How to Grow Closer to God
Growing up in church, I always heard pastors and church leaders talk about the importance of spending time with God. I knew that this idea was important, but honestly, nobody ever really explained what it meant. How do we grow closer to God? What does that mean and why is it important?
What Does it Mean to Draw Close to God?
Drawing near to God is another way of posturing ourselves to be in His presence. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
When we intentionally posture ourselves to be near to the Lord, that is when we draw near to Him. Intentionality looks like setting aside the distractions and putting time with the Lord first. This may look like putting away your phone, marking in your calendar when you’re going to have time with Jesus, and going to a secluded space.
The beauty in being near to the Lord is that He is near to us. While we must be intentional in drawing near to God, we are thankfully not doing this alone or in our own strength. The Holy Spirit is our Helper and Advocate. Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit so we can draw closer to the Lord. Without the Holy Spirit, we are unable to be near to God. It is through the Holy Spirit’s help that we can commune with God.
3 Ways to Draw Near to God
There are multiple ways we can draw near to the Lord. While the Holy Spirit is our ultimate Helper in these situations, there are spiritual disciplines that can also bolster our time with God. The three main ways to do this are through reading your Bible, prayer, and worship.
1.) Reading your Bible
Reading your Bible is one of the best ways to grow closer to God. The Bible is God’s Word given to us to learn more about who He is. When we learn more about who He is, we are ultimately drawing closer to Him! The Bible is His Word that gives life and provides wisdom. It remains alive and active today; convicting us, teaching us, and speaking to us.
There are multiple ways you can read your Bible! Here are a few ideas:
- You can read the whole Bible in a year
- You can go through a book of the Bible
- You can learn about a specific topic
At the end of the day, reading your Bible teaches you more about the beauty of the Lord and Jesus’s redemptive plan for us. Check out our new Bible collection to get a Bible!
2.) Prayer
Prayer is another way you can grow closer to God, as it is our way of communicating with the Lord. Just like communication is essential in other relationships, communication with God also helps us in our relationship with Him.
One example on how to pray is through the ACTS method of prayer. ACTS is an acronym that stands for:
Walking through this to take time to pray is one way to grow your prayer life! For more information on prayer, check out this blog on prayer, as well as The Daily Grace Co.’s study on prayer!
3.) Worship
Worship is another way you can grow closer to God. Worship is simply our way of giving thanks to the Lord for what He has done. This can be done through song, but worship is any way of praising the Lord for His goodness. Worship can include singing or playing instruments to glorify God, taking time to draw or paint, walking through creation and giving thanks for its beauty, praying through a psalm of thanks to worship God, among many others! There is no one right way to worship God.
Conclusion
Growing closer to God is important for spiritual growth. It deepens our faith and our understanding of who God is. May we continue to intentionally draw near to Him through the help of His Spirit, and remember James’s encouragement: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” ( James 4:8).
