7 Keys To Grow Closer To God

7 Keys To Grow Closer To God – Part 3

In Part 1 of 7 Keys To Grow Closer To God we discovered the 1st of the 7 keys – Commitment and Total Devotion. You need to be fully committed and totally devoted to Jesus in order to faithfully follow Him and grow closer to Him.

In Part 2 we discovered the 2nd and 3rd of the 7 keys to grow closer to God. Love (“Agape” Love), and Respect, Honor & Reverence. Agape love is a selfless love that endures all things. It is the kind of love Jesus demonstrated when He dies for your sins on the cross. Because of His great love for you. It is essential for you to love Jesus as He loves you, in order to grow closer to Him and have intimacy with God.

When you see the words “fear of God” in the Bible it typically means more than fear. It involves having great respect and reverence for God. And to honor God in all things. Respect, reverence, and honor are vital to grow closer to God.

In Part 3 we will continue to look at the 7 keys to grow closer to God. We will discover the 4th and 5th of the 7 keys to grow closer to God and have intimacy with God.

#4 of the 7 Keys to Grow Closer to God – Trust, Faith

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him (“submit to Him”), And He will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 91:1-2 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 22:4-5 “In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.”

proverbs 3 5-6, trust god, trust god with all your heart, faith, faith in god

Faith Is Vital For Intimacy With God

Hebrews 11:1,6 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen… And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Psalm 62:5-8 ” For my hope is from Him. My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

You simply cannot have a good intimate relationship with God or with your spouse if you cannot trust. We will not have close fellowship with God and intimacy with God if we do not learn to fully trust Him and have complete faith in God. We will never follow Jesus the way He wants us to unless we completely trust Him and have faith in Him.

7 Keys To Grow Closer To God

#5 of the 7 Keys to Grow Closer to God – Communication (2 way)

Listen to God

Hearing God’s voice and listening to God is the most important part of your prayer and fellowship time with God. Without hearing God’s voice and listening to Him you will not be able to grow closer to God. To grow closer to God and know Him more and more, God needs to reveal Himself to you. If you do not know how to hear God speaking to you, you will miss out on what He wants to tell you and reveal to you.

John 10:4,10-11,27-28 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice… The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep… My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

1 Kings 19:11-12 ” So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing (“a still small voice”).

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Have A Humble Heart Attitude To Hear God’s Voice

You need to have a soft, humble heart that seeks God continually in order to hear God speak to you. And for God to reveal to you His character, His calling for your life, and His will & plans. The more God is able to reveal to you the more you will know Him. And the more you know God the more you will love Him and grow closer to Him.

1 Samuel 3:10 “Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

Ecclesiastes 5:1 ” Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.”

Luke 10:38-42 “Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part (“what is better”), which shall not be taken away from her.”

Luke 11:28 “But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

7 Keys To Grow Closer To God

2nd Part of Communication With God – Speak to God through Prayer

God loves you and wants you to share your heart with Him. And God wants you to cast your troubles on to Him. God wants to be deeply involved in your daily life, leading you to have a victorious and fruitful life.

Acts 1:14, 2:42 ” These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers… They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

A Lifestyle Of Prayer & Talking With God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 7:7 “Ask (“keep on asking”), and it will be given to you; seek (“keep on seeking”), and you will find; knock (“keep on knocking”), and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

God wants us to talk to Him about and involve Him in all aspects of our life, and have a lifestyle of prayer & talking to Him. Hearing God’s voice is the most important part of our prayer time with Him. Good communication and learning to hear God’s “still small voice” is essential to knowing God and His attributes, His ways, His will, and His plans. Hearing God’s voice one of the vital keys to grow closer to God and have intimacy with God.

So far we have learned 5 of the 7 keys to grow closer to God. # 1 – Commitment & Devotion. #2 – Love (“Agape” Love). #3 – Respect, Honor, Reverence. #4 – Trust & Faith. #5 – Intimate 2 Way Communication.

In Part 4 we will continue to study the 7 keys to grow closer to God with keys # 6 and #7.

Pursuing Intimacy With God

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7 Keys To Grow Closer To God – Part 3 – Pursuing Intimacy With God