Go with the flow used to be one of my favorite sayings. I thought it sounded so smooth and made me seem laid back and unbothered.

As I started reading books like Your Life Follows Your Words by Darlene Bishop and Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, I knew I couldn’t just go with the flow anymore. I understood that I had the ability to participate in the direction of my life. This gift, option and responsibility to choose is available to you at any time. It’s part of our human experience and exemplifies our spiritual nature.

Going with the flow, or allowing things to happen in your life, leads to a passive existence and minimizes your true power and potential.

Because your life is too precious to waste anymore time being passive or going with the flow, here are some tips for how you can live life intentionally.

1. Pray

Partner with God, show up to acknowledge that you want Him to be a part of your decision making process and then ask Him for guidance along the way.

I like to think of prayer as the intimate part of our relationship with God that grows over time and with more experience.

There will be times when you pray and you don’t receive a response. In those moments, your intimacy with God, that is an extension of your ongoing prayer life, will help you understand whether you’re meant to move or wait.

Sometimes God seems quiet when you’re praying about something because He’s waiting for you to make the decision and is content with your willingness to include Him in your situations.

Other times, you’ll receive an answer as you go because it’s when you begin to act on the things you’ve brought before God that He can then offer guidance and Shepard of your moves.

There are still other times when God will give you a clear yes, no or spiritual insight that you can then use to live the next steps of your journey.

So prayer is the foundation of an intentional life because it keeps God front and center in all that you do.

2. Meditate

Meditating, reflecting on what we’ve read while prayerfully thinking about the things of God and focusing our imagination on the things that guide and inspire us on our spiritual journey is how we realize oneness with God.

It’s through this practice that we identify with and rest in who God is, acknowledging that our own presence is the manifestation of His ongoing creative power and presence in our lives.

Meditating helps you disassociate your identity, security and expectations with anything other than God so you’re free to follow Him, share your gifts and enjoy the life He’s blessed you with without fear of failure, guilt or shame.

The spiritual practice of meditating sets your intentions on the restored relationship and freedom available to you in God and helps you trust that your choices are rooted in truth, love and God Himself.

3. Go

Intentional living is rooted in action. It’s making a choice and experiencing the result. The result may be what you wanted or expected, enabling you to move on to the next choice. Or you may experience the unexpected which will present you with other choices – abandon the original plan or use your new insight to improve your next try.

You can’t live paralyzed by fear, doubt or worry about the millions of possible obstacles and outcomes that you could face. You have to go forward, equipped with the knowledge that your Father is in control, right by your side and cheering you on. He wants you to succeed, excel and thrive and is the ultimate consultant to have on your journey.

You have to begin believing that you’re capable of achieving your goals, that your failures don’t reflect your value and that you get to participate in the direction of your journey.

Try this Exercise:

•Write down your biggest, wildest dreams for your future.

•Take some time to pray and share your heart with God, asking, seeking and knocking for directions and what you desire and listening for His insight on the matter.

•Meditate, deepen your awareness of the truth about who you are and recognize that the desires of your heart are an extension of your relationship and oneness with Him.

•Go forward with peace of mind, knowing that you’re covered, carried and continually in the presence of the Creator.

Your ability to live life intentionally begins and ends with who God designed you to be for such a time as this, so embodying His thoughts of you and desires for you are vital to your existence. It’s time for you to shine and use your intentional life to impact on the world.

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So tell me in the comment below how you plan to live your life with intention today?