How to Draw Near to God: 10 Ways
My family bought me Gerber daisies for Mother’s Day last year. The coral blossoms stood like beacons of hope on a dining room table cluttered with puzzles, markers, and an array of toys that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. This morning, I sat at that table with hard questions about how to draw near to God in the middle of my messy life.
The disorganized table was the perfect metaphor for life that spring: piles of chaos with hope for new beginnings rising out of the mess.
Sometimes this is what we all need most: a reminder that from the chaos, God will bring something new and vibrant to life.
How to Draw Near to God Amid a Full Life
That was the morning I read these words:
This is my comfort in my affliction,
That Your word has revived me. (Psalm 119:50)
And these words jumped from the page like God himself had penned them just for me.
I’d been afflicted over the past months. I was in need of revival, the kind of revival that breathes life into a worn-out soul.
I counted the places I’d turned for comfort in my affliction over the past months: the distraction of long seasons of more than one television series, small daily goals like forcing my body to walk a mile down the road on even the worst days, good food, one-word prayers for help, the encouragement of others, thoughtful devotions, and some days, plain old complaining.
While not everything on my list was wrong or unapproved by God, the question resonated: Can I really say that the comfort in my affliction has been that the Word of God has revived me?
How to Draw Near to God
I want to be a woman who finds God on the mountaintops and in the valleys of life. Sadly, when I numb myself by turning to entertainment or some empty pastime to fill the void in my soul, I miss God.
God wants to revive me in my empty seasons, and he wants to revive you too. He wants you to search for him, and he promises you will find him. The secret is to search in the right places.
God wants to revive me in my empty seasons, and he wants to revive you too. He wants you to search for him, and he promises you will find him. #findingGod Share on XLet’s look at 10 simple ways to draw near to God.
1. We learn how to draw near to God by committing to time in his Word.
For many of us, a large part of the problem when it comes to our relationship with God’s Word is that we rush through reading. It’s one more item on the day’s list of thousands of things to do.
I’ve heard writers say that to be a good writer, they follow this rule: “Write or do nothing.”
In other words, when they sit down for a designated amount of time for writing, they can do one of two things: write or do nothing at all.
They don’t allow themselves to get up to fold laundry, scroll over to an online article, or check the weather. It is writing or nothing.
In the same way, set apart a time of day in which you have two options: interact with God through the Bible, or do nothing.
Don’t hop over to social media or scroll through your Pinterest feed. Refrain from working on your grocery list or clip coupons. Don’t cut your time short. Set an amount of time before you sit down, and take the full time to be still with God’s Word.
This kind of time opens your heart and mind to receive impressions from the Lord, to let his Word sink into the marrow of your bones.
2. We move beyond boredom.
Most of us have experienced an instance (or more) in which Bible time felt boring (Read my journey with this struggle here). Especially if you commit to staying with God through your full quiet time, you might find yourself staring blankly at the text. This is where most of us stop short.
We get bored, so we conclude God doesn’t have anything to say to us on this particular day, we close the Bible, and we move on to the next errand of the day.
But what if we didn’t stop at boredom? What might happen if we committed to sitting through our Bible time, even when boredom strikes?
My experience is that this is often where I find the greatest breakthroughs in interacting with God’s Word.
I read a passage I’ve read a hundred times, and I stare at the words, feeling very little. However, when I sit with those words, ask God to illuminate those words, and pray for life to come to those words, I’m often led to one of the following:
Sometimes I notice something I’ve never noticed before, and I spend the rest of my time studying the original language, journaling, or reading life-giving commentaries on the text. Other times, I’m nudged to commit a part of a passage to memory. I write it down and post it where I’ll see it.
Best of all, I often experience deep and life-changing encounters with Christ when I push through the boredom. He leads me to enter into the text, and I experience a healing touch in my soul. He leads me to authentic praise, worship, and the sweet place of communion with him. I find myself anything but bored.
