How do I develop a relationship with God? - Relationships - TouchPoints

John 14:6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Regardless of our personal background, character, and credentials, we must recognize that we cannot have a relationship with God on our own. We will never be able to remove the barrier between us and God caused by our sin. Only faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ, and Christ alone, can bring us into God’s presence and restore our relationship with him.

Psalm 112:1Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.

Psalm 119:33-40Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you. Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good. I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness.

Psalm 119:169-176O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Matthew 22:36-40“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

1 John 5:3Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

Part of developing a close relationship with God is learning to obey his commands. The more we learn about what God desires for our lives, the more we understand his heart. For those who are living in Christ, God’s commands are not a burden. Rather, they are a source of joy and refreshment.

John 14:26“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

John 16:13-15“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’”

An important aspect of our relationship with God is listenig to the voice of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. He teaches us, comforts us, corrects us, and helps us understand what God desires of us. As we learn to quiet our minds and listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we will find ourselves drawing closer to God.

Psalm 51:1-4Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

The Christian life is one of continual repentance, asking God for forgiveness. As we become aware of our sin, we realize our need for God’s grace and goodness. Then, knowing that we are forgiven helps us love God even more and want to obey him.

Luke 11:9-13“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Philippians 4:6-7Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Prayer is critical in our relationship with God. It is how we connect with him. In prayer, we express our regrets, anxieties, desires, and needs. Because of the work of Jesus, we can approach God confidently as our loving Father. He will hear our prayers and help us to live as he has called us to.

John 15:4-8“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

When Jesus says to remain in his love, he is telling us to live in his love, to be constantly aware of it, to be fully shaped by it. We cannot grow in our relationship with God by ourselves. The love of Christ in our lives changes our hearts and makes us want to be more like him.