Abide Like You Mean It — Living Connected to Christ Every Day

Have you ever plugged your phone into an outlet that looked fine, only to wake up the next morning with 2% battery and a long day ahead of you? You thought you were charging, but nothing was actually happening. No connection. No power.

That’s exactly how a lot of Christians feel spiritually. We say we love Jesus, we try to do the right things, we pray when trouble hits, and yet we feel like the battery is constantly on low power mode. The problem? We’re close to the outlet—but not actually connected.

Jesus solves this in one simple word:

Abide.

“If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you.”
— John 15:7 (AMPC)

Let’s break it down… and make it practical.

What Does It Mean to Abide?

Abide is one of those words we hear but don’t always define. Here are a few everyday ways to understand it:

• To remain
• To stay connected
• To continue in relationship
• To endure and not give up
• To withstand without yielding

In other words, abiding isn’t a quick devotional, a Sunday morning checkbox, or a random inspirational verse before bed.

Abiding is a lifestyle.

It’s like marinating chicken (which is deeply spiritual if you do it right). The flavor isn’t added by dipping it in sauce for 30 seconds — it gets inside when it remains in the sauce. Not rushed, not microwaved, but soaking.

You don’t dip into Jesus. You soak in Him.

The Key: Relationship, Not Rules

If we wanted to summarize abiding in two simple words, they would be:

intimate relationship.

Not performance. Not perfection. Not religious hoops.

Abiding is staying close enough to Jesus that:

• His heart shapes your heart
• His desires shape your desires
• His voice shapes your decisions
• His words shape your requests

When you live that close to Christ your prayers stop being wishful thinking and start being aligned with His will — and God loves answering those.

This isn’t because you finally earned enough holiness points.

It’s because you’re connected to His life.

Jesus and His Word Are Not Separate

Sometimes we treat time with Jesus like one thing and Bible reading like another. Jesus made that impossible.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
— John 1:1 (NIV)

Jesus and His Word are one.
So if you want to draw near to Him — you draw near through His Word.

That means when you read Scripture, you’re not just gaining information… you’re sharing fellowship with a living Person who loves you deeply.

The more His Word lives inside you, the more confidently you live, speak, pray, and act.

The Holy Spirit Makes It Work

Now here’s the best part: you don’t abide alone.

The Holy Spirit is the One who:

• strengthens your weaknesses
• reveals truth
• helps you apply Scripture
• keeps your spiritual life alive and fresh
• renews your mind
• empowers your daily walk

You don’t have to feel spiritual every day to abide.
You simply remain connected.

Abiding is not effort — it’s fellowship.

It’s not performance — it’s proximity.

It’s not striving — it’s staying.

Ask What You Will… and It Will Be Done

When we are:

• filled with His Spirit,
• renewed in His Word,
• walking in intimacy with Christ,

…something powerful happens:

Our desires begin to align with His desires.

And Jesus says we can ask according to His will and it will be done.

Prayer stops being a guessing game and becomes partnership.

Not begging.
Not bargaining.
Not hoping God will notice.

But confidently asking for what His heart already wants.

So How Do We Live This Out?

Not complicated. Not mystical.

Here’s the daily rhythm:

1. Open your Bible
2. Read slow
3. Talk to Jesus as you read
4. Listen for His voice
5. Stay connected throughout the day
6. Expect the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen you
7. Let your requests come from that place of intimacy

That’s abiding.

That’s life with Jesus.
That’s where fruit and answered prayer come from.

No hype. No pretending. Just relationship.

Let’s Pray

Jesus, today we draw near to You through Your Word and continual fellowship. Teach us how to remain, how to stay, how to be connected without rushing away. Let Your Word live in us, shape us, and guide us. Holy Spirit, strengthen us and empower us to walk closely with Christ every day. We want to abide and bear fruit for Your glory. Amen.