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For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. - Romans 8:14 

I make a “To Do” list almost every day and keep a calendar with everything I need to do. Order is my friend. Knowing when and where I am doing what is the way I like to live. Dinner time and bedtime are pretty set. Getting places on time and more than likely a little early works for me.  

My prayer life can be something like this, “Here is what I need to do today, Lord, please help me on each of them.”  

HOWEVER... that is not necessarily how God wants me to live. Romans 8:14 presents a truth... followers of Jesus are led by the Spirit of God, not their calendars or personal agendas. That is a different way to live and a different way to pray. There is a life of trust and adventure, in search of what God has in store for us.  

Lately, I have begun to pray something like this, “Lord, what do you have for me today? What do you want me to do? Who do you have in my schedule today? Is there someone you want me to interact with? Someone to call or email? Will I ‘accidently’ encounter someone today that you want me to interact with?” These kinds of prayers require more questions than requests. And it involves more listening than talking, and more watching than planning. I still plan though, but even in those moments, I am looking for God.  

This is what makes life an adventure instead of just a series of events, because if we are not careful, we can plan God right out of our day.  

He has surprised me several times over the last few months, unexpected conversations that connected the dots, Bible verses that spoke at just the right time, acts of generosity that we never saw coming, opportunities that suddenly opened up, all kinds of things. Not all of them easy or good at first glance, but all of them fruitful and little signs where God seems to be saying, “Here I am.” That is the adventure of following Jesus.  

Bear Grylls is an adventurer, having lived on the edge for years, boldly engaging life wherever he can, climbing Everest, exploring arctic waters, overcoming hardships, surviving in hostile environments. He is also a follower of Jesus and lives his life in surrender to Him. There is a quote attributed to him which is above: “Life is an adventure that is best lived boldly,” and I totally agree.  

So, how do you live your life? Who sets the agenda? You or God? Are you living a bold life or a “safe” life?  Are you experiencing an abundant life?  

Are you living a life being led by the Spirit?  

Where will the Spirit lead you today? Whom will He lead you to? What might He say to you? What might He want to teach you? What might He want to surprise you with? These are fun questions to ask.  

Try an experiment today or soon. Start by asking God, “What do You want me to do today? What do you want me to learn? Whose life do you want me to impact?” Then live that day with eyes and ears wide open and see what happens. I would love to hear what God did.  

So, in the words of Ellie from the movie, UP, “Adventure is out there!” so let’s go! *  

  • Since writing this article and before publication, my entire schedule has been disrupted multiple times, and I have had a couple of “accidental” encounters that I treated as “God moments” interruptions and I’m glad I did. It made it feel much less frustrating and actually a positive thing.