Walking with God · How-to guides
How to Have a Relationship with God
God does not want mere religion from you; He wants a relationship. The astonishing message of the Bible is that the Maker of everything invites you to know Him personally.
Know that God wants you
This is not a distant deity you must chase. God moved toward you first, in love, before you ever sought Him.
“We love him, because he first loved us.”1 John 4:19, King James Version
Come to Him through Jesus
The relationship begins at the cross, where the barrier of sin is removed. Trust Jesus, and the door to God swings open.
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”1 Timothy 2:5, King James Version
Talk with Him honestly
Relationships grow through conversation. Speak to God in prayer as a Father, and learn to listen for Him.
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”James 4:8, King James Version
Get to know Him in His Word
The Bible is where God tells you who He is. Read it not for information alone but to know the One who wrote it.
“These are written, that ye might believe ... and that believing ye might have life through his name.”John 20:31, King James Version
Walk with Him day by day
A relationship is built in ordinary time. Invite God into your daily life, your work, your worries, your joys.
“Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”Genesis 5:24, King James Version
Do not do it alone
God places us in a family. Sharing the journey with other believers deepens your walk with Him.
“Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”Hebrews 10:24, King James Version
The One who makes this possible: Jesus
A relationship with God is possible only because of Jesus. He came so that we could know God as Father, not fear Him as a stranger. Eternal life, He said, is to know God, and He is the way to that knowing. To have a relationship with God is, at heart, to walk with Jesus.
Take the next step with company. You can gather the daily bread for today, spend a few minutes in worship, or bring it all to God in prayer.
Common questions
How do I start a relationship with God?
It begins by coming to God through Jesus, trusting Him to forgive you and make you His. From there the relationship grows through honest prayer, reading the Bible, and walking with God day by day among other believers.
Can I really know God personally?
Yes. The Bible presents God as a Father who wants to be known, and Jesus said eternal life is to know God. Through Christ, that personal relationship is open to anyone who comes.
What is the difference between religion and a relationship with God?
Religion can be rules and ritual performed at a distance; a relationship is knowing and being known by God through Jesus. God desires the second, a living friendship, not merely outward observance.