A Closer Relationship With God...How?

•  Developing a closer relationship with God is an admirable goal and reflects a heart that is truly reborn, for only those who are in Christ desire a closer relationship with God.
• We must also understand that in this life we will never be as close to God as we ought to be or desire to be.
• The reason for this is lingering sin in our lives.
• This is not a deficiency on God’s part, but on ours; our sin remains a barrier to the full and complete fellowship with God which will be realized once we’re in glory. 
• No matter where we are in our walk with Christ, we can always have a closer walk, and even glorified in heaven, we will have all eternity to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
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• There are five basic things we can do to have a closer relationship with God. These activities may sound clichéd to our modern sensibilities.However, as clichéd as they may be, they are definitely biblical and, in reality, they are the only means of achieving a closeness to God.
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• The first thing we can do to have a closer relationship with God is make a daily habit of confessing our sin to Him.
• If sin is what drives a wedge in our relationship with God, then confession removes that wedge.
• When we confess our sins before God, He promises to forgive us and forgiveness is what restores a relationship that has been strained.
• We must keep in mind that confession is more than simply saying, “I’m sorry for my sin, God.”
• It is the heartfelt contrition of those who recognize that their sin is an offense to a holy God. It is the confession of one who realizes that his sin is what nailed Jesus Christ to the cross. 
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• The second thing we can do to have a closer relationship with God is to listen when God speaks.
• Many today are chasing a supernatural experience of hearing God’s voice.
• But the “more sure prophetic word” is the Bible.

• In the Bible, we ‘hear’ God’s voice to us.
• It is through the “God-breathed” Scriptures that we become “thoroughly equipped for every good work”.
• So if we want to grow closer to God, we should read His Word regularly.
• Again, daily Bible reading is not something to check off on a checklist, in reading His Word, we are ‘listening’ to God speak through it by his Spirit who illuminates the Word to us.
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• The third thing we can do to have a closer relationship with God is to speak to Him through prayer.
• If reading the Bible is listening to God speak to us, speaking to God is accomplished through prayer.
• Prayer is much more than simply a way to ask God for things we need or want.
• Consider the model prayer that Jesus gives His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13.
• The first three petitions in that prayer are directed toward God (may His name be hallowed, may His kingdom come, may His will be done).
• The last three petitions are requests we make of God after we’ve taken care of the first three (give us our daily bread, forgive us our debts, lead us not into temptation).
• Another helpful model to guide our prayer lives is the acronym ACTS, which stand s for Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication.
• This somewhat follows the Lord’s Prayer in the order of its petitions.
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• The fourth thing we can do to have a closer relationship with God is to find a body of believers with whom we can have regularly worship.
• This is such a vital component of spiritual growth. Too often we approach church with a “how can I get out of it?” mentality.

• We seldom take the time to prepare our hearts and minds for worship.
• God invites us, commands us, to come into His presence for worship.
• How can we, His people, fail to respond?
• Not only does regular church attendance give us an opportunity to come before the Lord’s presence in worship, but it also gives us an opportunity to fellowship with the Lord’s people.
• As we come into the house of the Lord in worship and fellowship with His people, we can’t help but grow closer to the Lord as a result.