Depending on God – Practical Ways to Depend on God Daily

Our relationship to God our Creator and Heavenly Father was meant to be one of unceasing, absolute dependence. Depending on God was the example displayed as Jesus walked upon earth, and the call for us to follow his footsteps and depend on God alone. 

Depending on God

Is it possible to daily live life depending on God alone? Absolutely! We were created to do so. God sent His Son to show us and as believers, we have His resurrected power within us to walk this out. It will not be perfect on this side of heaven as we still live as sinners but every moment of every day He is calling us back to Himself to depend on Him alone.

We struggle and resort to depending on ourselves, others, and practically anything other than God sometimes and every single endeavor God desires to turn us back to Him. As we grow in daily depending on God we grow in trusting that He is most dependable, trustworthy, reliable, and faithful. He can be trusted to carry us through each and every day!

Below, are 6 Practical Ways to Depend on God Daily.

Ways to Depend on God

Depending on God takes daily surrender and consent. We must continually confess our desperate need for God’s help and pray that He helps us to live dependently upon Him.

Oswald Chambers once said, “Troubles almost always make us look to God, but His blessings tend to divert our attention elsewhere.” How true! Depending on God is necessary in the hard times and the good times. Below are 6 practical ways to depend on God with explanations to follow.

• 1. Lay your crown down.
• 2. Trust God at His Word.
• 3. Spend daily in the Bible.
• 4. Spend daily time in prayer.
• 5. Praise God daily.
• 6. Wait patiently on the Lord.

1. Depending on God – Lay your crown down.

Fully depending on God involves laying your crown down and seeking a place of humility before God. Revelation 4:10-11 says, “They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

We must take our proper position and recognize who God is and that He alone creates, maintains, and upholds all things.

2. Depending on God – Trust God at His Word.

As we grow to fully rely on God, we must grow to trust Him as His Word.

Every word from God is true and can be trusted. We tend to put so much trust in earthly measures that we can find ourselves depending on God as a backup or last resort after something of this world has failed us. But we have Jesus’ power at work within us! Ephesians 3:20 and 21 tells us, “God is able to do immeasurably more than all you can ask or imagine according to his power at work within you.”

Do we really trust that His Word is true and that He is able?

3. Depending on God – Spend time daily reading the bible.

In order to grow stronger and build dependence on God, we have to spend time daily in His Word. How else are we to daily cling to His promises if we’re not actively spending time with Him and getting to know Him more and more?

We can read of others who have gone before us through bible stories about depending on God. The Israelites were forced to depend on God as they fled the Egyptians. Esther depended on God to save her people. The disciples were taught to depend on God the Father through Jesus’ example living among them.

How much more for us to learn than through spending time in the bible each day?

Related: Benefits of Reading the Bible

4. Depending on God – Spend time in prayer.

When it comes to depending on God, it’s turning the focus from ourselves back to God. Time with the Lord in prayer does just that. We get to draw near to our Heavenly Father and bow before Him, asking for His help in living fully dependent upon Him.

We can cry out for our need of God and listen in the stillness for His response and rescue, and be filled and encouraged by His strength. In prayer, we turn in recognition of His greatness, power, and unyielding love. He’ll draw us in to learn that there is no safer place to be than in full dependence upon God.

5. Depending on God – Praise God for His faithfulness.

Come before God in adoration each day for who He is and for His faithfulness. Remember times in the past when you depended on God and relied on God for strength. 

Keep a journal to daily praise God and intentionally look for ways He came through for you. Write these down so when you ever doubt or struggle, you can be reminded of His faithfulness. This is another reason we need to be in God’s Word daily so we can be encouraged of His display of faithfulness through the scriptures.

Related: Prayers of Praise

6. Depending on God – Wait patiently for Him to act.

Finally, as you rest in fully relying on God, wait patiently for Him to act.

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.” (Ps. 37:7) 

We all know God’s ways are not our ways. But little by little as we surrender moments to Him, we will grow to depend on Him more and more. We will grow to not waver in believing God’s promises and know with absolute assurance He will come through for us!

Related: Incredible Benefits of Waiting Upon the Lord

What does depending on God mean?

Depending on God is absolute trust and reliance upon God and His word. It’s believing that God is all in all. Sometimes when we depend on God, we expect that to mean that God works in a particular way or works according to what we perceive as “the right way”. 

I’ve certainly been guilty of this. We think we know best, right?

But how inferior am I to my God!? Not only is He sovereign over all things, but He has also demonstrated His mighty power, faithfulness, endless grace, and mercy, upon my life. Yet still…I sometimes I still think I know best. If you’re ever tempted to do the same, compare your track-record to His.

It makes me shudder when I consider the times I try to wear His crown.

What the bible says about depending on God?

The bible is filled with example upon example of individuals depending on God. But no example is more powerful than Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son. He shows us how he lived in unceasing, absolute dependence upon God.

The Son can do nothing by himself. John 5:19

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. John 5:30

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will. John 6:38

I am not here on my own. John 7:28

I do nothing on my own. John 8:28

His life was in absolute dependence upon God the Father. He is our example and we are to learn from him. We lay our crowns down and become nothing before God in order that He might be all.

Depending on God verses

When you need verses for depending on God, below you will find a few powerful ones:

They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Revelation 4:10-11

Trust in the Lord with all your hearts and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

For the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29

God is completely dependable. Each verse for depending on God beckons us to trust Him with all our cares and concerns.

Depending on God in Hard Times

A lot of times we turn to God when we’ve tried everything else or have exhausted all other measures. But that desperation in hard times is the same desperation we should have on Him for dependence in all things. He’s created us to meet our every need and to truly be our All in All.

It’s a posture of complete dependence.

In John 15:5, Jesus says, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” This is TRUE, and yet so easily forgotten throughout our days.

Consider what happens when we cry to God in humble desperation. He hears our prayers, He helps our every need and He fills us with His strength! He is who satisfies the hungry, strengthens the weary, gives unending grace and mercy to His beloved, and offers Himself to us continuously!

I love the autobiography of George Mueller or Tramp for the Lord by Corrie ten Boom to see how they lived their daily lives depending on God. Both experienced challenging times and their example of faith and dependence are incredibly encouraging and strengthening.

Benefits of Depending on God

Devotion to our Heavenly Father as we seek to daily walk in unceasing, absolute dependence upon Him brings eternal glory!

More Benefits of Depending on God

Relying on God and trusting God brings a bounty of benefits! Below are 6 more benefits of trusting God daily:

• God will guide and lead us through unfailing love. (Ps. 25:10)
• He will sustain us. (Is. 55:22)
• He will renew our strength. (Is. 40:31)
• God will envelope us with His perfect peace. (Phil. 4:6-7)
• Our faith is deepened. (1 Cor. 2:5)
• Our hope is anchored. (Heb. 6:19)

“The more humble a man is in himself, the more obedient toward God, the wiser will he be in all things, and the more shall his soul be at peace.” Thomas A Kempis

We’re given promises of perfect peace, assurance of security, overflowing joy, rest in His care, and a covering of endless love.

Depending on God

This world tempts us daily to try to depend upon ourselves or anything other than God. Once depending on God alone becomes your heart’s pursuit, nothing else will come close to what He provides.

You can know with certainty that God will never let you down. He provides everything that you could possibly need and will bless you beyond measure. 

You were created for absolute dependence upon God alone.