Read that again before you start. You are not doing any of this to get God's approval. You already have it! You're doing it because you have a relationship now, and this is what relationships look like.
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Talk to Him like He's real
Because He is, and He's right there. Prayer isn't a special vocabulary, it's honesty aimed at a Person. Talk in the truck, on a walk, out loud, in your normal voice. Tell Him what's actually going on, including the parts you'd never say in a room full of church people.
Then leave room for Him to answer. See the secret place.
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Open the Bible, and start with John
Don't start at Genesis and bulldoze through. Start with the Gospel of John, because it's about Jesus and it's the clearest introduction to who He is. A chapter a day. When something confuses you, mark it and keep going.
Read it asking “what is He like?” rather than “what am I supposed to do?” The second question answers itself once you've settled the first.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105 · ESV -
Get baptized in water
Baptism is going under the water and coming back up. It's a picture of dying with Jesus and being raised with Him, done in public on purpose. It doesn't save you, He already did that, but it's the first thing every new believer in the New Testament did and it marks a line you can point back to for the rest of your life.
Don't overthink the timing. Ask a church near you. Most will baptize you quickly and gladly.
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Be filled with the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit came to live in you the moment you said yes. Being filled is something you can ask for, and keep asking for. Jesus told His followers to wait for exactly this before they went and did anything, and they were never the same afterward.
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:13 · ESVSo ask! Out loud and plainly: “Holy Spirit, fill me.” He is not reluctant. Some people feel a great deal and some feel little at first, and the filling isn't measured by goosebumps. Ask someone further along than you to lay hands on you and pray. It's normal and good to receive this through other believers.
He gives gifts too. Praying in tongues, healing, prophecy, and others. These aren't for a special class of Christian and they did not expire. They're for you! Don't chase experiences, chase Him, and gladly receive whatever He hands you.
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Find people
You cannot do this alone and you were never meant to. Not because church is a rule, but because God puts people in families, and there are things in you that will not grow in isolation.
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Tell one person
This week. Not a sermon, just tell somebody what happened to you. Saying it out loud settles it in you more than anything else you could do, and it's how nearly everyone you'll ever meet who follows Jesus first heard about Him.
A word on speed. You don't have to do all six this week. Start with the first one today and let the rest come. This is a walk, not a sprint, and He is not in a hurry with you.
Where to next?
Take whichever one you want. Nothing here is in order.
