There is no doubt that the connection we have with God is the most vital relationship in our lives. It strengthens us and helps us live a meaningful life amid our challenges and difficulties. However, our relationship with God is far from perfect. Some days, we feel incredibly near to God, as if He is right next to us. On some days, it seems as if God is very far away from us.
So, what exactly does it mean to have a relationship with God[1]? What does the Scripture say about achieving the kind of relationship that God desires? And how can we grow our relationship with Him?
Contents
Does God Want To Have A Relationship With Us?
God, our creator, has always wanted to form a connection with us. He asks us to “come near” to Him, and He’ll do the same and come near to us (James 4:8). As He promises in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
In line with this, God intended to have an eternal, loving relationship with man. Even before Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis chapter 3), he and Eve had an intimate, personal relationship with Him. They spoke directly to God and walked with Him in the garden, but because of man’s sin, God distanced Himself and disconnected from us.
What Kind Of Relationship Does God Want?
God Almighty desires a relationship based on the family bond He established. God is our Father, and men are to be His children, following the footsteps made by Jesus, the firstborn Son. In connection with this, Jesus taught His followers to address God as “Heavenly Father,” as seen in Matthew 6:14, 26, 32; 5:16, 45, 48.
God wants a home. He wishes to exalt numerous children and have eternal life with Him. As Hebrews 2:10 says, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”
What Does It Mean To Have A Relationship With God?
Our personal relationship with God begins when we recognize our need for Him, when we confess we are sinners, and when we believe in Jesus Christ as our Messiah. Likewise, having a connection with God requires faith in Him to bring us through every day and to believe that God is the source of all things.
To have a lasting relationship with God, we must incorporate Him into our daily life. We must pray to Him, read the Bible, and ponder on verses in order to learn about Him better. We must ask God for wisdom and enlightenment (James 1:5), which is perhaps the most important gift we can have. Moreover, we must bring our demands to Him in the name of Jesus (John 15:16), who loved us enough to offer His life (Romans 5:8) and lessen the gap between God and us.
Great Ways To Develop A Relationship With God
1. Through Jesus
To establish a close relationship with God, human beings need to become like Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. Changing the way we behave, talk, and engage with others to mirror what Jesus did. In verses Matthew 5, 6, and 7, Jesus Christ, as the Father in the flesh, taught the way to a genuine relationship with God, which is seen as the heart of Christianity.
Additionally, we can improve our personal relationship with God by practicing what Jesus said in John 14:15: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Jesus reiterated the same thing once more in verse 21: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
2. By The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit becomes available to those who sincerely wish to receive Jesus Christ. He is the one who never leaves the hearts of Christians. He gives us advice, teaches us the truth, and transforms our souls.
Without the all-powerful Holy Spirit, we would be vulnerable to battle evil and temptations. But now that we have Him, we can begin to bear the fruits of surrendering to the Spirit’s control: love, patience, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, self-control, and gentleness (Galatians 5:22–23).
3. Through The Word Of God
We should communicate with God in order to strengthen our connection with Him. God talks and meets us through the Holy Bible, and we talk to Him through prayer. If we do not center our lives on the Bible, our relationship could get twisted by ignorance and sin. To avoid this scenario, the relationship should be based on unity: us to Him, and Him to us.
Incredible Ways To Deepen Our Relationship With God
1. Study The Holy Bible
Learn about God through the Bible because His Word is how God presents Himself to us; there is absolutely no better method to learn about Him. As Isaiah 40:8 points out, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
2. Pray To God
Just like in any other relationship, we must spend time speaking and listening to God. We can always start praying using the Psalms. The psalms encompass the entire spectrum of human experience and feelings and guide us closer to God in any situation. We, like the Psalmist, can cry out to the Lord, believing that He hears us and will reply in love (Psalm 17:6–7).
3. Obey God
Before Jesus Christ died, He informed His disciples, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me” (John 14:21). We obey God because we love Him. The Bible lays out standards for engaging with our parents (Ephesians 6:1–2) and individuals we disagree with (Romans 14:1-21). As a result, it urges us to seek what is good (Philippians 4:8-9) and be modest and kind (Colossians 3:12), which will give us everlasting life with our loving Father.
4. Serve Others
Since God loves us, we are asked to love those around us as well—even when it is difficult or when the people around us make it impossible to love (1 John 4:19). Caring and serving those around us teaches us how to love other people also. Let us try and try again, even though we do not often feel like doing it. In doing so, we will draw closer to God’s heart by attempting to carry out His priorities.
5. Give Thanks To God
Let us truly appreciate God’s love and the various treasures He has bestowed upon us. God blessed us with the morning sun, the air we breathe, and the laughter of a loved one. But among all the gifts given to us, God Himself is the most important one. He has sacrificed a lot, solely for a relationship with us. So, let’s live with gratitude and joy every single day.
Conclusion
We receive the Holy Spirit as soon as we become God’s children, and he begins to work on our hearts. We should pray often, read the Bible, and follow the Word of God; these actions will assist us in our spiritual growth. The only way to establish a connection with God is to trust Him to help us through each day and believe He is the source of life.
Furthermore, God demonstrates His deep desire to accept us as His glorified children and Him as our Heavenly Father as part of the home He’s building for His eternal family. So, what will you do to deserve this relationship with God?