How to Get Close to God Again: 4 Practical Steps
I walked down the road for the sheer joy of stepping into the ivory firmament and breathing deeply today. Maybe I needed a fresh lesson on how to get close to God again. I’d been feeling distant and disconnected from him, and I hoped that time outside might help me reconnect with him.
I was still within eye-shot of the house when something caught my eye.
Surrounded by sleepy beige earth, a single sprig of yellow-crowned goldenrod danced in the afternoon breeze. Bending low, I stopped to admire the tiny ray of hope in the middle of the desolate, almost-winter world.
There is always beauty woven into barrenness.
Somehow, that tiny, yellow flower felt like a gift from God, a reminder that even when I feel distant from him, he is close to me.
Perhaps you need this reminder, too. Maybe you’ve drifted away from God amid the busyness of everyday life. Perhaps you intentionally turned away from him because it seemed like he had abandoned you.
How to Get Close to God Again
Whatever the case, God is pursuing you today. You aren’t reading these words by accident.
Let’s talk about how to get close to God again when you feel distant from him.
1. Talk to him as you would talk to a close friend.
God knows you even better than you know yourself. He also wants you to tell him everything that’s on your heart and mind in the same way you would talk to your closest friend.
If you want to know how to get close to God again, begin by pouring your heart out to him. Maybe you’ve been angry with him. Go ahead and tell him. He can take it. He already knows, and he wants to begin healing your heart.
You might feel like God has abandoned you. Tell him how you feel. Meanwhile, remind yourself that God never abandons his children. This is an unconditional promise found throughout Scripture (Hebrews 13:5; Deut. 31:6; Exodus 14:14).
Begin by telling God everything you are feeling and leave some quiet space to sit with him and focus on one of the verses above. Or simply sit with these words, “God loves me more than I can imagine, and he will never abandon me.”
2. Connect with God by reading his Letter to you.
For years, I went to a quiet field behind my house and asked God to prove himself to me by providing some physical sign. I asked for everything from rainbows to shooting stars.
All the while, a gentle whisper nudged my soul. I kept thinking of the leather-bound Bible in my dresser drawer.
Finally, one sunny afternoon, I carried the old Bible to my quiet field. I began copying verses into a spiral-bound notebook. I let the words sink into the deepest part of me. One day at a time, I encountered the heart of God. I came to know him in a new and personal way.
Regardless of whether you’ve never opened a Bible or whether you’ve been reading your Bible for years, turn to God’s written Word to find him. These words are tangible, and they are written specifically for you.
More than anywhere else, I most often encounter God in his written Word. For insight on how to connect with God in a way that breathes life into your soul, check out this post.
If you’re not sure where to start, the Psalms are a good starting point.
3. If you want to know how to get close to God again, count his gifts.
Something about that tiny goldenrod plant on a grey day felt like an encounter with God. When we pause to notice God’s good gifts around us, we open our hearts to experience him.
God is always at work around us, and every good gift in your life comes from the hand of God.
Do you really want to learn how to get close to God again?
Start counting his gifts.
Make a list, snap a photo, or just start looking. The shift into a posture of gratitude prepares your heart for a life-changing encounter with the Living God. Gratitude aligns our hearts with the Father’s heart. Give thanks more often, and you will soon realize that God is all around you.
Gratitude aligns our hearts with the Father's heart. Give thanks more often, and you will soon realize that God is all around you. #SeekingGod #Gratitude Click To TweetHe makes his presence known through the silver song of a summer moon, rain splashing white against windowpanes, and smiles from strangers. God makes his goodness known through warm meals and cool glasses of water. He waits for you to encounter his goodness, and he is pleased when you thank him for his gifts.
I once asked a friend how to know if something is from God. She said, “If it’s good, it’s from God.” James 1:17 tells us every good and perfect gift in our lives comes from the Father. Find goodness, and you have encountered the work of his hand.
4. If you want to learn how to get close to God again, reach out to someone who knows him well.
My relationship with God deepens when I spend time with people who know him intimately.
These people ask probing questions and challenge my faith. Their faith is contagious. As I spend time with people who have encountered God in deep ways, God invites me into deeper layers of faith.
Does anyone in your life love the Lord? Make plans to get together and talk about your journey with him. Spending time with people who know and love God can help us connect with him when we feel distant.
This might also include finding a local church where you can worship him with others. Something happens in our hearts when we worship God in the presence of other people.
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