New Christians and veterans need a review of the important steps sometimes. Every faithful child of God has these key concepts in their daily lives. Here are 6 foundational building blocks for a stronger relationship with God. Scripture and experience can prove that each point will help you grow closer to God in your everyday life.
- Consistent prayer
- Review messages
- Study the Bible
- Pray for Understanding
- Walk with God every day
- Spend quality time with Him
Consistent Prayer
A relationship with God first starts with prayer. It is an important building block for a strong foundation in God. Sometimes it is difficult to pray consistently and for a long time. Others you hear about pray for hours and hours —don’t be anxious about them. The key is consistency; it benefits you more to pray five minutes every day than an hour once a week. If prayer is always hard and your heart sinks at the thought, your understanding of prayer needs adjusting. Prayer is a privilege, not a punishment or an obligation. Prayer is a direct link between you and God —it’s like having God’s cell phone number. Any person who wants to be close to God has access to talk to him every day. I encourage you to look up examples of prayer in the Bible and find out how God views His time spent with you.
Psalm 145:18 ESV
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Review Messages from Church
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God…”
Remember the parable of the sower that Jesus described to His followers (Luke 8:4-15)? Every message from the pulpit comes as a packet of seeds from the man of God to the saints. A seed in general terms is a shell that contains the capability to produce more of its kind. For example, apple seeds can produce more apples. Each message that we hear is planted into our hearts and it’s our job to have good ground and water the seed. What does this look like in reality? First, take notes during the sermon. It’s next to impossible to remember everything after service. And secondly, review your notes. Try to review it that same day so it’ll be fresh in your mind. Go over key points each day, maybe during devotion, until the next service. This method will help you retain a much higher percentage of the messages you hear.
Study the Bible (more than reading)
While it is awesome to read your Bible, it is even better to study it. As you study, have a subject in mind. What are you researching: prayer, fasting, oneness with Christ? Are you analyzing a key biblical figure or concepts like faith and obedience? Studying is not about how many chapters you read, it matters more what knowledge you gain. Studying helps you learn more about God’s ways and take a deep dive into foundational truths. Lastly, while you study, pray for understanding. The Bible is a spiritual book and some things have to be revealed to us.
Pray for Understanding
James 1:5a ESV
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…
God desires that we should receive everything that He has prepared for us. We must understand what He has done to experience it all. How do we know unspeakable joy, peace, and righteousness through Jesus Christ? Many places in the Bible tell us that our spiritual resources are linked to our understanding. Pray for the spirit of wisdom and revelation and ask God to open your eyes. Paul prayed this kind of prayer for the church at Ephesus and you can include it in your daily prayer. (See Eph. 1: 15-18)
Walk with God Every Day
Psalm 37:5 NLT
Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.
When life gets tough, we seek God to show His power in a mighty way. We may pray for God to pay an overdue bill, heal our bodies, or fix a situation we have lost control of. But, besides crisis prayers, does God have a say in anything else in our lives? Try this experiment: bring God into your everyday life. Think about him when you plan your day off or see if He has some ideas on how you should go about your day at work. I have learned to ask God about my college assignments or help with a project I’m working on at my job. Each time, without fail, He works perfectly and in the exact amount of time needed. God wants us to trust Him in everything and He truly will take care of whatever we give over to Him.
Psalm 37:23 NLT
The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Spend Quality Time with God
We are building a lifetime relationship with God. He is meant to be our closest friend and the One who knows us the best. God is the only one who will know us our whole lives and be there in our first and last breaths. He loves us and, as we know Him more, we love Him too. Take a few moments to spend thinking about Him. It adds an indescribable peace to your day. It’s a space to reflect on His goodness and mercy that follows us and His love that never fails us. This is one of those good habits to form and it’s an excellent reset for the day.
These are some key concepts and habits that every Christian can add to build a stronger relationship with God. There are others, of course, but I believe this is a solid base to build from. The essential word in every recommendation is consistency. Steady prayer, study, and time with Him will surely bring you closer to Him.
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