Daily Steps
Encouragement and Ideas for Experiencing the Presence of God throughout Your Day... Every Day

Spending time alone with Jesus on a daily basis is the most important thing you can do to grow in your love for Him, learn to hear His voice, strengthen your faith, and experience His abundant presence and peace. (You can find over a year's worth of Cornerstone's own Daily Steps devotionals here. )

Building a daily habit is simple to get started. God is always waiting for you with open arms, so any time of day is fine, but many people prefer to start their day with a time of quiet reflection. When you begin your morning with Him, you immediately tune your spirit and mind to His leading so that your perspective, attitude, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit are more aligned to be like Jesus throughout the day. Here are a few simple steps and ideas to get you going!

1. Find a place where you can be alone with God. Get creative if necessary. Some people even put a pillow on the floor in a closet. The important thing is to find a place where you can feel safe and undisturbed to pour your heart out before the Lord and listen to Him.
2. Open with a brief, simple prayer asking God to open your heart to His word, tune your spiritual ears to listen, and draw you closer to Him.
3. Set aside time daily for reading the Bible. Most people find it helpful to use a devotional book or access a free reading plan in an App, like YouVersion. See below for some suggestions to get you started. While you read, think about the passage and why God might be bringing it to your attention right now. Most importantly, read with an expectant heart and an open ear. God will speak to you through His Word as you grow in your relationship with Him.
4. Pray and meditate with a heart ready to listen. When you finish reading, spend time conversing with God. Speaking out loud to Him will help you focus. Remember to pause and listen frequently throughout your prayer time. While there is no formula for prayer, some people find it helpful to follow the model Jesus gave us with the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:5-14. Begin with worship and adoration, surrender your heart and mind to Him, talk to Him about the needs and concerns of yourself and others, spend time allowing the Holy Spirit to convict your heart of sin, and then ask for strength and courage to resist future temptations and follow the Holy Spirit's leading. To learn more about the power of prayer and how to do it, see the resources listed below. 
5. Capture your journey. With experience and as you grow closer to Jesus, you will become more accustomed to discerning God's voice and His direction in your daily decisions. Writing down what He whispers to your heart and recording how He's changing you is important. Journaling about your journey with Jesus can be as simple as making lists, sketching, or writing out whatever comes to your mind. Most importantly, it will remind you of how far you've come, lift your heart in times of struggle, remind you of how much God loves you, and what you've learned. 

Devotional and Growth Resources

When you use a daily devotional, ask the Holy Spirit to make each of the Scripture passages deeply personal and applicable to you. (NOTE: We suggest that you read the Bible passages in several different versions of the Bible, including at least one paraphrase version.) As you contemplate Scriptures, make time to pray before and after you read them. Write down anything the Holy Spirit whispers to your soul. 

Suggested Daily Devotionals:

• YouVersion App with reading plans and new devotionals posted daily
• She Reads Truth App
• He Reads Truth App
• Devotional archive of Cornerstone Fellowship’s Daily Steps 
• Audio Devotionals / Podcasts:
  • Words of Hope and Help by Max Lucado
  • Glimmers in the Fog (Spotify) by Kim Stiver (Also available on iTunes and Last.fm) 
  • Drivetime Devotions by Tom Holladay
• Daily Walk Bible (read through the Bible in a Year)
• Devotional books by Sarah Young (Jesus Calling, Jesus Always, etc.)
• My Utmost for His Highest (Modern Language Edition), by Oswald Chambers

Prayer Resources:

• The Prayer Course — If the Holy Spirit is leading you to learn more about prayer, you might want to check out this handout or go even further with a self-guided video Bible study from Pete Greig. (Fill out this form to get free access to RightNow Media through Cornerstone Fellowship.)
• The Art of Listening Prayer: Hearing God's Voice Amidst Life's Noise by Seth Barnes
• The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears by Matt Batterson

Supplemental Reading for Exploring and Deepening Your Faith:

• The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, Lee Strobel (Book or Movie)
• How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Gordon D. Fee
• The Purpose-Driven Life, Rick Warren
• Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis (Best-selling classic of Christian faith)
• How People Grow, Henry Cloud & John Townsend (a comprehensive guide to holistic spiritual growth and well-being)

TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP
Grow closer to God each day and explore what it means to be a part of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth.

Want to Go Even Further? 
Check out our companion study guide to use with your community group, neighbors, or family members! Each week includes thought-provoking questions for discussion or individual study based on this week's sermon topic. 
STUDY GUIDE