How do I come closer to God?

[dothackzero]

So yeah, for some reason lately I've been wanting to get to know God a lot more. But for some reason it's seems like I'm not getting anywhere fast sadly. and yes I have been doing what I need to do to help me grow as a Christian...

Anyway, this is what I've been doing to try to goto grow as a Christian more:

-I goto Chruch on Wensday.
-I goto Chruch on Sunday(When I'm not too tired to. )
-I'm trying to pray more than I used to.
-I'm reading the Bible for half hour everynight(Well, I'm not perfect on this part yet.)
-I tithe.
-I goto a Bible Study on Saterday.

 

[Thaddaeus]

turn from your sins,

2ch 7:14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Pr 15:29The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Jas 5:16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 

[dothackzero]

turn from your sins,

2ch 7:14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Pr 15:29The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Jas 5:16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Well I do ask God to forgive my sins, or I am I just doing it the wrong way?

 

[dothackzero]

Gah, I wish the edit button would last longer. I can't believe how many spelling mistakes I had on my 1st post. >_<

 

[MahogonySnail]

dothackzero that is great you want to get closer to God. But I think going to more church etc may make you feel empty and less satisfied unless you are meeting one on one with God.

Some people like to pray and fast.


Don't you know that faith implies persistence, and persistence implies faith. I think you are expecting quick and fast results, but it doesn't happen like that.

The reality is, if you're a Christian God is already as close to you as He's ever going to get in this life. His Spirit joined to your spirit. Be comforted with that thought.

But I admit we don't often experience His closeness or feel He is close.

Imagine yourself as a desperate lover trying to find the one you love, who is separated from you by some sort of chasm/gulf.

That chasm/gulf we know as the flesh.

The way we can draw near to God is by turning our hearts towards Him. You cannot get that by "doing" anything externally eg going to church, praying more, reading the bible more etc. We have to desperately seek His face out of the hunger in our heart. That means we have to get on our knees and cry out to Him for hours if we have to. Sing, worship, cry, laugh, do whatever you feel like doing. Be desperate. Ask to be filled with His Spirit, by the Spirit is how God makes His presence and reality known and close to us. Keep going until you do feel Him close to you and don't give up, persist in regular prayer. Realise He lives within you. Lay down your life and all your ambitions, desires, and will, humble yourself before Him. You are searching for Him, and scripture promises when we search for Him (seek and ye shall find), we will find Him. It doesn't say we will easily find Him, it often requires a struggle within our heart/mind. We might need to give up an activity we like doing, or cancel a planned meeting with family or friends etc in order to find the one we love.

After seeking God in this way, sit silently and quietly contemplate and meditate upon God's Person and His Word, and then relax, wait for Him to respond. Before God's still small voice comes, is turmoil eg earthquake, lightning , thunder.

Give yourself a couple of hours and if you don't feel closer by the end of 6 hours at least, then do it again the next day after having a good nights sleep.

 

[Thaddaeus]

Well I do ask God to forgive my sins, or I am I just doing it the wrong way?

it is not about Him forgiving you of your sins, if you don't set them aside then you have not truely ask Him to forgive you. But if ( only saying if because I don't know you personally) but if you have done all the things you are saying that you are doing and still don't feel close to Him, then there is a problem within somewhere, and I am not trying to judge you here but either you are not one of His or either there is a sin that you are holding on to.


Heb 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,


see, i have learned over the years that if it comes down to God letting someone down as in your situation, then I question the person rather than to question God.

Repent does not mean to ask for forgiveness only, as I also believe that it did but rather simply repent also means to change your mind or to turn,

Re*pent" (r?-p?nt"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Repented; p. pr. & vb. n. Repenting.] [F. se repentir; L. pref. re- re- + poenitere to make repent, poenitet me it repents me, I repent. See Penitent.]
1. To feel pain, sorrow, or regret, for what one has done or omitted to do.

First she relents With pity; of that pity then repents. Dryden.</I>
​

2. To change the mind, or the course of conduct, on account of regret or dissatisfaction.

Lest, peradventure, the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt. Ex. xiii. 17.</I>
​

3. (Theol.) To be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to love and practice sin.

