When we think about how to get closer to God, often our minds immediately turn to things like reading our Bible more, going to church, or praying more. And while all of those things are important, they’re not the only things that matter when it comes to our relationship with God. In fact, sometimes we can do all of those things and still feel far from God.
So what does it really mean to get closer to God? And how can we do that in a way that’s authentic and sustainable?
The Bible has a lot to say about how we can get closer to God, and in this post, we’re going to take a look at four of those verses.
1. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8a)
The first step to getting closer to God is to, well, make an effort to get closer to God. It might seem obvious, but it’s worth saying because it’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget to make time for God.
But when we take the time to intentionally seek God out, whether that’s through reading our Bible, praying, or worshiping, He promises to meet us there. And as we spend more time with God, we start to get to know Him better and our relationship with Him grows deeper.
2. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
Another big part of getting closer to God is learning to trust Him. It can be so easy to try to take things into our own hands and figure things out on our own, but that’s not what God wants for us.
Instead, He wants us to trust Him with every part of our lives. And when we do that, we open ourselves up to His guidance and wisdom. We might not always understand what He’s doing, but we can trust that He knows what’s best for us.
3. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
One of the best things we can do to get closer to God is to make Him our priority. It can be so easy to get caught up in the things of this world, but when we make God our number one, everything else falls into place.
When we seek God first, He promises to take care of the rest. And as we start to align our lives with His will, we’ll find that we’re getting closer to Him.
4. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)
The last verse we’re going to look at is one of my personal favorites. In this verse, Jesus is talking about the importance of remaining in Him.
Just as a branch needs to stay connected to the vine in order to bear fruit, we need to stay connected to Jesus in order to grow in our faith. And that means making time for Him every day. It means reading our Bible, praying, and spending time in His presence.
When we do that, we’ll find that our relationship with God gets stronger and stronger.
So those are four verses about how to get closer to God. As you can see, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Instead, it’s a combination of things.
It’s important to make time for God, to trust Him, to make Him our priority, and to stay connected to Him. When we do those things, we’ll find that our relationship with God grows deeper and deeper.
What are your thoughts? What verses have helped you get closer to God? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
P.S. If you’re looking for more help on how to get closer to God, check out this verse: Proverbs 3:5-6.