Before I had faith in God, I went through a series of changes over years that brought me slowly closer and closer to knowing God. So if you're someone today who doesn't know God, but you honestly wish that you did, you may be wondering, how can I make an approach to God? Here's how...
First thing you'll notice is, you start to feel a sense of longing. You will sense an urge for something more that you can't explain.
The word of God says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled." –Matthew 5:6
You will long for something pure, something good, something beyond this life’s messiness.
Suffering hones this search- problems in your life, as hard as they are, actually will draw you toward the bigger important questions of life. So embrace difficulties as something that will actually help your search for God.
If you sense a draw from God, act on it, move toward what God is saying to you. It may be a slow unveiling of who he is. Make the choice to interact in the search for God.
Ask people of faith that you know to pray for you. Prayer is powerful, surround yourself with people praying for your spiritual journey.
Get access to a Bible and then keep it in your bedroom, and instead of playing on your phone, read a chapter from the Bible each night. You may not understand it, but keep studying it. For years I read the Bible from time to time, but it didn't make sense to me.
When you're ready, begin to ask God this simple question: Lord Jesus, if you’re really real, please show yourself to me in a way I can understand. Make this your daily prayer.
Watch for nudges from God – it’s something you’ll notice, something that speaks to your heart, it could be a conversation with a friend, it could be something beautiful in nature, it could be a sign on a billboard. Be open to what God is showing you.
All of this is having a spiritual experience – and here’s the thing, as soon as you decide to have it, it will start happening.
As you engage in the experience and watch for it, you'll be amazed that you begin to have moments in your life where God interacts with you.
All of this will lead you toward God’s son Jesus, and what Jesus did for you. Slowly but surely you’ll notice what Jesus did on the cross. What happened there will begin to matter to you. And as you do, slowly your heart will realize, "I need Jesus."
You’ll sense an ache in your heart, a loneliness, a sense of disconnection, a guilt over the sins you’ve committed, a sorrow of being distant from God, and as you do, slowly but surely, it’ll connect, the reason for that sorrow and disconnection, is because "I need Jesus."
Then, last thing, it’ll connect in your heart and head, if I need Jesus, then I need to call out to Jesus, who will hear my cry and answer me. This is a form of prayer, to call out on the name of Jesus.
God will bring you to a moment when you are sufficiently emotionally and spiritually moved, to call out to Jesus, and you’ll need to do this verbally, with your mouth.
The word of God says it, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9-10
When you call on Jesus, you’re believing that he can help you, you’re believing he’s God, you're believing he will forgive your sins, and you’re believing that he’s alive right now. That’s sufficient to receive Him. Then you’ll be born again. And suddenly you'll become connected to God through Jesus. But remember, this is not the end of the journey. It is the end of one journey, but the beginning of another.
Suffering hones this search- problems in your life, as hard as they are, actually will draw you toward the bigger important questions of life. So embrace difficulties as something that will actually help your search for God.
If you sense a draw from God, act on it, move toward what God is saying to you. It may be a slow unveiling of who he is. Make the choice to interact in the search for God.
Ask people of faith that you know to pray for you. Prayer is powerful, surround yourself with people praying for your spiritual journey.
Get access to a Bible and then keep it in your bedroom, and instead of playing on your phone, read a chapter from the Bible each night. You may not understand it, but keep studying it. For years I read the Bible from time to time, but it didn't make sense to me.
When you're ready, begin to ask God this simple question: Lord Jesus, if you’re really real, please show yourself to me in a way I can understand. Make this your daily prayer.
Watch for nudges from God – it’s something you’ll notice, something that speaks to your heart, it could be a conversation with a friend, it could be something beautiful in nature, it could be a sign on a billboard. Be open to what God is showing you.
All of this is having a spiritual experience – and here’s the thing, as soon as you decide to have it, it will start happening.
It's a decision you make in your own heart and mind, that you are open to an experience with God. Immediately upon making that decision the experience will commence.
As you engage in the experience and watch for it, you'll be amazed that you begin to have moments in your life where God interacts with you.
All of this will lead you toward God’s son Jesus, and what Jesus did for you. Slowly but surely you’ll notice what Jesus did on the cross. What happened there will begin to matter to you. And as you do, slowly your heart will realize, "I need Jesus."
You’ll sense an ache in your heart, a loneliness, a sense of disconnection, a guilt over the sins you’ve committed, a sorrow of being distant from God, and as you do, slowly but surely, it’ll connect, the reason for that sorrow and disconnection, is because "I need Jesus."
Then, last thing, it’ll connect in your heart and head, if I need Jesus, then I need to call out to Jesus, who will hear my cry and answer me. This is a form of prayer, to call out on the name of Jesus.
God will bring you to a moment when you are sufficiently emotionally and spiritually moved, to call out to Jesus, and you’ll need to do this verbally, with your mouth.
The word of God says it, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9-10
When you call on Jesus, you’re believing that he can help you, you’re believing he’s God, you're believing he will forgive your sins, and you’re believing that he’s alive right now. That’s sufficient to receive Him. Then you’ll be born again. And suddenly you'll become connected to God through Jesus. But remember, this is not the end of the journey. It is the end of one journey, but the beginning of another.
