Building a relationship with God requires making a conscious effort to connect with Him on a regular basis. Similar to your relationships with friends or family, it requires your consideration, your love, your compromise, your sacrifices, and your attention.
Your relationship with God is different than other relationships in that God is all present, all knowing, and the creator of the earth, heavens, and everything in them. God is holy, meaning, He is sacred and worthy of trust and devotion in all things. Your relationship with God should be the most important relationship in your life, with all others coming after God, as without God, we have nothing. Put God first and be sure to spend time with Him regularly. As Matthew 6:33 states, "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you."
The first step in having a closer relationship with God is having an open and receptive heart, and to be willing to seek a deeper relationship with God. Once you have the desire to start building on your relationship, seek the different ways that work best for you.
Spending time with God may look different for different people, each person has different qualities and needs and has their own unique relationship with God. Some ways to spend time with God to get closer to Him include:
1. Prayer: Prayer is a way to communicate with God and to express your thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Prayer can be short or long, direct or inquisitive, praising or lamenting, and many other forms. God is with you always, set aside time to speak with Him.
Philippians 4:6-7 states "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
2. Read the Bible: The Bible is the word of God, and reading it is important to help you learn more about Him and His ways.
Joshua 1:8 - "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Psalm 119:105 - "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
3. Attend church: Going to church regularly is important because it can help you learn more about God, learn other perspectives, connect with believers, and grow in your faith. Church is not necessarily a physical building, rather, where there are two or more people gathered in together in worship.
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Hebrews 10:25 - "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
4. Serve others: Serving others is a way to show love to others and to God and a way to serve God by serving His people. There are many ways you can serve, from little things on a daily basis, to more structured activities of giving of your time, talents, or treasures.
Matthew 25:40 - "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.'"
Spend time in nature: Taking time to appreciate the beauty of God's creation can help you feel closer to Him and draw your attention to His presence in the world.
Psalm 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Isaiah 55:12 - "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
5. Practice gratitude: Focus on the blessings in your life and express gratitude in all things you have and are capable of achieving. Focus not, on the limitations or things you don’t have, rather on all you have and can do. Gratitude can help you draw closer to God and experience His love and presence more deeply.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 - "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Psalm 107:1 - "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."
The practices listed here are only some of the ways that you can strengthen your relationship with God, in doing so, you become closer to Him. There are many other ways to draw closer to God that may be meaningful and more suitable to you. The most important thing is that you spend time with God and connect to Him. Remember, James 4:8 states to "come near to God and He will come near to you." As you seek Him, you will find Him. Share with us the ways you come near to God, we would love to hear about the ways you spend time with Him.
Blessings and love.
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