How to Get Closer to God: His Word, Prayer & More

A class during a PRESS Conference where students are learning how to get closer to God.

Have you ever found yourself trying to grow closer to someone, yet deep down, you struggle to truly trust them? Deep inside, you sense that the connection won’t flourish, and instead of drawing nearer, your doubt creates distance. Trust is foundational and without trust this makes a disconnect.

This is how trust works with God too. If part of you does not really trust Him, it will be hard for you to get close to Him and build that relationship.

Psalm 9:10 “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”

This scripture tells us that if we trust in the LORD He will not forsake us. The word forsake means “leave, to depart from,” so even as you are trying to get closer to God, it's cardinal to know that He is someone who will not forsake you as you seek Him. Believe that God is for you and not against you. And so just like any human relationship, closeness requires trust. Therefore, if you are trying to get closer to God, there must be a level of trust involved.

Spend Time in God’s Word

Oftentimes the Word of God is referred to as a “manual or handbook” for life. The Bible is filled with so much that will enrich your life. Start by knowing the Word of the Lord. Search the scripture to know what is required of you. Examine yourself! The more time you spend in His Word, the more you spend time with Him.

If God gave us His Word then why not make use of it? The question is not if God wants to be close to you because the Word refers to Him as a jealous God – from that you know that He wants you. If you are truly seeking to be close to Him, then begin to spend time in His Word.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

He is the Word written, so spending time in His Word is essential when it comes to getting closer to Him. Through the Word of God, we are able to learn more about the nature of God. His Word not only changes but will shape your mind if you let it. It will begin to turn you into the person that He is requiring you to be. Not only must you spend time in the Word of the Lord, but make sure you are understanding it. Understand who God really is and what He did for you and me. If you want to be close to God you cannot abandon His Word.

Remove Distractions and Make God a Priority

After examining yourself, you will now have to disconnect yourself from anything that is not in accordance with His will; the ultimate goal here is to please Him.

While you are trying to get closer to God, you should eliminate any distractions or external noises that are prohibiting you from hearing Him well and pulling you away from Him in the long run.

Think of it like this: you are at a concert and your boss calls your phone requesting to speak with you urgently. We know it is going to be very hard to do just because of the amount of noise, so you go searching for a quiet place in order to pick up that very important call. In the same manner, when it comes to getting close to God you need to be intentional, make Him a priority in your life. Find your quiet place to hear clearly from God, eliminate all surrounding noises, and dwell there. Seek Him with your all and yield your heart to Him.

Surround Yourself with the Right People

Another important part of growing closer to God is the company you surround yourself with. It is important to assess your environment – surround yourself with like-minded people who have the same end goal of making it to heaven and are willing to do what it takes.

And if you find that you are the only person trying to go in one direction and everyone else is going the opposite, remember that it’s hard to run with them and stay on track. Find a community that is trying to do the same thing as you.

Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Gathering in the presence of believers – be it at church, small group Bible study, youth group or wherever – is beneficial because you are confident that Jesus is among you and helps you to learn more about Him and to encourage each other.

Communicate with God Through Prayer

There is no better way of getting close to someone than actually communicating with them, and when it comes to God we need to communicate with Him through prayer. This helps us share our thoughts, struggles, worries, feelings, and so much more.

Prayer opens our hearts and invites God to our situations. And through prayer, you are able to strengthen your relationship with Him all the more by making the time and space to connect with Him.

As you begin to spend time in His presence you need to have faith in Him.

Hebrews 11:6 reminds us: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Without faith it is impossible to please God, and if you are making it impossible for God to be pleased with you then it becomes hard to get close with Him. Be completely confident in Him and at the end of the day, the more you are aligned with His will the closer you become with Him.

Seek Him with All Your Heart

Getting closer with God will not just happen overnight, there has to be some effort that you put in. God wants you but you have to want Him too! Follow Him!

Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Need more on this topic? Listen to the PRESS Movement Prayer Podcast. We recommend the episode on Growing in God through Prayer.