How Can I Get Closer to God? 11 Ways to Draw Near to God

Are you looking for ways to get closer to God?

There are two bible verses in the book of James and the book of Hebrews, that talk about how we are to draw near to God.

Both these verses explain that if we repent of our sins with a sincere heart, He will draw closer to us.

God is indeed with everyone of us, but if we are looking to build a deeper connection with Him, it is up to us to give God the space to enter our hearts and minds.

By following God’s will we are getting one step closer to God. Continue reading to learn how we can enter into His presence.

Draw Near to God Bible Verse

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:8-10 (ESV)

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22 (NIV)

How to Get Closer to God

Reading and understanding the bible, shows us the true nature of God and His power.

Before I became a Christian, it took me over a year to fully understand the text in the bible. A little backstory, I didn’t grow up in a Christian household and had never read the bible before.

As a new believer, it is important to own a bible that is easy to understand. I would recommend the ESV, the NLT or the NIV translations, which I found easy to understand.

Next, when you begin to read the word, try not to quickly jump into conclusions, as the Old Testament may be a little heavy to digest without properly understanding the reason behind it. Instead, read the entire bible as the Holy Spirit leads you – at your own pace.

For example, if you decide to read Deuteronomy 28, it is a chapter that talks about the blessings for those who are obedient in following God’s will.

Here you will learn about the love and abundance that God provides those who follow in His footsteps. But, when you continue on to verse 15, you will read about the punishment for those who do not obey.

Now sadly, there are many people who may take offense in this. They may wonder why God doesn’t love and forgive us even when we are disobedient. They could also debate on why God needs to bring about destruction on people and not forgive them for their wrong doings.

Actually, God does.

If you continue onto Chapter 30, you will see that even though God talks about His punishments in the previous Chapter, He is willing to forgive them if they repent and turn towards Him.

Deuteronomy 30:2-3 – and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.

Our God is a God of free will. He doesn’t force you to do something, but lays out what is right and wrong, allowing us to make the right choice.

This is why reading the bible is very important as it shows us what is right and wrong. It allows us to understand the heart of God and to stay away from all things evil in this world. We may have a different understanding of good and evil, but the God who created us has laid out scriptures that teach us His ways.

So instead of reading a random bible verse everyday, it is best to read the entire bible and understand it slowly.

This is why many Christians draw away from God, instead of getting closer to Him. One, because of not fully understanding the context behind scripture. And two, because of negative influences in life may tend to draw you away from Him.

Our God is a good God, and is waiting for us to get closer to Him. While it may seem that our lives are plateauing and nothing fruitful is happening, God is actually working in the background preventing evil from attacking our lives.

We may not see these things, but we do have angels who are directing our steps and preventing us from going the wrong way. The story of Balaam and the donkey, in Numbers 22 is one of the best stories to read about this.

We live in a fallen world where we are faced by a number of challenges everyday.

Challenges to our faith and our hope, where we start living in fear of the future – physically, emotionally and financially.

Praying and talking to God on a daily basis it the best way to defeat the works of the devil and to stand steadfast on Gods word.

The only way to combat these unholy powers is by using God’s word from the bible.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:10-12

While not every situation may turn out in our favour, knowing that God’s hand is on your life is the biggest fortune anyone can ask.

If you have just started your journey in Christ, I would recommend you buy a bible to read and learn the word of God.

While there are a number of Bible apps and websites available, nothing is as good as holding an actual bible in your hand to read Gods word. I personally feel more connected with the scriptures when I read from a physical bible.

How to Get Closer to God Spiritually

In today’s post, we are going to share some of the best ways to get closer to God, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He is the One who will guide you in your walk with God. Without the understanding the Holy Spirit gives you, the entire bible may not make sense to you.

The way I got to understand the bible is through prayer, sincerely asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom in understand every written text of the bible.

1. Prayer

The first and most appropriate way to get closer to God is by prayer.

One of the best prayers to pray is the Our Father who art in Heaven prayer.

Praying the Lord’s Prayer is one way to connect with God and to be in His presence. When you pray, don’t be afraid to ask God boldly for guidance on what you need.

While the Lord’s Prayer teaches us how to pray, here are 7 most powerful prayers in the bible that includes the Our Father.

Prayer don’t necessarily need a time and a place especially if you feel like you want to talk to God right away, you can do it wherever you are at. However, I have always felt the strong presence of the Holy Spirit, when I pray alone and in silence.

2. Bible Reading

Begin with reading the Word – the Bible.

The only way we can pray to God is by knowing and understanding how God wants us to live.

This is a big concern to Christian parents, who need to help our kids understand the ways of God and the ways of the world.

The bible very clearly talks about certain deep rooted evil that persists in our world these days. If you are interested in reading about them you can read the following scriptures:

• Deuteronomy 22:5
• Genesis 19 (Sodom and Gomorrah)
• Deuteronomy 18:10
• Leviticus 19:4

Reading the Bible and understanding what you read is important because it allows one to gain a deeper knowledge of God.

The Bible allows you to interpret what God is telling you in the best way possible, and a reminder of how we are to live in this world.

It is the true living word of Jesus Christ who was God in flesh and who is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

For I the Lord do not change. – Malachi 3:6

All in all, the Bible is a great way to lead us into daily prayer and meditation, to get closer to God.

