Staying close to God involves intentional effort, transforming our mindset and actions, and relying on God’s grace and providence through Jesus Christ. It’s dedicated work of continuous learning and applying scriptural principles.
•Develop a Devoted Prayer Life: Prayer is a vital privilege and is how we communicate with God. Prayer helps us put things before the Lord, lifting our faith above feelings of despair. When we pray, our focus should be on God’s overruling providence, not just getting His attention or getting what we want. A good prayer is reverent and recognizes God’s will and presence. We acknowledge we can only approach God through the merit of Jesus.
Even when you don’t feel grateful or are afraid, keep praying. Tell God everything, including the things you might want to hide.
•Cultivate Faith, Trust and Humility: Staying close to God requires faith and trust, especially during times of difficulty.
Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Psalm 37:5: “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will act.”
1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”
•Live in Obedience and Do God’s Will: Being a true disciple means committing to and comprehending what the call involves. If our life belongs to God, everything we do should be pleasing to Him. This involves doing God’s will and obeying His righteous laws. We look to follow in Jesus’ footsteps as our example of how to be pleasing to God.
Doing God’s will requires putting our preferences aside and asking for His direction repeatedly. It means surrendering to God’s will, which brings His peace, and accepting what His will offers as a long-term commitment.
Make God-honoring choices by being sanctified – set aside for a holy purpose.
Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
•Walk in the Spirit and Not the Flesh: Fight against human desires by walking away from sin and towards godliness. Replace human reactions and practices with spiritual responses and actions.
•Focus on Jesus and God’s Providence: Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the “author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Seek God’s overruling and protection, focusing your attention on it. Accept what God permits is for your highest spiritual welfare.
Romans 8:28: “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”
•Engage with the Brotherhood: Seek spiritual help from those who are spiritually sound. Christian fellowship is powerful when dealing with challenges like bad habits, life circumstances and doubts that arise.
Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
Hebrews 10:25: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
•Study and Apply God’s Word: We have to study the Bible in order to understand what God expects from us. Read His word. The word of God is living and active, judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Evaluate thoughts based on God’s word, holy principles and selfless discipleship, basing our actions on the immovable and objective principles of God found in Scripture. The Bible provides layer after layer of knowledge and connection. Continual study brings the joy of discovery of God’s divine plan that has been in place from before the world was.
•Handle Sin and Failures with God’s Grace: We want to ask for forgiveness often and then live that forgiven life. Repentance, prayer and accountability can reconcile us with God. When we do sin, steps to claim God’s grace include prayer, confession and repentance.
Ask for grace to stand and not return to sin. It is normal to make mistakes and revert to old habits; the key is how quickly we can recover, realize the mistake and move forward. We learn and grow from our failures!
In summary, staying close to God is about actively and humbly engaging with Him through prayer, studying His word, living according to His will in the spirit, trusting in His providence, and maintaining fellowship with other Christians, constantly striving to replace earthly ways with godly ones, relying on His grace for our inevitable failures.
Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1366: “How Will I Choose to Live the Life That’s Ahead of Me?”
Reviewing the important steps to turn decisions into habits
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
5-part series (audio, video and study helps)
“Do I Walk in the Spirit or in the Lusts of My Human Nature?”