Except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish. Luke xii. 3.


we must turn from our sins Jesus told several people in the Bible, to go sin no more, that thy sins have been forgiven thee

3. (Theol.) To be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to love and practice sin

either you are master and you can do as you please Or You make Him Lord and do as He pleases

Lu 16:13No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
​

again I am not judging you but rather telling you something that I tell all those that I love and even have to remind myself from time to time.
Ps 139:23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:Ps 139:24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
try this prayer use these two verses then ask God to reveal to you what is keeping you from being closer to Him, ask him, is it sin in your life or lack of faith in Him, for we also know that without faith it is impossible to please Him. so maybe He is ready to draw you nigh but you just can't believe that God would want someone like you close to Him . but either way be prepared to set that sin aside If he reveals to you that it is sin.
Ro 8:37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

 

[loveschild]

Surrender your self to God. It's not about me, me, meeeeeeeeeeeeeee it's God what do you want? Pray all the time your will be done in me Lord, not my will. It's surrendering your will to God and really wanting his will to control you. Ask God to teach you. Ask him to give you his desires. Do you work real late on Saturday and that's why your so tired you don't want to get up for church? If not then go to bed at a decent time so you will get up. Church is important for you to learn, worship, I pray God the holy spirit comes to your church or find a church where he comes, and be around other christians is good for you. If your having a hard time going to church it makes no sence to try and meditate on God for 6 hours. Most people don't do that. Your reading your bible that's wonderful. When you go to read pray for the holy spirit to help you understand and fill you with what he wants you to know. So a step here and a step there in the right dirrection. Your honoring God with your life and what you do with your life. Get to church on time, take notes and atudy at home what was preached. You will be fine. The fact that you want to be closer with God is a wonderful thing he wants to be closer to you also. You can spend all the rest of your life getting closer and closer to him. He will reward you with wonderful treasures. God bless you, Love

 

[dothackzero]

Surrender your self to God. It's not about me, me, meeeeeeeeeeeeeee it's God what do you want? Pray all the time your will be done in me Lord, not my will. It's surrendering your will to God and really wanting his will to control you. Ask God to teach you. Ask him to give you his desires. Do you work real late on Saturday and that's why your so tired you don't want to get up for church? If not then go to bed at a decent time so you will get up. Church is important for you to learn, worship, I pray God the holy spirit comes to your church or find a church where he comes, and be around other christians is good for you. If your having a hard time going to church it makes no sence to try and meditate on God for 6 hours. Most people don't do that. Your reading your bible that's wonderful. When you go to read pray for the holy spirit to help you understand and fill you with what he wants you to know. So a step here and a step there in the right dirrection. Your honoring God with your life and what you do with your life. Get to church on time, take notes and atudy at home what was preached. You will be fine. The fact that you want to be closer with God is a wonderful thing he wants to be closer to you also. You can spend all the rest of your life getting closer and closer to him. He will reward you with wonderful treasures. God bless you, Love

heh, well I do have tencency to be very selfish. Though I am asking God to fix that for me. As for Chruch, I usually goto that Bible Study on saturday which usually lasts from 7:00 - 12:00. Then I just spend the next couple hours at home to hang out with myself. I'm obviously not the type of person that likes to goto bed early, and I think that's what screws me over. Besides, I usually learn more from the Bible Study than I learn at Church.

 

[SwordOfFire]

There are some really good things being said in this thread. I like all of Mahogany Snail's post, and what Thaddaeus said about possibly "not being one of his."

The problem is that you see life as a mere man. You are wanting to know what you can DO to get closer to God, as if you need to strive to achieve some measure of spirituality. You want to "grow as a christian" as if Christianity is just an addendum to your life. Here is my advice to you:

Examine yourself to see if you are really in the faith. 1 Corinthians 13:5. How do you do that? Take the Word of God and what it says about a true believer, and if you fall short of the test, repent and believe. 1 John is the test. It was written, not to show you how to please God, but to show you what a true Christian looks like. It isn't that you get to know God by being holy; rather, holiness is the RESULT of getting to know God. The absence of holiness is characteristic of a false profession of faith, and an unregenerate heart.

Second, understand the gospel. You are not, and will not, be accepted by God because of what you do. You cannot, in your own human striving, achieve or accomplish anything that will be acceptable before God. If you are His, it is because of the worth and merit of Jesus Christ. Grace is not a second chance to please God. Grace is the end of your life, in exchange for His life. That is continual. In other words, He lives in and through you, to the degree that you are willing to allow Him. In order to do that, you have to give up your own life. That doesn't just mean giving up the things that are bad, but giving up your own striving to accomplish, and throwing yourself on the mercy of the Cross, and asking for Him to live His life in you, even as you go about your daily life. A mature relationship with God in Christ is a daily, moment by moment walk. It's not something you grow up in; you grow down. You get more and more dependent on Christ, so that without Him you can do nothing. "For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)." In short, you need to understand that it has absolutely nothing to do with what you can do and accomplish, and everything to do with Jesus IN you. Pray that God will enlighten your heart to the difference between human striving and a life of faith in God.

