Cultivate spiritual practice

“I want to talk to people about Jesus, but I just feel distant from God.”

Your relationship with God is just that, a relationship. If you’ve ever been in one, you know just how much attention and love is needed to remain close. A relationship with God is no different - it needs care, attention and cultivation.

God has given many practices and rhythms to help you cultivate that relationship with Him, these are the heartbeat of the Christian faith. Here are 5 practices that you can start today.

1. Read Your Bible

The Bible is God’s love letter, instruction manual and manifesto all in one. Its contents and teachings are God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). In other words, the Bible is showing you the goodness of God and instructing you how to live a good life. So start reading the Bible today. Spend 15 minutes a day reading it and you’ll start feeling closer to God.

2. Pray

Prayer is how you communicate with God. Think about it, you can’t even approach a Prime Minister or President without being tackled to the ground by their security detail, but you can speak directly to the eternal God who created all things. You’re not bothering God when you pray, He loves it, it’s like a sweet aroma to Him (Psalm 141:2). And if you’re not sure what to say don’t worry, the Holy Spirit will intercede for you (Romans 8:26-27). As you read your Bible, include some time for prayer too. If you’re not sure what to pray, pray about what you just read.

3. Worship

Worship is more than just singing at church or a style of music on Spotify. Everything we do is worship to God. The way you treat strangers is worship, the effort you put into your study or work is worship, the way you love your family is worship. In the same way God has given us music to worship Him (Psalm 33:1-4), He has given us our lives to worship Him (Romans 12:1). So, why not do both! Create a worship playlist for your morning commute or for your gym workout and choose songs which speak of God’s greatness and encourage or inspire you. Also, endeavour to live your life in a way that pleases God, this will take time (a lifetime in fact), but you will feel closer to God, because it’s literally what He created you for.

4. Join a Church Community

Church is designed by God to help you grow into the kind of person He wants you to be. Attending a church service is a great start but it’s when you get involved in the life of the church and in the community of fellow Christians that you begin to become more like Jesus. Church community allows you to be encouraged as you encourage others and be prayed for as you pray for others. Decide to make services and community a priority (Hebrews 10:24-25). Find a healthy church, make friends and be involved in their lives. If you have trouble making friends (people can be cliquey sometimes) ask the pastor to help, or find a church where you connect easily.

5. Talk to People About Jesus

Jesus told His disciples to go out and share the story of Jesus to the whole world. That includes you (Matthew 28:18-20) and a big part of growing your relationship with Jesus means being obedient to Him. This doesn’t mean you have to travel to a different country, but it may mean going into your neighbourhood, workplace or community. The Bible encourages us to be ready to give an answer for the hope that’s in us whenever we are asked by the people in our lives (1 Peter 3:15). How can you do this? Think about how God changed you, write it down as a story and memorise it so that you can bring it up naturally when the topic of Jesus comes up in a conversation.

If you’re feeling distant from God and want to go deeper with Him, start building these practices into your week; read your Bible, pray, worship, join a church community and talk to people about Jesus. And remember, take it easy. The best habits are built by the accumulation of small gains, so give yourself encouragement as you go.