Building Deeper Relationships

[DeerGlow]

What advice would you give for trying to grow closer to God? To love God more and to love other people more?

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-40‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."”

It just seems like go for love first and God's commands will be fulfilled. Also this comes to mind:

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

 

[PropheticTimes]

I would advise this book, which has been a great deal of help to me on this issue -

Abide in Christ: Andrew Murray: 9781611042641: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Root of Jesse]

What advice would you give for trying to grow closer to God? To love God more and to love other people more?

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-40‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."”

It just seems like go for love first and God's commands will be fulfilled. Also this comes to mind:

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭ESV‬‬
“33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Pray as much as you can. Study the Gospels-read them over and over and over. Study the verses they reference. There's a technique called lectio divina where you read a passage slowly and prayerfully and listen to what it tells you.
Some people thing reading the gospels over and over would be boring, but they speak to you differently every time.
Have a set time every day for this, like your appointment-time with God. Start small and expand.

Personally, since I converted to Catholicism, I have only read two books that were not Christian or Catholic based. No novels, and two patriotic books, and one classic-The Life of King Arthur. And the more Christian things I read, the more I want to read.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Any Andrew Murray book is a winner...
But more importantly if you want to grow deeper in your relationship with God, all you need do is consider what it takes to build a deep lasting relationship on earth with another human.

It takes time
It takes commitment
It takes honesty
It takes fidelity
It means sacrificing of yourself
It means having love for the other
Etc

To build a deeper relationship with God you only need apply such things to your walk with him.

Start off with prayer. Not just 5 minutes a day, but constant, unending prayer. Pray when you wake up, pray while laying in bed, pray while driving, pray at work/school, pray when you are bored, pray always (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Philippians 4:6-7)

Read the scriptures. Don't just read them to read them, read them with the intent of learning about who God is. Take notes! Pray over the scriptures when the Holy Spirit shows you some new revelation. When you learn something new about God, or some expectation he has for you, apply it.

Above all else, be patient. I stated that list off with time for a reason. We live in a society where everything has to happen quickly. If it isn't fast it isn't worth it. Well God is eternal and not limited to our finite understanding of time. (Psalms 130:5-6, Psalms 27:14, Isaiah 40:31)

It is a hard journey, not one easily travelled but if you persist the blessings you will experience will be worth any trouble you encounter!

I will pray for you!

 

[DeerGlow]

Any Andrew Murray book is a winner...
But more importantly if you want to grow deeper in your relationship with God, all you need do is consider what it takes to build a deep lasting relationship on earth with another human.

It takes time
It takes commitment
It takes honesty
It takes fidelity
It means sacrificing of yourself
It means having love for the other
Etc

To build a deeper relationship with God you only need apply such things to your walk with him.

Start off with prayer. Not just 5 minutes a day, but constant, unending prayer. Pray when you wake up, pray while laying in bed, pray while driving, pray at work/school, pray when you are bored, pray always (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Philippians 4:6-7)

Read the scriptures. Don't just read them to read them, read them with the intent of learning about who God is. Take notes! Pray over the scriptures when the Holy Spirit shows you some new revelation. When you learn something new about God, or some expectation he has for you, apply it.

Above all else, be patient. I stated that list off with time for a reason. We live in a society where everything has to happen quickly. If it isn't fast it isn't worth it. Well God is eternal and not limited to our finite understanding of time. (Psalms 130:5-6, Psalms 27:14, Isaiah 40:31)

It is a hard journey, not one easily travelled but if you persist the blessings you will experience will be worth any trouble you encounter!

I will pray for you!

Greatly appreciate it!

 

[Solomons Porch]

to love other people more?

Go to a nursing home once or twice a week, ask them who is the least visited and go sit with them and just listen and talk, it would mean so much to them and it will widen your heart.

 

[AlexDTX]

What advice would you give for trying to grow closer to God? To love God more and to love other people more?

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-40‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."”

It just seems like go for love first and God's commands will be fulfilled. Also this comes to mind:

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭ESV‬‬
“33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Learn to see God everywhere and his hand upon everything. I began a post on mitigation as blessing that only a handful responded to. But this is an example of what I mean. Things that go wrong could go wrong much worse, but they didn't because of God mitigating the circumstance to our benefit. His handiwork is displayed in all creation. His presence is always with us. He never condemns us nor speaks harshly to us. He is kind and generous at all times. Think about Him throughout your day and you will be more aware of all the good he does for you.

 

[W2L]

Follow the words of Christ and His apostles. Share your heart with God, i.e. your pain and hardships. The apostle Paul says that we glory in tribulation.

Romans 5:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us


2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Learn to see God everywhere and his hand upon everything. I began a post on mitigation as blessing that only a handful responded to. But this is an example of what I mean. Things that go wrong could go wrong much worse, but they didn't because of God mitigating the circumstance to our benefit. His handiwork is displayed in all creation. His presence is always with us. He never condemns us nor speaks harshly to us. He is kind and generous at all times. Think about Him throughout your day and you will be more aware of all the good he does for you.

This is true.

Something I try to do is when I am out and about I try to recall a scripture concerning what I am seeing.

So if I see a bird I tell myself that if God knows when even a sparrow falls to the ground, I can know he values me much more.

If I see a tree, bush, vegetation I remind myself to abide in Jesus, he is my source of life.

If I see rain coming, I tell myself God is merciful because he gives his rain to the unjust and just alike.

So on and so on.

It really opens up my ability to hear him when he does speak to me