Growing in Your Relationship (#1)

Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you will ever make.  It leads you into a lifelong journey because as soon as you allow Him into your heart your reality will never be the same again.  Once you commit to following Christ it is important to learn just what you have committed to.  The journey begins with gaining the knowledge to understand who exactly He is, what He desires from you, when you can reach Him, how you can please Him, and why you will want to make Him the focus of your daily life.   The most important thing that you need to remember is that God loves you deeply, intensely, and intimately.  He longs to become one with you, so He desires that you obey His commands out of love and not obligation.  Here are some very simple steps that will guide you in this exciting new adventure.  

Growing in Your Relationship – Part 1

Pray.  Prayer can best be described as fellowship with God.  Just as we spend time with our family and friends, spending time in prayer with God can greatly strengthen our relationship and give us insight into who He is.  Jesus set a great example for us on how to pray when He taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer, and He was always in communion with the Father.  The author of Hebrews tells us that during His earthly ministry, Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries to the One who could save Him from death.  Prayer is the manifestation of our humbleness and faith as doing so shows God how much we need Him and how certain we are that He is going to answer.  Your posture, place, or time of prayer is unimportant as the most vital aspect is to just be in a constant conversation with God.  Also, remember that prayer is not just talking to God, but also listening so that you can hear the wonderful promises the Lord wants to give you.  I recommend that you take your Bible and a notebook into a quiet room and just sit in the presence of God for a while.  Speak to Him about your needs and desires because His Word promises that if you ask it will be given to you.  Then just sit and listen for Him to speak back.  He just might show you great and mighty things!

Study.  The Apostle Paul enlightens us to the fact that “all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness”.  Many of us live life wishing there was a how-to manual.  The Bible is that manual!  It guides you on how to raise your kids, explains the meaning of life, gives you encouraging words to get through any difficult situation, and explains in detail what will happen after you die.  The Word of God is completely honest, inerrant, and powerful and contains everything necessary for faith and life.  It is the one true source that can support you during your walk with Jesus.  I recommend you start by committing even just a few minutes every day to reading the Bible.  You can start with the Gospel of John.  You can also do a daily devotional or join a study group.  The better equipped you can be to serve God and get through this life, the better!

Fellowship.  Getting together with other like-minded people is important because it can encourage you, challenge, you, and help you stay accountable.  Jesus never promised that life would be easy, so having people you can turn to in times of need will bless you greatly.  The church is a family made up of brothers and sisters growing together and serving their heavenly Father.   King Solomon, the wisest man who ever existed, tells us that “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”.  We need each other for strength, perseverance, and a reminder that we are not alone.  Plus seeing how other believers respond to situations can help set examples for us and accelerate our growth.  I recommend finding a good church that preaches straight from the Word.  Start attending all their services, any Bible studies, and definitely join a Life Group.

See more simple steps in Part 2. (coming next week)

Share the Message

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.