5 steps to a great relationship with God

The other afternoon I was standing in line at Target and a cover of a magazine caught my eye.  It boldly proclaimed "5 Steps to a Great Relationship."  I am one of those people that follow a recipe line by line, so anything with steps I am eager to read.  It got me thinking about the most important relationship in my life.  Here are 5 steps for a great relationship with God.

1.  Prayer.  I have moved closer to God through prayer more than anything else.  I try to talk to God every day, throughout the day.  I like to feel Him with me all day.  When I'm sad, I pray.  When I'm scared, I pray.  When I'm happy, I pray.  I give thanks.  When someone else is hurting, I pray.  As a family we try to pray before every meal, even at restaurants.  If we forget, the kids remind us.  My daughter and I pray in the car on the way to school.

I used to be scared to pray, thinking I had to use certain words, praying at a certain time of day.  But God does not care how you sound!  Just speak from your heart.  With so many worldly things vying for our attention, praying daily can be hard.  I can tell when my focus has shifted from God to things of this world.  I am grumpy and feel empty.   Pray, pray, pray everyday, and you can't help but feel close to God.

2.  Find a church and go every week.  You knew that was coming right?  Many people argue that just because you don't go to church does not mean you are not saved.  That's true, just like going to church does not mean you are saved.  But, if you are seeking a relationship with Christ, going to church, not just on the holidays, will bring you closer to Him.  You will learn about Jesus, get the pastor's perspective, and will join other believers to worship Christ.  Which will only strengthen your relationship.  If you feel uncomfortable going to church because you don't know about the Bible or are worried about the people, pray to God (see step 1) that He would give you a feeling of comfort and lead you to the right church.

3.  Read the Bible.  Reading the Bible helps you to know about Christ, which is important in your relationship.  Pick a time every day to read a little bit.  I try to get up 15 minutes earlier to read the Bible.  But if you don't have time in the morning, then that might not work for you.  Find a time that works for you and start reading! Read this article to find the best order to read the Bible.

4.  Daily Devotionals.  Reading daily devotionals along with your Bible reading can give you a different perspective on how the Bible relates to your life.  These devotionals can give you a better understanding of the Bible, which bring you closer to God.  I am reading Jesus Calling by Sarah Young and I really enjoy it.  She writes as if God is talking to you.  Also go to youversion.com to get the free Bible app for your phone.  You can read the Bible on your phone every day and there are daily devotionals as well.

5.  Listen to worship music.  Listening to Christian music as I'm driving around running errands is just another way to help me stay focused on God.  I don't even listen to anything else anymore.  I love to hear my kids singing in the backseat and don't have to worry about what they're singing.  I have pandora on my phone so I can even listen when I'm at the gym.  Type in Mandisa and be uplifted while on the treadmill! Listen in your car, or while you're cleaning the house, or while at the gym and have a little extra worship time with God!

These are some things I have done to have a personal relationship with Jesus.  Your steps might be different.  Is there anything else that you do to strengthen your relationship with Jesus?

Psalm 84:10

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;


I heard this in a song the other day and it made me so happy.  As scary and sometimes awful this world is, I still love being here.  It's comforting to know that when we die we will be with Jesus and  Heaven will be really, really amazing, as my little boy so accurately put it.

The song I was listening to is Better is one day by Chris Tomlin.  Go here to listen.