Trying to get close to God?

Question

My mother is Catholic, and my father is not really religious, although he was raised to be a Jehovah's Witness. I raised to celebrate all the holidays, but we were harldy religious. Now I want to make an effort. I want to be Christian, but I find it hard to get close to God. Even when I do go to church, I dont really feel it. What can I do to really get God in my heart? I know I do bad things sometimes, and when I pray I ask for forgivness. But is it not enough? Could it be Im not dong it right?

Answer 1

(James 4:8) Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you


This is an excellent question, and one more people should ask themselves. In this secular world with "real" problems, how does one develop spirituality? This world conditions humans to flit from one job to another and from one fling to another without solidity or principles; how does one develop an everlasting appreciation and relationship with God and Christ?

The Scriptures tell us, and the answer makes sense.

1. Pray
2. Learn
. ...about the personalities of God and Christ
. ...about the will of God and Christ
. ...about the future purposes of God and Christ
3. Act (literally, if at first you must)

4. Love... repeat!


0. Faith (the starting point)
(Hebrews 11:6) He that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.

1. Prayer (renewable energy!)
(Psalm 55:16-17) As for me, to God I shall call out; And Jehovah himself will save me. 17 Evening and morning and noontime I cannot but show concern and I moan, And he hears my voice.
(Isaiah 55:6) Search for Jehovah, you people, while he may be found. Call to him while he proves to be near.
(Matthew 7:8) For everyone asking receives, and everyone seeking finds, and to everyone knocking it will be opened.

2. Learn (read the bible)
(James 4:8) Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you
(Isaiah 55:6) Search for Jehovah, you people, while he may be found. Call to him while he proves to be near.
(Psalm 14:2) As for Jehovah, he has looked down from heaven itself upon the sons of men, To see whether there exists anyone having insight, anyone seeking Jehovah.
(1 Chronicles 28:9) For all hearts Jehovah is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts he is discerning. If you search for him, he will let himself be found by you
(Zephaniah 2:3) Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness.

3. Act (including sharing your growing faith)
(Zephaniah 2:3) Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness.
(Ephesians 4:22-24) Put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct and which is being corrupted according to his deceptive desires; 23 but that you should be made new in the force actuating your mind, 24 and should put on the new personality
(Colossians 3:9-10) Strip off the old personality with its practices, 10 and clothe yourselves with the new personality, which through accurate knowledge is being made new
(Romans 12:2) And quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making YOUR mind over, that YOU may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

4. Love (which stirs one to continue)
(1 Corinthians 8:1) Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
(Matthew 22:37-40) You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.”
(John 14:23) Jesus said to him: “If anyone loves me, he will observe my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our abode with him.
(Romans 5:5) Hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given us.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20000701/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20010301/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_07.htm

http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_08.htm

Answer 2

I had the same problem growing up. I went to a lutheran church... sometimes.... but it felt more like a something I was being made to do and not something I wanted to do. I definitely believe God will bless any sincere effort on your part to get closer to him. First of all I would try to find a church that teaches the bible and not acollection of tradition and their opinions as some do. I belong to a oneness pentecostal church now and Im telling you I feel God more than ever before. "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" Phil 3:12. Try the website www.upci.com to find a church in your area. Stay strong and do not let this world quench your desire for God.

Answer 3

There is no right way to pray, just talk to God like HE is your best friend. Are you reading your Bible every day? That is very important. What kind of music are you listening to? If you are filling your head and therefore your heart with nasty words from music, movies, jokes, books, pictures from books, movies, etc. you are forcing God out. HE does not want and will not be in the same place as those things, get them out.