If you are new to Bible reading and not sure where to start, let me give you a brief idea. The bible comprises of two parts – the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament is about God and everything that happened before Jesus.

The New Testament is about Christ Jesus and His life on earth, including His resurrection and the Holy Spirit.

If you are interested in learning about Jesus and His teachings and miracles, the book of John is a great place to begin. It is detailed and goes into details about Jesus’s teachings and helps us learn His ways. Once you have an understanding of the life and resurrection of Christ Jesus, it is best to go back to the Old Testament and read about the power and grace of God Almighty.

While there were many rules to follow in the Old Covenant, Jesus Christ laid His life on the cross and bore our sins, so through Him – accepting Him as our Lord and Savior – we are save and have eternal life.

3. Give Thanks

Most of the time our prayers are centred around what we need that we often forgot to offer thanks to God.

We all love the feeling of being appreciated or complemented for something we did. May be a great meal we cook or about a success at work.

In the same way we need to show our appreciation to God for everything He has given us.

We often take for granted the things we have as “the basics”, but remember, not everyone has the basics that we enjoy. This can be a family, food, clothing, a house, or a car.

You can draw near to God with a thanksgiving prayer for all the things you enjoy and for the things to come.

Giving thanks to God helps people feel connected to him on a personal level. It is infact, a form of praise and worship to God.

Doing this will show God how thankful you are for His gifts and will draw you near to God.

4. Practice Humility

One of the fruits of the Spirit is humility.

You can draw near to God by practicing humility.

Humility means you know your limits and respect people for who they are.

When you practice humility, you will see all people as equal; this does not mean that one should tolerate wrongdoing. It is a sin to be arrogant, as it is a sin to be rude.

As a humble person you do not think too highly of yourself, you will see life differently and feel closer to God.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10

5. Memorize Scripture

Many people write scripture on paper slips and hide it in their wallets and purses.

Some of us even have it as our phone wallpaper so every time we use our phone we are reminded of Gods word.

The best way to memorize a scripture is by focussing on one scripture at a time. This could be one scripture a day or week – whatever works best for you.

As Christians, we can also feel closer to God when we memorize scripture and study what He has said to humankind through the bible.

6. Bible Verse of the Day

If you are struggling to find encouraging bible verses to read, here are a number of bible verses that you can read each day.

You can apply these bible verses to your everyday life and get closer to God.

7. Repent of Sins

The best way to repent for your sins to by praying to God and asking him for forgiveness, saying that you are sorry for going against what he wants for your life.

Jesus paid the price for our sins by laying down His life on the cross. But it is our responsibility to pray and ask God for forgiveness that we may be made whole.

Asking forgiveness means that we should also be willing to forgive those who have sinned against us.

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

8. Share the Gospel

One of the best way to get close to God is by understanding the gospel and sharing it with others.

I believe it is better to live the Gospel than to simply share it with others.

By following Jesus and walking in His ways with love, humility, kindness, and care we can show the world what it is like to be a follower in Christ.

I am sure you have heard the phrase, practise what you preach.

So instead of preaching Gods word, we need to act in Gods word. Providing for others who are not as fortunate as us and spreading the word of God will feel much more rewarding to us and the others who receive.

9. Giving to Those Who are in Need

Giving to others is another way to get closer to God. As Christians we can feel close to God and express our gratitude for Him by providing food to the needy or sending aid to people who need it.

There are a number of ways to we can our resources with one another, because God loves a cheerful giver.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

Knowing that God is happy with our kind gesture will also help us draw near to God.

10. Listen to Praise and Worship Music

I find listening to music soothing and uplifting, especially when its praise and worship songs. They give an instant boost of energy and encouragement, reminding us of God’s power and grace.

You can be cooking or folding clothes when you listen to these songs to know that God Almighty is with you always.

Choose a good list of worship songs that you like and play them anytime of the day to stay connected and get closer to God.

Related post:

Popular Christian songs on Joy

11. Bible Journaling

If you are a creative person then bible journaling is a great way to get closer to God.

For those new to this concept, bible journaling is a done using a bible journal.

Unlike a normal bible, a journaling bible has blank space on either side of the text.

So while you are reading the bible, if there is a verse that stands out to you, you can get artistic about it and write down the verse in the blank space with a creative design.

If this sounds like something that interests you, bible journaling is a great way to draw near to God on a creative level.

How Do I Get Closer to God

The best way to get closer to God is to stay consistent in prayer and mediation. While this may seem like a slow process, it works wonders.

It’s like when you are trying to lose weight, you can’t workout just 4 days and expect to see immediate results.

It takes time.

Similarly reading and understanding the bible also takes time.

You make have to read the book of John five times before you understand it, but its ok. Its not a race to try and read the most number of pages in a day.

Many times I have sat on a single verse for an entire day. But the important point is that, that single verse can sometimes be a lifechanging word from God.

Pray to Get Closer to God

Father God, I pray in intercession with anyone reading this today, who are looking to get closer to You. I pray that You show them Your grace and love and help them draw near to You by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. Father God I ask that You shower us with Your blessings and grant us the strength to move forward in faith trusting in Your word, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Conclusion on How to Draw Near to God

As you can see there are a number of different ways in which we can connect with God on a whole new level.

By following some of the ways listed above, we also help people around us feel close to God and at the same time, we express our gratitude to Him.