Establishing and maintaining an intimate and personal relationship with God often requires us to shift our way of thinking.
Recently, a friend asked me what she could she do to have a more intimate relationship with God. She had read many blog books, listened to sermons and had conversations about the importance of having such a relationship with Him but was wondering how to actually “do” that.
I rattled off a few things and afterwards I realized how far I had come in developing and maintaining my own relationship with Christ since I had not always had what I would consider a “personal relationship” with God.
I didn’t often see God as a friend or even a Father. Even though I had grown up in church and even memorized a few scriptures, there was a time in my life when I felt God was far away from me and didn’t know what was going on in my life.
I had to do some things differently in order to see God as just something beyond a mystical figure in the sky that you talk about or hear about but don’t experience fully.
What I had to learn was that when Christ died on the cross it was saying that God WANTED a relationship with me as Romans 5:8 states, “But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
If you have a yearning for closer intimacy with God, rest assured that yearning is God pulling you closer to Him. God draws us closer through His Spirit, letting us know that He is closer to us than we realize.
While He is drawing you closer to Him there are some mindsets you need to establish or they will keep you from entering into a relationship with God.
3 Mindsets Shifts to Cultivate a Personal Relationship with God
1. Believe God.
Believe that God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do. This boils down to simple faith and trust. In Hebrews 11:6 it says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” As He draws you into relationship you will have the desire for Him more and more.
2. Get over Objections.
Don’t let your past mistakes or current circumstances ruin your chance at a Personal Relationship with God. The longer you allow your thoughts to linger on those things you miss out on God’s best for you.
3. Make the Decision.
Decide that you want a Personal, Intimate Relationship with God more than you want anything else. The same way you show up for your human relationships with fervor and tenacity do the same for God and He will show up for you exponentially more.
Once you have decided that you want a closer relationship with God, trust in Him and have gotten over your objections you are ready to experience a completely new way of living life. I have found that a Personal Relationship with God will help you:
1. See circumstances from God’s perspective and not your own.
1 Cor. 2:15-16
The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
2. Become more dependent on Him and His provision for your life.
Psalm 121:1-3
I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]—From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.
3. Live a life of peace and clarity even when life seems uncertain.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
4. Seek God’s purpose and will for your life and live fully in it regardless of how unorthodox it may look to others.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
5. Prioritize God everywhere and in everything: on your calendar, your to do list, in your decisions.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Now that we’ve established what you need to prepare for a relationship and what will happen when you get there, there are a few practices that helped me in my own relationship with Christ that I’ll be sharing with you over the next few weeks in our #EmptytoOverflowing Series! Don’t miss a single post!
Thank you for this post! I am definitely seeing these shifts taking place in my life. I have begun to experience less anxiety because of the commitment I have made to my morning devotions.
Hi Cat! It feels good when we can actually feel and see the changes!!! Thanks for dropping by!
Beautiful, Beautiful Words! I have spent the last couple of years drawing closer and closer, and I hope that never ends, such an awesome place to be with the Lord. Thank you for the wonderful post! Visiting from Salt and Light link up. Pinned to a few group boards. Will be sharing on FB tomorrow! Many Thanks! 8)
Hi Debra! It’s a beautiful thing to be in close relationship with God! Thank you so much for sharing…I greatly appreciate it! God bless you
Wise words here, Neca. Thank you for sharing. Less of me, more of God! Blessings to you on your faith journey!
Thank you Mari-Anna!
#3, #4, #5 are my favorite and especially where I am right now, they speak to me a lot. Thank you as always, Necca for sharing nuggets of gold here at your place!
Thanks as always for stopping by, Meg!
Neca,
This is amazing! I love the 5 shifts and the order in which you placed them. Although one might experience it differently than you’ve outlined, it feels like a natural progression in growing closer to God. Thank you for recognizing God’s purpose for your life and sharing it with the world. This is going to help so many people!
Thanks so much Asiah! I’m so glad it resonated with you…thanks for stopping by and all of your support!
I see God in everything I am doing now wether its w/ my family or by myself. I am gaining a beautiful relationship w/ Christ and I appreciate him for intentionally seeking the outcasts like “Me” but never Casting “Me” Out! I thank God for you confirming that I have to be even intentional with Christ as well! I am using your blog to teach my older girls this Summer to Declare their relationship w/Christ and I hopefully will be able to plant this in my husband and our boys as well. I would love to be OverFlowed in my Intentional Commitment w/God so that my Purpose will be revealed. I want to walking in it and give God the Glory for giving the Petits the story!! I Thank God for joining your Blog!
Wow Cicely! This does my heart God! Thank you for encouraging me as God leads me. I pray that you husband, sons and daughters seek to follow your example as you walk with Christ. God Bless you!