You’ll never fully figure God out. His ways are higher than your ways, and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). There are always deeper dimensions of His character and love to experience. Growing in faith is a process (not a formula) of walking with a living God who continually invites you closer.
And while you can’t control God’s timing or manufacture His favor, scripture does reveal patterns for walking closely with Him. These practices don’t force open heaven’s door. They shape you to receive what God already delights to give.
Here are five biblical practices scripture connects with blessing.
1. Walk in Obedience
"If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His commands…all these blessings will come on you." – Deuteronomy 28:1-2
Obedience sounds easy enough, but it's far from easy in practice. Saying yes to God often means saying yes before you understand the full plan, before you can see the outcome, and oftentimes before it even makes sense. Think of Abraham, who packed up his entire life without knowing his destination. He didn't wait for the address before he started walking. He simply chose to trust the One who was leading him.
That's the kind of obedience this verse describes. God invites you to give Him your wholehearted trust expressed through action. While this promise was first spoken to Israel, the principle still applies today. While obedience doesn't guarantee comfort, it does keep you in alignment with His will. And there is blessing in walking closely with Him.
Try this: Think of one area where you've been hesitating to obey God because you can't see the full picture yet. Write it down. Take one small step of obedience in that area today.
2. Seek God First
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." – Matthew 6:33
You pray for God to provide and to heal. You ask Him to give you direction on what to do and open doors. And those are right and good things to bring to Him. But Jesus makes the order clear: seek Him first, and everything else finds its proper place.
When God becomes your first priority instead of your last resort, something shifts inside you. You stop striving and worrying so much about your circumstances. You start trusting the One who holds them.
In this passage, Jesus is speaking about daily needs. He reminds you that when you pursue God’s kingdom above all else, you can trust Him to provide what you need in your day-to-day. God isn’t a means to an end. He is the end.
Try this: This week, spend the first five minutes of your morning with God. Even before getting out of bed, pray and ask Him to order your day. Notice how it shifts your perspective before the day even begins.
3. Choose Humility
"God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." – James 4:6
This verse is both a warning and a promise in a single sentence. Pride insists on doing things its own way. It balls up its fists and demands control. Humility opens its hands and yields.
When you come to God with surrender and acknowledge your need for Him, you align yourself with the posture scripture describes. Humility recognizes that the God who spoke the universe into existence sees what you cannot and knows what you don’t.
Open hands receive what clenched fists never will.
Try this: The next time you feel yourself tightening your grip on a situation (a relationship, a decision, an outcome you desperately want), physically open your hands. Let it be a tangible reminder that you're releasing control to God. Then say out loud: "Your ways are better than mine. Help me trust You with this."
4. Live by Faith
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." – Hebrews 11:6
Faith is the decision to trust God’s character even when your circumstances might suggest otherwise. It’s choosing to believe He is good when life doesn’t feel good, choosing to believe He sees you when you feel invisible, and choosing to believe He is at work when everything around you seems stalled.
Hebrews 11:6 says that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. The chapter goes on to say that reward doesn’t always mean immediate results. But it does mean His approval, His presence, and His unfolding purposes.
God is not indifferent to your faith. Every step of trust, even your wobbly, uncertain stumbles, matters to Him. Choosing to live by faith doesn’t mean you have all the answers or never wrestle with doubt. Instead, faith is choosing to trust that God is who He says He is.
Try this: Write down one thing you're trusting God for. Date it. Every time doubt creeps in, go back to it and pray, "I believe You are who You say You are, and I trust You to do what only You can do."
5. Abide in Christ
"If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." – John 15:7
Of all the keys on this list, this one holds the others together. Jesus uses the image of a vine and its branches. A branch that stays connected to the vine produces fruit because everything it needs flows from the source. A branch that disconnects dies quickly, no matter how strong it once appeared.
Abiding in Christ isn’t another task to add to your schedule. It’s a posture of the heart—staying connected to Him through His Word, through prayer, and through worship. Not just coming to Him when you need something, but remaining in Him as a way of life.
When you stay close to Jesus, your desires begin to reflect His. Obedience becomes more natural. Faith grows steadier. Humility deepens. Every other step on this list flows from a heart that is genuinely rooted in Him.
Try this: Choose one simple rhythm this week that keeps you connected to Jesus throughout the day, something like listening to a worship song during your commute or a two-minute prayer before lunch. Abiding requires intention. Start small and stay consistent.
An Invitation, Not a Formula
These biblical practices aren’t formulas to guarantee outcomes. They are invitations into a way of life. God isn’t transactional. He is relational. And He cares deeply about who you are becoming.
As you walk in obedience, humility, faith, and abiding closeness with Christ, you’ll find that the greatest blessing is found in the nearness of God Himself. And from that space, everything else begins to take its proper place.
