Becoming closer to God requires prayer – time communicating with Him.

Knowing someone can only really come by being around them.  There is no substitute for spending time with God.  If we believe He is alive and loves us, we can be in His presence.  Take the time to get to know the person who died for You.

Think of the person you talk to on the phone the most.  Lets name this person Alex for the sake of discussion.  When Alex calls, does Alex have to tell you who they are?  No, you recognize their voice on the phone.  Did that happen the first time you spoke to Alex?  If I called you, assuming we aren’t close friends, would you recognize my voice?  No.  You know someone’s voice on the phone because you have spent time on the phone with them.  Give God some time on the phone.  Do you want Him to be surprised when He does hear your voice on the phone?  How will you know when He is calling you, moving in your heart and soul, if you never, or seldom, spend time on the phone with Him?

Spending time with someone helps you know what they think and what they would do in particular situations.  If I asked you, “Would Alex enjoy going to a Bengals football game?”, you would know the answer because you know Alex.  Now think about all the other questions I could ask you about Alex.

  • Does Alex like poetry?
  • Does Alex like to go to church?
  • Does Alex think murder is wrong?
  • Does Alex think abortion is wrong?
  • Does Alex think capital punishment is wrong?
  • Does Alex think a child dying from hunger in a world full of food is murder?
  • Could Alex ever let a child he loved die of hunger?
  • Could Alex ever kill his own son on a cross?

Did you notice how the questions progressed in complexity and significance?  The more time you spend with Alex, the more likely you will know what Alex thinks about more complicated questions.  Our relationship with God is like that.  If we want to know what God thinks about things, we need to be around Him a lot.  And if we know God well, won’t it be easier to understand the book He wrote?

Why do you think God both wants us to read about him and communicate with him?
Is reading the Bible just reading about God, or is it interacting with him?
Have you ever use the Bible to lead your prayer and how did that work for you?

Beginner’s Online Bible Study *obbs*