How to Have a Personal Relationship with God

Have you heard people say that you need to have a personal relationship with God?  How do you have a relationship with someone you can’t even see?  I was raised in a Christian home and I went to church, prayed, and read the bible all the time because that’s what good Christians do, right?

I grew up knowing about God but I never really knew Him.  I was told throughout the years I was growing up that He was the creator, and I knew He listened to my prayers and loved me, but that was it.  For many years I played “Christian” but I always knew that there should have been more.  I was comfortable where I was and I did nothing to change my situation.  This is the problem that many of us have today, we are comfortable and afraid to step out of our comfort zone.

But God desires that you come to know Him better.  You see, the more you know Him, the more you love Him, the deeper your relationship will be.  Having a personal relationship with God begins the moment we realize our need for Him, admit we are sinners, and in faith receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.  God has always desired to have a relationship with us.  Before Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden (See Genesis 3), both he and Eve knew God on an intimate, personal level.  They walked with Him in the garden and talked directly to Him.  Due to the sin of man, our relationship with God was broken, and we became separated from God.

What many people do not know or understand is that Jesus gave us the most amazing gift—the opportunity to spend eternity with God, if we trust in Him.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)  God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins, die on the cross, and then be raised to a new life, proving His victory over sin and death. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)  If we accept this gift, we have become acceptable to God and can have a new relationship with Him.

Those who have a personal relationship with God spend time with Him on a daily basis.  They pray to Him, read His word, and meditate on verses in an effort to get to know Him even better.  Those who have a personal relationship with God pray for wisdom (See James 1:5), which is one of the most valuable assets we could ever have.  They take their requests to Him, asking in Jesus’ name. (See John 15:16)  Jesus is the one who loves us enough to give His life for us (See Romans 5:8), and He is the one who bridged the gap between us and God.

The Holy Spirit has been given to us as our Counselor.  “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17)  Jesus said this before He died. 

After He died, the Holy Spirit became available to all who seriously seek to receive Him.  He is the one who lives in the hearts of believers and never leaves.  He counsels us, teaches us truths, and changes our hearts.  Without this divine Holy Spirit, we would not have the ability to fight against evil and temptations.  But since we do have Him, we begin to produce the fruit that comes from allowing the Spirit to control us.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

A relationship with God happens most fundamentally by the Spirit through the word.  Don't try to run away from the Bible to find a relationship with God in the woods or in some kind of aesthetic encounter with nature or with a great piece of art.  Those are all supplementary.  Yes, “The heavens declare the glory of God…” (Psalm 19:1)  God does use great art and great poetry to awaken us.  But if we don't center on the Bible where He speaks authoritatively and infallibly, then our relationship will become distorted by error and sin.

So let the Bible be the place where God meets you and speaks to you, and let prayer be the place where you speak back to Him.  The relationship is in this communion; Him to us, and us to Him.

And it happens all throughout the day.  We remind ourselves when we get discouraged, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)  You remember those words and call them to mind, because they are a promise in the Bible.  Then you say, "Thank you Lord. I will take this next step of obedience."  Then, at that moment a relationship has been enjoyed and a communion has been experienced.  And that's how you walk moment by moment with God through this life.

Let today be the day that everything changes.  Let today be the day that you decided to have a personal relationship with God.

What do you need to do?

You must personally trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

We must each personally trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior

Our own efforts to earn God’s acceptance are inadequate.  “…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit…” (Titus 3:5)

We must admit our need for forgiveness
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” (Luke 18:13)

We must receive Christ and his offer of salvation as a gift
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

You can begin your personal relationship with God by putting your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  You may find it helpful to express your new faith in words similar to these:

Dear heavenly Father, I know that my sin has separated me from you. Thank You for sending Your Son to die in my place. I now trust that my sins are forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I invite Him into my life as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for receiving me into your eternal family. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

If you have accepted Christ or are still exploring what that means, I strongly encourage you to get involved in a local, Christ-centered, Bible-believing church and let someone there know that you've recently trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and they can help you grow in your relationship with Him!

Also, let me know in the comment section of your decision so I can pray for your continuing growth in your knowledge of, and relationship with, God.