10 Big Ways to Practice Grace Everyday

1. Remember

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” (Luke 9:23)

Paramount to grace is remembrance. Of who God is, and what He’s done. Each day, it’s important to rehearse His hand of faithfulness in our lives. Through journaling prayers, we can look back and read requests He’s answered. In hard moments, we can recall His presence through previous battles.

Most importantly, we can choose to remember His truth, the truth of the Bible, over the rogue thoughts coming into our minds each day. Jesus told us to take up our crosses, daily. To deny ourselves every day. Lamentations 3:23 tells us each day God’s mercies are new.

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“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Grace produces gratitude. Paul reminded, in all circumstances, we are to give thanks. Expressing thanks for our homes, health, families, friends, and God’s provision for our lives. Some days, it can be hard to image what there is to be thankful for. Choose to make the effort, and begin the simple everyday act of grace to thank God for life’s blessings. Even in the storms of life, the days where we can’t bear anymore, there are notes of thankfulness to be found. His promise never to leave us alone is powerful enough to right our hearts. There are personal battles raging within us - God sees them all. He alone knows the full scope of our hearts. Thank God daily, as an everyday act of grace.

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“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)

Forgiveness is an everyday act of grace. It takes the alliance of our hearts with God’s more than the compliance of others. It’s good to apologize, and it’s fantastic to hear ‘I’m sorry’ when someone has hurt us. But what happens when that doesn’t come? The state of our souls depends on forgiveness. We are forgiven, and so we have no other option than to forgive. A friend of mine recently reminded me, Jesus didn’t forgive us at arms length. Forgiveness may be a one time thing, but it’s more often a repetitive process. In our quiet times with God, when we seek Him in prayer and in His Word, we can learn how to submit to His will in order to fully forgive by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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“Never stop praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)

Prayer is our open line of communication with God. Keep the conversation going as an everyday act of grace. Jesus died to lend us that privilege. So often we toil inwardly with our thoughts and problems, or grant ourselves an undue amount of credit for our problem solving skills, our accomplishments and provisional achievements. Never stop praying encompasses the good, the bad, and everything and everyone in between. Learning to let go of it all in prayer to the One with hands capable to handle it keeps us grounded in our faith and dependent on Him.

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“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)

In order to hear the Word and do what it says we have to be in it. Reading God’s word is an everyday act of grace. Daily access to His word is a privilege not everyone has. He commands us to write it on our hearts. Jesus got up early to spend time with His Father. And when the devil tempted Him and the Pharisees pressured Him, Christ knew the Word. Walking out into the world without preparing our hearts with God in His word is like walking blind. However, like James says, it’s not enough just to hear the Word. Grace brings it alive, and moves us to reflect it.

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1. Encourage 

“Strive for restoration, encourage on another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Take time to encourage someone. Paul admonished the church members to encourage each other and live at peace, setting an example that honors God. But it’s not limited to those outside the church. We should apply these standards to all of our relationships. Hebrews 3:13 says, “but encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

There’s danger in sitting idol. We’re better together, and placed here purposefully by an all-purposeful God. Whether we are lending encouragement to a down-trodden soul, donating our time to help someone who’s fallen on hard times, or just a listening ear, our place in each other's lives is important. Taking our eyes off of ourselves in order to encourage another is an everyday act of grace.

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“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)

There will always be people on earth who need our help. God tells us to reach out to the poor, orphans and widows of society. When we take time out of our days to serve someone else, grace is active. We all lead busy lives. Time seems to run out quicker as the days bleed on.

But what about those for whom the days drag on in loneliness, or those who wonder when they will get to eat again? Nursing homes, hospitals, shelters, and jails… The world teams with people who need to know that God loves them. Sometimes that comes by providing for a physical need. Whether in our neighborhood or around the world, local churches can connect us to those who need us. 

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“The LORD will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8)

Recently, I challenged my tween Bible study group to smile at everyone they see in the hallway at school. Their reaction was a mixture of laughter, awkwardness, and fear. They were hesitant to commit to this! We often don’t realize the power of a smile. Simply smiling at someone is a small, everyday act of grace that can make a big difference. First, the mood of the person smiling may be lifted! Second, the recipient of the smile feels seen, known, and accepted. Adults need the same notes of love scattered throughout the day. We’re getting cut off in traffic, criticized at work, and pummeled by “not good enough” in our personal lives. Smiles are reminders we are seen, not just by the people placed around us, but by our faithful God above. 

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“I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.” (Psalm 13:6)

The book of Psalms is full of praise and worship to God for who He is. It’s a great place to go to find words to properly express who He is and all He does for us daily. When others hear us singing praise to Him, whether literally in song or just verbally expressing our gratitude, grace sits in its proper, impactful place: center stage.

Give Him glory, even on social media! It spreads light and love into dark places in need of assurance that there is good in the world beyond what can be seen and completely understood by human competence alone. It keeps destructive pride at bay to sing praise to God daily. He deserves all of our praise. He is good, all the time.

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“Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)

Much like lending a smile to someone in the hallway at school, a stranger on the street or stopped at a traffic light, saying ‘Hello’ can be an everyday act of grace. Grace is a gift, and God calls us to obediently share the Gospel with others. A simple greeting might just make someone feel seen in passing, but it could also open up a conversation or a new relationship. Be obediently open to God’s call for us to communicate to each other. Let go of fear, take a leap, and say ‘Hello.’ God is faithful to prepare us through our personal time in prayer and His Word, coupled with our life’s experiences, to meet others where they are in a purposefully placed conversation.

Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ. She stepped out of her comfort zone, and her Marketing career, to obey God’s call to stay home and be “Mom” in 2011. From that step of obedience her blog, Sunny&80, was born, a way to retain the funny everyday moments of motherhood. Meg is also a freelance writer and author of “Friends with Everyone.”  She loves teaching God’s Word and leading her Monday morning Bible study, being a mom, distance running and photography. Meg resides in Northern Ohio with her husband, two daughters, and Golden-Doodle … all avid Cleveland Browns fans. 

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