Having a personal relationship with God is a deeply inspiring and transformative experience that involves actively seeking, knowing Him intimately as a loving Father, Friend, Saviour and walking with Him in our daily life. In fact, having a personal relationship with God, is more than just a religious ritual but it is about developing a heart -to heart connection with God where trust, love and communication are dominant. A personal relationship with God begins the moment we realise our need for Him, admit that we are sinners and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior in faith. God, our heavenly Father, has always desired to be close to us, to have a relationship with us no wonder, before Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis chapter 3), both Adam and Eve knew God on an intimate and personal level. They walked with Him in the garden and talked directly to Him but when they sinned, they got us separated and disconnected from God.
To have a personal relationship with God is not as hard as we might think, and there is no mysterious formula for doing so. The point is that those who have this personal relationship with God, intentionally include God in their daily lives. They pray to Him, read His word, and meditate on verses in an effort to get to know Him better. They pray for wisdom (James 1:5), which is the most valuable asset one could ever have. They take their needs to Him, believing and trusting that He will answer them as He promised in Matthew 7: 7’ ‘’Ask, you will receive, seek, you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you’’ What many people do not know or realise however, is that it doesn’t matter for how long you have been a Christian, what matters is your relationship with God. People develop a relationship with God through constant prayer, reading the word of God and understanding it. After all, we just celebrated the ‘’Word of God.’’, on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year C. We are told that the Word of God is Salvific and not burdensome and also that ‘’The Word of God is of God, lt is with God and lt is God’’. So, it would be difficult for us to love God, get to know God really well and have a relationship with Him, if we do not frequently hear the Word of God and read it.
We have to attentively read a part of the Gospel each day even if it is only for a few minutes. We need to communicate with God through prayer daily. Talk to Him, sharing our thoughts, struggles, gratitude and desires with God. Jesus prayed a lot while He was on earth, He was always retiring to a quiet place to pray and speak to His Father God and we are told that He enjoyed a very good relationship with His Father, God. So, prayer helps us to build intimacy and keeps our relationship with God strong. More importantly, prayer is not only about speaking but also about listening. Spending time meditating to hear God’s guidance and voice in your heart and also trusting in Him in faith
Honestly, a personal relationship with God begins by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and trusting in His sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Remember that He says ‘’I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me’’ (John 14:6). Therefore, having a relationship with God requires us to trust in His plans for our life with all our hearts, even when we don’t fully understand them. ‘’Never rely on what you think, you know’’ (Proverbs 3:5-6). Obey and accept God’s Will for you. Worship Him with love and reverence and ‘’be thankful in all circumstances, this is what God wants from you in your life in union with Jesus Christ’’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Truly, having a personal relationship with God brings peace, joy, and purpose in one’s life. It’s a journey of growth, trust, and intimacy with the Creator who loves you deeply.
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