color/Write scripture.
While I’m not a huge coloring person, I do love the idea; my mind just rarely sits still enough (but maybe that’s the point?)
29. Get involved.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:20 (NLT)
God calls us to serve. A simple way to follow that call is to volunteer with a church ministry or volunteer organization.
30. Prayer Journal
Of course, any old notebook will do. I’ve been caught using my daughter’s used school notebooks for a variety of things. Or you can even use your phone or a prayer app like PrayerMate.
31. Meditate on scripture.
Find a favorite Bible verse and write and/or read it out loud, but a few resources that have helped me include the following:
- One Minute Pause. , inspired by the book by Jon Eldredge: Get Your Life Back.
- Glorify App
- YouVersion
- Christian Meditation on the Psalms – Sarah Geringer
32. Sit in silence
Similar to the above. But there’s something to say for sitting in complete silence. Even if only for five minutes. (If you’re a mom, five minutes of silence may be all you have).
I like to sit outside. (My kids don’t usually follow me). Wherever you can find five minutes of quiet will work, even if it’s in the bathroom, car, or your closet. (I have been known to hide in my closet during extremely stressful moments)
33. Spend time outside.
34. Honor God with your body.
We live in a culture where any shaming of selves or others is as easy as typing behind a computer screen. (There are consequences behind your words on the screen, even if you can’t see them.)
But God made every creature, great and small and nothing he made can be called ugly.
At the same time, God gave us a body and by taking care of ourselves, we allow our bodies to be used to glorify God, whether that be:
- Setting an example of how to love yourself to daughters and friends,
- Using our feet to walk and share the good news,
- Or using our voices to sing praises
35. Family devotional
You can simply open the Bible and pick a verse or book to talk about, or you can use any of the millions of resources out there to help guide your conversations.
I have yet to find some favorite resources myself, however, I thought the below article had some great ideas.
10 BEST FAMILY DEVOTIONS (TRIED AND TESTED!) (thehopefilledfamily.com)
36. Take time to answer hard questions.
Have you ever noticed how your kids ask the hardest or most awkward questions right when you can’t talk about it?
Like, as my eight-year-old daughter is getting out of the car to go to school, I’m thrown questions like,
- Why does God make people get sick?
- Where will we go if you guys die?
- Or why do I have to start my period?
Yup, I’ve gotten all these questions and more, and sometimes I can talk right then, and sometimes we have to circle back to it.
But do circle back, even if you have to tell Siri to remind you later. Our kids are going to ask these questions, and they do need to be addressed, and I don’t know about you, but I would much rather them come to me than anywhere else.
But those times are also reasons we need to be drawing close to God all the time, so that we may have the right answer when the time comes. Or at least know where to find it.
37. Say a prayer while folding laundry.
Laundry is my kryptonite. I despise it and I’m always behind. But when I do this simple act of prayer, I find myself having more joy while doing the dreaded laundry. (I also find joy when I make my kids help. ;))
38. Pray for those who serve you.
This can be while running errands or going to public places. (restaurants, store clerks, librarian)
39. Have a daily Christian calendar set out or make your own scripture cards.
40. Finally, Have a worship jar with all the above ideas and hide the jar in different places.
Well, there you have it, an exhaustive list of different ways to worship God. I hope you find it helps you in your daily life.
Some of these ideas may be right up your alley, and some may seem ridiculous to you. You don’t have to do all of them but choose a few that work for you and try a new one, even if it pushes you out of your comfort zone.
There also may be seasons in life, where you can do more of one than another, and that’s okay. The point is that we are being intentional with our walk with God and continuing to learn and lean in closer to His power.
Do you have ideas to add to my list? Share in the comments below
As always, thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this post, I would appreciate your shares on Social Media.
You may also enjoy the following:
Following Jesus – Be Worthy of Being His – Catching Courage
10 Bible Verses for When You Want to Give Up (Free Printable)
Really practical tips!
I also believe in praying in the Spirit, so it’s something you can do as you go about your business.
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing!