It can be difficult to know how to get closer to God despite our strong desire to do so; but one routine habit can make sure you will always know He is close by, empowering your days
We would like to know how to get closer to God.
In fact, this is a desire that tends to grow greater and greater over our lifetimes.
We begin to better understand our need for God and His grace, as well as to experience our gratitude for all His blessings.
So, why do we have this desire and how can we satisfy it?
Contrasting Relationship
Before we discuss that, I'd like you to picture your relationship with your best friend for a moment.
How do you interact with this friend on a daily basis?
What happens when great things happen in your life? What happens when something crazy happens in your day? If your like me, you can't wait to share those experiences and news with your best friend.
Now consider that your relationship with God is, at a minimum, reflective of this kind of relationship... and at its maximum, even more intimate than marriage.
Now think about how you currently share experiences and news with Him?
Again, if you're like most of us, these interactions with God don't even come close to how we interact with our best friends or spouses.
And therein lies the disconnect... and the challenge.
To begin to approach the depth of feeling close to God that we seek, we need to begin building that kind of relationship with God.
Benefits of Feeling Close to God
To be honest, there's no way to list all the benefits of feeling close to God.
But if you've ever experienced His closeness during moments in your life, you've probably yearned for even more. Your experience was likely one of the most peaceful, satisfying, and complete moments in your life.
The satisfaction and wholeness that comes from an emotional connection to God is what drove King David to write Psalm after Psalm of joy and literally dance in the streets for God.
With a God that FEELS close to us, we get all the following benefits (at a minimum):
So how can we maximize our opportunities to experience these blessings? What can we do to invite the presence of God into our lives more routinely?
The Ultimate Habit for Feeling Close to God
The number one habit to feel close to God is... (drumroll, please...) to pray.
I know you already know this, but stay with me for a bit.
I get it. You don't have time to pray... you don't feel like prayers are answered... you don't ever "hear" God or "feel" His presence when you pray.
You've given prayer lots of opportunity to make a difference in your spiritual growth. But it just hasn't really delivered.
As a result, your prayer time now is short and shallow.
This is typical, even for Christians.
But consider taking what you already know about prayer and implementing it in a radical way.
I am asking you to consider the discipline of prayer. Not just that you pray, but that you have an unbreakable habit of prayer.
You see, "habit" is just another word for discipline. Although the word discipline can have negative overtones, it actually exudes power. When you have discipline, you have self-control. You are empowered in ways that conquer your dependencies on outside circumstances or things. There is truly no greater freedom!
Building the Habit of Prayer
Now let's get real practical about how to build this habit of prayer. Here are a few:
1. Use a Prayer Journal
Keep a prayer journal. Buy a journal at any local office supply store, Walmart, or even grocery store. Then start writing down people, places, and things you want to pray for.
2. Create Payer Cards
You can make prayer cards out of index cards or note cards.
Simply dedicate each card to a specific person, place, or thing. Write that name at the top of the card.
Then you can write your specific prayer requests for those people, places, and things on their respective note cards.
When it comes time to pray, you have all of your cards to go through and talk to God about.
3. Electronic (Online) Prayer Journal
Of course, if you'd rather stay away from pen and paper to track all your prayers, you can use some sort of electronic system or app.
We offer a digital Online Prayer Journal here, but there are others as well. You can search your app store for one that looks suitable for you.
Once you establish your preferred system for prayer time with God, and you start to execute that system, you will start reaping the benefits.
You will begin to FEEL much closer to God because you have a lot to talk to Him about. You will begin to be blessed by witnessing His answering your prayers, even the ones you forgot about from months ago. Ultimately, you will be assured that the living God is indeed close and all around you at all times.
So, pray.
And then reflect.
Reflecting gives you the opportunity to remind yourself of His work you have witnessed... to remember how He moves mountains for you or others.
You can ask yourself periodically:
- What did I pray for today / this week / this month?
- What have I witnessed God do with that prayer?
Use your notes from your journal, note cards, or online prayer journal app to document God's work through your very own prayer life.
Conclusion
We have discussed our deep desires for, as well as the benefits of, a deep relationship with God. Deeper than friendship or marriage.
We have considered how a habit of prayer is foundational to inviting the feeling of closeness to God more often.
We also reviewed some very practical methods to start that habit - a prayer journal, note cards, or an online prayer journal app.
With a real habit of prayer, you will be blessed with continual reminders of God working through your prayers... and be assured of His presence.
