HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?
Giving your life to God is important but longing for an intimate relationship with God is just as important. What does this mean? Is going to church, reading your Bible some, praying some and being good to people enough? All of these are very important but there is more than doing actions.
I have visited many churches that follow weekly rituals. There is nothing wrong with rituals, but I just want you to know that there is so much more than rituals to be a Christ follower. Jesus is about relationships, not about rituals. We should use him as an example of how to live and treat others. God wants to be close to us and show us how much He cares for us. Below is a story in the Bible of how Jesus puts people over rituals.
Mark 2:23-28
23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”
27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Rules have there place and keep things in order. Putting unnecessary rules before thinking of people is doing nothing but turning people away who are hurting. Jesus came for the hurting and we all have fallen into that category at some time or another.
STEPS TO HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!
God wants for us to communicate with him daily. When we hang out with a friend we want them to talk to us and spend time with us. If we didn’t see them or talk to them very much, then we couldn’t bond or have a strong relationship. This is how it is with God. How can you expect to have a relationship with Him if you aren’t spending time with Him? Also, how can you know what He wants of you if you aren’t communicating with Him?
It is up to you to make that happen. I pray to him all throughout the day, whether it is good or bad. Thank him for the simplest things (I love to hear the birds chirping). When something brings me joy, I thank Him for it.
I want you to try to commit one week of having alone time with God. If you aren’t a believer yet then click here to find out how to become one. This is what it will look like:
- Find a chair that no one uses
- Put the chair in front of you
- Imagine that God is sitting in that chair
- Talk to him as you would a friend
- Tell him your concerns, hurts, praises, request, what you are thankful for, etc…
- Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance
When Satan is attacking my household I fall on my knees and cry out to Him! This is when I have full submission to Him so He can carry me through those trials. It is His fight to fight the enemy because only God has the power to do that.
Romans 8:31-32
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
GET SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
I purchased an NIV Life Application Bible with commentaries at the bottom to explain each verse to me when I don’t understand what the verse is saying. I start off by praying to God that He will reveal what He wants me to know.
Then I start reading a section in the Bible. You can read a few verses, a section or the whole chapter. Once I have read one section, I refer to the commentaries below to see how it applies to today. Then I sit a ponder on what the verses are saying and how it can apply to me. God then reveals to me what I need to work on or how can use help others with these verses, etc…
Make sure that you start reading the verses with the mindset of really wanting to hear from God. I have read verses many times and never really learned much, other than the story that is told. Really prepare yourself and gain a desire to really hear God’s voice (not an audible voice). What I mean is a thought or an impression to do or learn something.
RECEIVE GOD’S BLESSINGS BY TRULY SEEKING HIM
God will give you His desires if you are truly seeking Him. There is nothing like receiving His blessings because you depended on Him through the tough times. Sometimes we might have to wait longer for some answers than others. Your attitude is everything!
Find the good in every situation. The more trials you have, it will get easier to have a better attitude if you practice on the small trials. I have had to practice to be silent when someone says something unkind. I want to retaliate but I have learned to tame my tongue.
If you are longing for an intimate relationship with God then try some of these things listed above. Your life will change for the better if you are truly serious about getting to know Him. It is so worth it!!!!
If you have any questions, leave a comment below. I would love to hear other ways that people get closer to God.
Next, I pray that I will take what I have learned and take action. It might be changing my attitude, helping someone, changing my spending habits, forgiving someone, taking a step of faith, etc…
What I learn might not be what I want to hear, but what I need to hear. I start praying that my desires will be God’s desires. It is hard sometimes because I am selfish by nature but I really want to want the same things that God want for me. I want to take off the old and put on the new. I want to be close with God.
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