In our various relationships, there are many things we do to nurture them to avoid our relationships from dying and not being uninteresting. We call one another, send pictures to ourselves, go out, and spend quality time discussing matters of the heart. The irony of all these things we do is that the most important relationship we need to have is often neglected because of flimsy excuses like “I am too busy” or “this relationship with God is not for me.” God is always ready to listen to us, to protect us, provide for us, and build a relationship with us but we always build a wall that separates us from Him. I believe it is high time we made sincere efforts to nurture our relationship with God because we may not have the opportunity to do so again. In a relationship with God, the basic things matter and discussed below are five ways to pursue and nurture your relationship with God.
1. Surrender To God.
This is all about accepting Christ and declaring your true love for Him. Before a person becomes your friend, you have to like and accept that person for who they are and this is exactly what you need to do when pursuing your relationship with God. You need to acknowledge that Christ died for you and is your king.
2.Find a Church and Fellowship with Other Believers
Now in pursuing this unique relationship, you need to find a place where you can fellowship with other believers of Christ. Just like with our friends, we usually have that one place we love to go during the weekends but with God, the difference is the purpose of the place we usually go to and the consistency involved. We go to church regularly to listen to the word, rekindle our faith and to fellowship with one another. The purpose of the church makes it more than a casual place to visit but a place of worship.
3. Study the Bible
In order to have a good relationship with God we have to know His word. The bible tells us that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. If we do not know what God likes, dislikes, and loves, there is no way we will be connected to Him. As friendships involve spending time with one another to further understand ourselves, we also need to do the same with God. God is so powerful and loves us so much that He desperately wants to speak to us through His word.
4. Pray Fervently
Prayer is communication with God in heaven. Prayer is the master key to having a fulfilled relationship with God. Spending some time with God on our knees is a powerful thing to do and this puts us in a position of stewardship because we surrender to listen to God’s instruction to Him. Prayer is also the manner through which we present our supplications to God and also offer thanksgiving. It is also a way to reach God to ask for forgiveness of sins. Prayer is a major element needed to stir up our relationship with God. It changes all things. You need to constantly pray as it protects you from the enemy’s plans.
5.Join Small Bible Groups
Finally, after practicing the above-mentioned steps, there is no guarantee that you will not fall out of your relationship with God because you are not perfect. Since you are aware of your weaknesses, you need to find a small group where you can worship, study the word, pray for one another, and be accountable to one another. With this group, you are sure that when you fall off from Christ, you have brothers and sisters in the Lord who will help you get back with God.
Pursue your relationship with God as you would pursue your relationship with your best friend. This is the most important relationship we need in our lives and the earlier we realize this, the better for us all.