3. We learn how to draw near to God by arriving hungry.
A five-course meal is deeply satisfying to a hungry body, but if you show up at the table full of junk food, you might find yourself squirming to make it through the final course. This is how it is with the Word of God.
Fill yourself up on all that this world offers for comfort, and your appetite will dwindle. Make it a point to pray for spiritual hunger. Open the pages of your Bible with a hunger to hear what God has to say to you every time you open it – whether you’re in a season of affliction or a season of ease. Come hungry, and you will be fed.
4. We draw near to God by asking him to search our hearts daily.
If he reveals something to you, confess your sin to him, repent (ask God to help you turn away from your sin and turn toward him), and receive his forgiveness.
5. We draw near to God by helping and loving others.
We can also connect with God by asking him to show us the needs surrounding us and stepping up to meet those needs.
Stop to chat with a lonely neighbor, write a note to your child’s teacher, or leave a gift in the mailbox for the mail carrier. Cook your husband’s favorite meal. Pick up trash on the side of the road.
As we serve others, God fills our hearts with his love and joy.
6. We end our days with God.
Before falling asleep at night, I often review the day with God. I sort through what went well and what didn’t. I celebrate the victories and grieve the losses.
Most of the time, I fall asleep during this process. I used to feel frustrated about falling asleep while trying to pray; however, a few years ago, an older, wiser friend asked, “Do you get angry when your kids fall asleep in your arms, or does it feel like a gift?”
7. We draw near to God in nature.
Since childhood, I’ve connected with God most easily and naturally in his created world.
God’s created world reveals his glory and magnifies the work of his hands.
Watch the sunset. Take a slow walk through the woods. Hang a bird feeder outside the window. Visit a local park.
Use this time to slow down, sort through your thoughts, and talk to God.
8. We draw near to God by sorting through our feelings with him.
In her book, I Shouldn’t Feel This Way, Dr. Allison Cook offers a basic framework for bringing our overwhelming emotions to God: First, we ask God to help us specifically identify and name our difficult emotions; second, we frame our emotions by considering how long we’ve been struggling, why we’re struggling, and what we want to be different; third, we brave new paths by taking God-directed action according to our realizations.
Facing difficult emotions is never easy, but learning to work through them with God and others is essential for growth. I’ve learned that God wants to help me name my feelings, sort through them with compassion and curiosity, and follow him into action or resolution.
He is waiting to connect with you, too.
9. We learn to soak in his love.
Here are some of my favorite ways to draw near to God: I go to my bedroom, close the door, light a candle, and talk to him as I would talk to a friend; I listen to worship music and imagine him holding me; I meet with a close friend to pray together; I open my Bible to the book of Psalms and read slowly, soaking in the words; I take a slow walk in nature and talk to God; I write God a letter or pour my heart out in my journal.
10. We draw near to God by authentically connecting with other people.
Last year, a friend suggested a book called How People Grow by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend (Thank you, friend!). A foundational premise of this book is that we heal and grow through relationships with others.
Seeking God individually is important, but living openly and sharing our hearts with others is essential for growth.
I tend to lean toward independence and introversion, which makes the following reminder from this book especially important for me to remember:
“Many people, however, find themselves cut off from the church and the healing and protective functions it provides. In their isolation—or at least the isolated growth plan they are using—they are easy prey for the gates of hell to overpower them. This is analogous to Jesus’ story about the shepherd and his sheep (Luke 15:3-7). Wolves do not attack an entire herd. They attack the one lamb that has wandered off the path. This is the one who is in danger. As Jesus said, he would leave the ninety-nine to fetch and return the wandering one.”
Throughout the past months, God has healed some deep wounds in my heart, and this has happened exclusively because of the love and care of other people. As I reflect on this, I’m amazed that God has used the care of others to heal, in a very short period of time, wounds that have existed in the darkness of obscurity for decades. There is power in finding this kind of support.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
