The short answer is prayer. The long answer is prayer.
Prayer is more than just blabbering all your issues to GOD. Prayer means spending time with GOD. If somebody told you that the only way they'd consider time spent together was if you two were talking, wouldn't that sound absurd? Since when does spending time with someone only mean talking with them? Wouldn't watching a good movie together count as spending time together? What about reading books together? What about sitting down and enjoying a meal together? Do these activities require speaking? Of course not. But it's still considered time spent together.
In the same way, spending time with GOD does not necessarily mean talking with Him. Sitting still in His presence counts. As does singing songs -- and not just worship songs. Praising Him is a natural and proper response to His glory, but not all songs are joyful ones. Singing songs of lamentation is included under the 'spend time with GOD' umbrella.
In case you can't see where this is going, spending time with GOD is the only way to get closer to Him. Of course, you already knew that. After all, isn't that the way you'd get closer to anyone you wanted to get to know more.
In addition to the activities listed above, reading the Bible, going out and helping the least among you -- the poor, the homeless, then outcasts -- and simply speaking to others about who GOD is and what He means to you. All of these can and will bring you closer to GOD.
But the most powerful of these is silent prayer. Silent prayer seems like an oxymoron -- isn't the definition of prayer speaking with GOD? The response is that GOD already knows your struggles. He knows what you will pray before you say a word. It is us that needs to hear more from GOD ... not the other way around. By resting quietly in his presence, we are able to hear that still small voice that can only come from Him.
In doing this, be sure to pray for His spirit of discernment so you may know the voice of the Heavenly One and recognize the voice of the deceiver.
Prayer is more than just blabbering all your issues to GOD. Prayer means spending time with GOD. If somebody told you that the only way they'd consider time spent together was if you two were talking, wouldn't that sound absurd? Since when does spending time with someone only mean talking with them? Wouldn't watching a good movie together count as spending time together? What about reading books together? What about sitting down and enjoying a meal together? Do these activities require speaking? Of course not. But it's still considered time spent together.
In the same way, spending time with GOD does not necessarily mean talking with Him. Sitting still in His presence counts. As does singing songs -- and not just worship songs. Praising Him is a natural and proper response to His glory, but not all songs are joyful ones. Singing songs of lamentation is included under the 'spend time with GOD' umbrella.
In case you can't see where this is going, spending time with GOD is the only way to get closer to Him. Of course, you already knew that. After all, isn't that the way you'd get closer to anyone you wanted to get to know more.
In addition to the activities listed above, reading the Bible, going out and helping the least among you -- the poor, the homeless, then outcasts -- and simply speaking to others about who GOD is and what He means to you. All of these can and will bring you closer to GOD.
But the most powerful of these is silent prayer. Silent prayer seems like an oxymoron -- isn't the definition of prayer speaking with GOD? The response is that GOD already knows your struggles. He knows what you will pray before you say a word. It is us that needs to hear more from GOD ... not the other way around. By resting quietly in his presence, we are able to hear that still small voice that can only come from Him.
In doing this, be sure to pray for His spirit of discernment so you may know the voice of the Heavenly One and recognize the voice of the deceiver.
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