MOVEMENT
You experience God’s presence when you move your body physically.
Learn how others connect with God through Movement.
What is Movement?
Connecting with God through movement is when you experience His presence as you run, walk, dance, and move to encounter Him. It’s through movement that you fully show your pursuit of Him.
James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” Know that when you are moving to encounter God, He is moving to encounter you. This is the daily personal encounter!
Connecting with God through movement helps you focus on what He is saying to you. In the same way that some learn kinetically, you can feel God’s presence and hear His voice more clearly when you engage in movement.
Movement can bring focus to hear His voice, prepare you to read His word, and push you out of your comfort zone to encounter God in a new way.
When you move, whether it’s walking, running, or dancing, don’t let the worry about what people are thinking hold you back. You are moving to encounter Him! When you feel His presence come, acknowledge Him with your movement. Your movement is a response to His movement towards you!
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
James 4:8
Get the Movement Ministry Plan
Practical Tips for connecting with God through Movement
Just start moving. It takes stepping out. Try doing different movements--sway, raise your hands, jump, and ask the Lord if there are other movements He wants you to encounter Him through.
Ask God, "How do you want me to encounter you today?"
In corporate encounters, ask the Lord what you can give Him through movement.
Make sure you are incorporating prayer and reading the Bible! It's just exercise if you aren’t talking with Him AND reading His word. These are foundational things to daily encounters.
Listen to the Bible while you move.
Be aware of His prompting for you to dance in worship. If you visualize a movement, follow what God is showing you. Movement can be a response to what He is doing in the room and can bring an activation.
Connecting with God through movement is not just for the dancers and those who exercise; we all can connect with God through movement!
Grow in How You Connect with God.
Encouragement
Become aware of His Presence when you are moving. When you feel His Presence come, acknowledge it by raising your hands, kneeling, clapping, thanking Him, etc.
This is how you are intentional with God during your daily encounters. It’s important for you to discern the difference between connecting with the Lord through movement, and staying busy.
A husband and wife can talk while doing the dishes, but there is time set apart for dates where the focus is to be together. Make sure the time you set aside to move is in the pursuit of connecting with God.
Don't limit your encounters to just one type of movement. Ask God what movement He wants you to engage in to encounter Him.
Suggested Activities
Go on a prayer walk or run and talk with God.
Be aware of what movements guide you into connecting with God.
When you move, allow distractions to fade and invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
Talk to the Holy Spirit and listen while you exercise. Pray, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening!”
Listen to the Bible while you are moving.
What do you enjoy doing? Invite the Holy Spirit into your everyday activities.
When you feel overwhelmed, get up and move. Go on a walk and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
In your daily encounter, move into different rooms or spaces.
Physically act out Scripture or prophetic movements. (Example: Physically throw your burdens onto the Lord, put on the armor of God, etc.)
Scripture
Genesis 1:1-2, Genesis 3:8, Genesis 12, Exodus 14, Numbers 9:17, Psalm 23, Psalm 116:9, Isaiah 40:27-31, Acts 17:24-28
Books
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Hosting the Presence by Bill Johnson
Mix It Up
Learning how we connect with God shows us how we can enter into His presence daily. While you may best connect with God through one or a few ways, remember that you can connect with God in all the ways! Use this guide below to help you grow in connecting with God through Movement by pairing it with your favorite way.
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As you fast, go on prayer walks to engage with God through movement. Read scriptures of times God has told His people to engage in movement. One example of this would be marching around the walls of Jericho! Meditate on scriptures like these and ask Him how He wants you to move towards Him as you fast.
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When you connect with God through adoration, you know that God is worthy of all worship! As you minister to His heart through sound, grow in ministering to His heart through movement! Your worship can also be an expression of movement. Show God your love as you connect with Him through movement in your worship. This can unlock new expressions of adoration towards Him!
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Meditate on Scripture and act out what those scriptures are saying. Ask the Holy Spirit for physical interpretations of the words you are reading and let Him guide you. When you are moving throughout your day, recall scriptures to mind to meditate on.
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We all have movements we do daily that don’t take intentionality (breathing, walking to the same places every day, pouring a glass of water, etc). In these spaces, meditate on a scripture that the Lord brings you to each day. Incorporate a specific verse to meditate on while doing ordinary movements every day. Meditate on Psalm 90:14.
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Become aware of how creation moves! The trees are submitted to the wind. The ocean can ripple or become a tsunami. God created you. How can you respond to your Creator in movement as you connect with Him in creation?
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Connecting with God in solitude ushers you into a vulnerability to be authentic with God. Use solitude as a pathway to grow in connecting with God in movement because no one else will see you dancing like David undignified! God will meet you in these moments!
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Dance in your daily personal encounters. Put on worship music and express worship to the Lord through dance! It may be different than your usual creative expression, but there is something significant about getting out of your seat and dancing!
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Study scripture where movement is taking place. Why does God respond to movement? What happened when David danced?
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Connecting with God through reformation is all about carrying God’s heart for making the crooked ways straight. In reformation, intercession and obedience meet! Bring movement into your intercession moments. Go on prayer walks, runs, etc.
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Jesus was moved with compassion for others. Many of your encounters with God require action to show compassion to someone else! Grow in connecting with God through movement by moving first to meet with the Lord first. Go on a prayer walk or run while listening to Scripture to be filled up with His love for you first before you pour it out on others.
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Engage in movement as you think back on some of your past encounters with the Lord. While your physical body is in movement, engaging in remembrance may bring about an encounter with the Lord in and of itself. Don’t just sit and remember. Do something and remember. Let remembrance drive you into physical expression! It's a tangible way to recount the memories the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Don’t know how you best Connect with God?
The Connect With God assessment will ask you simple questions to help you determine some of your top Connect With God Ways!