Cultivating a Strong Relationship with God

by Melony Brown

Our society has trained us to expect instant results. Think about how some individuals come to the realization they are overweight and unhealthy, and they decide to go on a diet and start exercising. While both healthy eating and exercise are important, many people get frustrated quickly because they don’t see instant results. What they miss is the fact that true weight loss takes commitment to healthy eating and exercise over a period of time. It’s a lifestyle, not a quick fix.

Some Christians experience the same frustration when deciding to build a stronger relationship with God. They begin studying their Bible more often, pray more often, or even fast. A week or so later, these well-meaning followers of God get frustrated because they don’t feel any differently.  Even though Bible study, prayer, and fasting will help improve your relationship with God, it won’t happen quickly. God isn’t interested in a quick fix. The same commitment and time it takes to lose weight and get healthy applies to improving your relationship with God.

Instead of seeking items on a checklist you can do, consider the following ways to cultivate a strong relationship with God:

  1. Be near God. Psalm 73:28 says, “But as for me, it is good to be near God.” There’s no formula or set of expectations for this. Instead, it means to slow down and turn your ear and heart to God. Many times our responsibilities prevent us from spending quality time with God. He desires our prayers, our time studying His Word and our fellowship with other believers, but mostly He yearns for us to slow down, be near Him, and listen. Instead of approaching Him with a lengthy list of prayer requests, consider sitting quietly and allowing Him the space to tell you what He desires to place in your life.
  2. Allow God to be part of every aspect of your life. The Message version of Romans 12:1 says, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.” This verse is challenging because it tells us that God wants to be a part of our work lives, our carpools, our home lives, our grocery shopping expeditions, and our relationship with others. God was never meant to be put in an exclusive Sunday box. He desires to be part of our Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday lives as much as He likes to be with us on Sunday mornings. When we allow God to be an integral part of every aspect of our lives, we will notice how strong our relationship with Him becomes.
  3. Even though we are no longer under the old covenant, the Ten Commandments continue to be a guide for godly behavior. The 4th commandment is one that most Christians have a difficult time following. It says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” A weekly time of rest, whether you choose Sunday or Tuesday, draws us near to the heart of God. It forces us to slow down and appreciate all that God has made and done for us.

There is no tried and true formula for cultivating a strong relationship with God. Rather, we must be intentional to spend quality time with Him, seeking His will for our lives. Stop what you’re doing right now, and ask Him to draw you closer and closer to His heart. He will listen.