Answer 4

Jack's message is quite messed up. The scriptures tell us that "faith w/o works is dead". You cannot please God unless you have faith. You cannot have the grace of Christ in your life without faith. If you have faith, you will have the works to go with that. You repenting of your sins and calling on the Lord is a "work" and a very necessary one. And I would see that your Father in Heaven is quite pleased with your effort (yes, born-agains, EFFORT!) that you are putting forth. Why? Because the greates commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart---oh goodness, another "work". And, because of your faith and good works, then is Christ's grace sufficient for you to do what you cannot do for yourself. Seek out truth and the Holy Spirit will warm your sould and you will feel close to your Father in Heaven. Merely accepting Christ and then going on like nothing isn't going to get you nowhere unlike what Mr. Jack told you. Yeah, it's jacked up. Well, he probably meant well. God Bless!

Answer 5

(Romans 10:16-17) . . .” 17 So faith follows the thing heard. In turn the thing heard is through the word about Christ.

If you want more faith then you will need to study God's Word, and apply the counsel it provides.

A word of warning is:

(Romans 10:1-3) 10 Brothers, the goodwill of my heart and my supplication to God for them are, indeed, for their salvation. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God; but not according to accurate knowledge; 3 for, because of not knowing the righteousness of God but seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

Faith must be built on accurate knowledge.

Answer 6

You are trying to deserve God's favor. This will not work. God will not bless you because you are trying hard. He will bless you if you accept His way of salvation, namely His Son Jesus Christ. He is the One who made it possible for us, sinners to enjoy fellowship with the holy God. This relationship is established based on Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice for your and my sins. He died, so that your sins can be forgiven. Therefore the relationship with God in your heart can be now possible by your conscious decision to accept what Christ did for you and to make Him your Lord. Pray in your heart to receive His forgiveness, not based on who you are, but based on what He has already done for you. This is called Grace - undeserved favor. Remember, those who seek, find.

best regards,

jack

Answer 7

Reading the Bible on your own is a big help. Church doesn't really bring me closer to him either. I got much closer to him when I started reading stories of people on the internet who have real experiences with him, like near-death experiences. They describe how much he really cares about us and why we are here on earth.

Just talk to him and tell him everything on your mind. He will speak to you in different ways.

Answer 8

Your doing it right but it takes time. Remember He sent His Son to wash away the sins of the world. Ask Christ into your heart, ask Him to cleanse your spirit and guide you along the righteous path to our Father. Repent and grow in service to the Lord.

Answer 9

My Catholic preist once instructed me, "that is now tricky to love God, exceptionally on the present time in age". And he's perfect we've such dissimilar distractions, merely driving down the line theres temptation yet when you're battling the forged strive against and attempting to dodge those products -then in case you've been the devil how might want to you tempt you. Now do not get pridefull yet when your doing solid the only element he can do is forged thoughts of doubt into your thoughts. Make you dispare so as that he can make you fall. Beaware the devil is smart and if he won't be able to get you one way, he will attempt yet another. merely seem at Protestant faiths the devil might want to not kill the Catholic Church and God is time-honored with he tried (the only faith that human beings have died for and that i do not recommend suicide bombing), really he's attempting to kill the religion from with in, starting up New beliefs (Lutherans, Baptist, None-Denominational, what ever it will be). finished filling what develop into warned. St. Paul even warns us that human beings of our personal faith will coach fake teachings of christ. Matthew 7-15 pay attention of fake prophets, who come to you contained in the outfits of sheep, yet inwardly they are ravening wolves testomony John 10-16 16 And different sheep I really have, that are literally not of this fold: them also i ought to convey, and they shall listen my voice, and there'll be one fold and one shepherd. And God enables this to instruct the devil, he's incorrect and we like him. the devil hates us. we are given an endless volume of tries to stay perfect and exhibit regret and it really is given the position the devil only were given one and he's time-honored with to damage God is to make souls fall into the firery pits of hell.

Answer 10

study your bible!!!!!this is the best way to find christ.the beginning of wisdom is knowledge and understanding.get a "strongs exhaustive concordance",this will be very valuable in your studies.maybe start with romans10:9-13!
i will pray for you. god bless you always1

Answer 11

As long as we try were ok..
Even if we have little strength.

Revelations 3:8
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name