 

[dothackzero]

Can not worshipping Jesus that much be one of my main problems for not being able to get closer to him and God? I'm just wondering since worshipping is usuallly one the things I don't that much, other than when I'm in chruch or something.

 

[SwordOfFire]

Can not worshipping Jesus that much be one of my main problems for not being able to get closer to him and God? I'm just wondering since worshipping is usuallly one the things I don't that much, other than when I'm in chruch or something.

For some practical advice, you can worship more, yes. Think of everything in terms of cultivating intimacy with God. Pray more, worship God more, read more, and ask God to reveal Himself to you in truth. Go to ITUNES to the Fire On Your Head podcast. Look for the episodes on the "Father Heart of God." It is a series of classes by SJ Hill on intimacy with God. Listen to it, and it may help you.

 

[neerakhope]

Dear Pastor,
I saw your profile here, and i'm glad,, to have a friend and can discuss about God here. I am a missionary also.. missionary to the other country. Can i know of from what church ar eu belong?

 

[dothackzero]

So by humbling myself to Jesus... Should I do something like I normally do when I get depressed and tell him how worthless I am and how awesome he is? Something like that?

 

[SwordOfFire]

So by humbling myself to Jesus... Should I do something like I normally do when I get depressed and tell him how worthless I am and how awesome he is? Something like that?

No. Try just talking to Him with an honest and open heart. It isn't about self abasement and groveling. Just be honest about any fears, questions, needs, and desires that you have when you talk to Him, and talk to Him alot. Smith Wigglesworth said something to effect that "I rarely pray more than 15 minutes; but I never go more than 15 minutes without praying."

It's not about what you can do, or achieve, or how many hours you log in prayer, or anything like that. It is just about cultivating a relationship. To do that, you have to talk to God. Seek Him in the best way you know how. There is no magical formula or step by step process. If you seek Him, and truly desire to know Him, He will reveal Himself to you.

Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jer 29:12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
Jer 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

 

[Laiahna]

To find God, we must search with all our heart, mind, and all our being.

 

[trudy]

Great question. I have learned the best way to get to know God better and draw closer to him is studying his word and the best way to actually start is with a prayer ( a simple prayer, Lord I ask that you word is revealed in my heart and is secured in my mind, Pray for understanding and God will hear you, and then start with the promises of God. When you start to learn his promises to you, it draws you closer and closer to him. If you tell him the honest truth about yourself and your flaws he is quick to start to heal you if your sincere. Also always pray for protection from others ideals and opinions tell God you want his truth to be revealed to you and if you have faith it will work out. God will bless your searching for him. He said seek him first above all things. I go to church on the sabbath. I love it so much I try to stay all day until the doors close. its truly different and strange to other people and my family and at first to me but I wanted to walk out on faith I wanted to see what happens and wow did God open the doors for me. I am learning to trust in him for all things.

 

[His_will_i_am]

By spending more time with Him.

 

[Arizona]

You said you try to pray. Well I say to just do it! Which means just open up your mouth and pray. We have to quit trying and just do it. It may seem
a little weird at first, but that is how it do it, just do it. Do you try to jump over the log? or just do it? Get it?

 

[BLC]

So yeah, for some reason lately I've been wanting to get to know God a lot more. But for some reason it's seems like I'm not getting anywhere fast sadly. and yes I have been doing what I need to do to help me grow as a Christian...

Anyway, this is what I've been doing to try to goto grow as a Christian more:

-I goto Church on Wens day.
-I goto Church on Sunday(When I'm not too tired to. )
-I'm trying to pray more than I used to.
-I'm reading the Bible for half hour every night(Well, I'm not perfect on this part yet.)
-I tithe.
-I goto a Bible Study on Saturday.

Every believer needs to be feed and taught the word of God by a pastor-teacher. Every believer needs to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer needs a local body of believers to fellowship with on a daily basis. That local body of believers learns to live by and put into practice the word of God that they have been taught. In that local body each believer learns how to love one another, pray for one another, how to forgive one another and to comprehend the love of God with one another. You learn how to minister grace when your bother in Christ does not deserve it. You learn how to humble yourself before God and receive grace in every situation. You learn how to trust God in all things. You learn how to walk in the Spirit and not live in the flesh. These are some of the things that God's plan provides for us in a local expression of the body of Christ. Get yourself in a local church where you are truly feed the word of God and then you will experience the presence and faithfulness of God working in the midst of His people.

 

[MahogonySnail]

Who feeds the pastors/teachers?