Any good advice on how I can feel closer to God?

Question

I know the obvious: pray, read the Bible, go to church, etc. But I am more or less looking for personal advice on what helps you feel closer to God.

Answer 1

Yes, you are right. There is the obvious. But, let me elaborate on the obvious from my own experiences.

I stopped going to church for a time because I began to think of it as a chore. Until God revealed a passage to me, I didn't think of worship as a way that I could live my life in general.
Revelation 4:8-11 -- And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing, "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty who was and is and is to come." And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." God revealed this to me and showed me what true worship really meant. It was praise, prayer, learning, and taking my crowns (accomplishments, titles, pride, and so on) and laying them down and becoming humble before God for just a moment to focus totally on him.

Reading the Bible is something that I still struggle with today. I still struggle with doing this everyday. But, I started to learn that the more I read, the more at peace I feel, the more at ease I am, the better attitude I have, the more positive I am about my life in general. Everything seems to be better when I really focus on reading. I stopped looking at the Bible as this magical book that is out of reach and something I cannot possibly understand. I started researching more about the books I wanted to read and put things in historical context. I learned the Greek meanings of words and things made a lot more sense to me. When I stopped thinking the Bible is something that is difficult, I started to figure out that learning what it says isn't that difficult in the long run. Also, I prayed to God to increase my thirst for His word. This helped greatly.

I started to use Psalms as prayers that set my mind on Him and set my heart in a meditative mood. When I use Psalms (my favorite is the 8th Psalm). I started to speak these outloud and they came alive to me and become very personal to me. I started to pray about everything. I recommend the book by Joyce Meyer called The Power of Simple Prayer. It's just fantastic.

Remember, we all experience a lifeless time in our walk with the Lord. It's something called Spiritual Winter. It can happen as a result of things in our life or it can be when we become lazy with our service to the Lord. Sometimes we are alive in Christ, but we don't feel like it on the inside. We must remember that just because we are having a difficult time doesn't mean we are bad Christians. It means we are ready for growth. So, my friend, grow and have a wonderful journey!

Answer 2

You can find examples of a personal relationship with God everywhere. God is in and through all things - you don't need a burning bush to see It.

Go outside in the morning and say hello to the birds singing.
Watch a sunset.
See a small child smile.
Listen to your favorite music.
Work in a garden.

Even better - start writing 5 things you are grateful for every day before bed. Some days it's difficult to come up with 5 things but keep at it. Each thing you are grateful for is God in action.

Take classes at your church on prayer and meditation. It will help you to find a practice that works for you.

Answer 3

I believe what you are trying to experience is the experience of being alive... being connected with something greater than yourself.

As an atheist, I cannot tell you how to feel closer to "God" because, for me, there is no such animal (mineral, or vegtable).

I can however tell you how to have a spiritual type experience of such closeness (just a hint, its psychological in nature, not spiritural).

1) By helping others.
2) By experiencing something of grandeur, be it the Grand Canyon, on just a particularly beautiful sunset on the beach.
3) Through meditation (prayer)
4) Certain drugs
5) Certain other manners of brain stimulation

Doing something you absolutly excel at, and doing it well. Such as athletics or art.

Answer 4

You just answered your own question. Prayer is the answer to have that close relationship with God. Pray without ceasing, pray daily, study daily. Not sure what your background is, but I have learned about the Biblical Holy Feasts and have kept them and done them each year because they are a shadow of things to come. Doing them will help us understand God and it will also help us to come closer to Him.

A good book to read about God's appointed times is called, "God's Appointed Times" A practical guide for understanding and celebrating the Biblical Holidays, by Barney Kasdan.

The Biblical Holy days are not just for Jews. Christians, too can receive the blessings of these glorious days, the greatest object lessons in the Bible. God gave each day to teach his people about him and his relationship to them.

Answer 5

Find out how you feel closer to God. Some tips can be found in Purpose Driven Life. Some of them include experiencing nature, volunteer work, working in the church.

Answer 6

First off, this is just an opinon, but don't feel it's necassary to read the Bible or go to church. I believe in Spirituality, and that's having a personal relationship with God. Talk to him like you would your dad. Ask him questions, share your troubles with him. Even share funny moments with him. Don't get sucked into the judgmental world of religion. Just have a personal relationship with God. I do that and I have a much more fullfilling and rich life emotionally because of it. And be yourself. You don't have to change who you are for God to accept you, just be you. :)

Answer 7

It's good to find places where one can connect wih God.

It isn't always in a church.

Teresa of Avila found God among the trees, such as in forests. As she said, the things God made rather than the things man made.

You have to find a point, a place or an activity - that shuts off that background chatter in your brain. Literally, shut down the left brain and wake up the right brain.

When we are silent and still, then we find God.

Answer 8

You don't have to attend Church to serve God. The Bible says any quiet place to pray is adequate. Live like a good person, obey the commandments, seek God, look for him. There is a saying in the Bible....

God gave us eyes, yet we do not see
God gave us ears, yet we do not hear...

See and Hear.

Answer 9

You want to feel closer to God then go outside the box and praise Him.
Your desire to be closer to Him signals to you that God Himself is drawing you. He is already calling you to Him.
So start out Praising Him. Tell Him how Awesome He is and how much you adore Him. Tell Him that you long to be in His presence. Thank Him for all His gggodness and His answeres prayers. Praise is the key to His Heart. God loves you and He inhabits the praise of His people . So If you praise Him you will definitely be closer to Him simply because that is where He exists. The more you praise Him the more God will put into your mouth the right words to say to Him. Believe me it's contagious.
Invest in Him and He will more than invest in You.

Answer 10

Drop the religion charade. If you believe in God, then it's a personal thing and no amount of pomp and circumstance, no lecture from a minister trying to tell you the right way to follow the religion, can help you. Understand that religious belief is personal and your God will become more personal.

Answer 11

Visit a beautiful place in the mountains (or other natural place that you enjoy), and explore. Pray while you are there. Natural wonders were created by God for us to enjoy. So it's a great place to get and feel closer to God.