I have thought about this until my head spins! Whenever I talk to other believers, they quote this verse to me: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” But that doesn’t exactly help you, does it?
You really are back to where you started when you first asked the question. How do I accomplish this task? What do I have to do to draw near to God?
I’ve always looked at other believers who seem so caught up when they are worshipping, and I wonder what’s wrong with me. How come I can’t block out my surroundings and get caught up in true worship?
If you are in this predicament that I found myself in, then you are just one of the many who are seeking a closer relationship with God. I started to develop a system for myself; you could try it, or you could come up with a method of your own. Whatever you do, work on drawing closer to God.
I started getting up really early in the mornings and reading the Daily Bread and several verses of scripture. At first, it was a royal battle between sleep and concentration, but determination won out in the end.
Of course, some of the scriptures didn’t jump out at me. I felt as if I was just doing ‘duty’, but I kept at it, and now I can hardly put my bible down. I don’t know how or when it happened, but I’m actually enjoying my time in devotion. I’m even getting upset if someone interrupts me during this precious time!
Of course, your devotional time is not just about reading; you have to do some praying and spend time in meditation.
Don’t be intimidated by prayer; after all, it’s all about talking to your Father. What works for me is that I always pretend He is right there in front of me, and I talk to Him and tell Him whatever is bugging me, or I ask Him to help family and friends. Contrary to what some people think, God is not talking to you from a distance; He can be as near as you want Him to be.
Another regular habit of mine is to keep a journal. Sometimes I will write about what I’m going through, what’s on my mind, or the requests I have. It sure does something for my faith when, months later, I scan my journal and realise how many prayers have been answered!
In every decision you have to make, try breathing a word of prayer, asking Him to guide you in your choices. Instead of allowing your mind to be clouded with worrisome thoughts, why not try keeping your mind on Him?
Getting closer to God is a gradual buildup of devotion, quiet times, keeping the fellowship in church, and constantly seeking Him out.
Now, when I sing songs of praise in church, I really don’t have the time to watch what others are doing because I am too caught up in worshipping this precious Lord of mine!