How To Get Closer With God

​8 Ways to revive your love relationship with God!

Never forget the Lord has called us into a love relationship not a dry religion. This relationship is meant to be rich, meaningful, intimate, fun, adventurous, and life transforming.

Think about all that you experience when you are falling in love- whoever you are falling in love with- captivates your attention and thoughts and therefore your heart. Frequently throughout your day you'll find your thoughts being drawn to them over and over again. Something they said, something they did, when you will be together again, are all thoughts that seem to constantly invade your day and pleasantly interrupt your thoughts.  

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​You look forward to spending time with them- you enjoy learning and discovering more about them. Going new places together with them as well as just being with them in familiar places –  being together is everything! Making them smile brings joy to your own heart. Sharing your heart and hearing what is on theirs is deeply satisfying.   But with time and routine that passionate edge can become dull and neglected. This is what Jesus was speaking of ...

But I have this against you: you have abandoned the passionate love you had for me at the beginning.  Think about how far you have fallen! Repent and do the works of love you did at first. Revelation 2:4-5 (TPT)

The way to regain that passionate love edge is to “do the works you did at first.” “Works” simply means action or activities. Which means we can actually rekindle passionate love by doing the things we did at first.

With that in mind the following list was partially inspired by an article I read online (1) about how to rekindle love and romance as a couple. I believe much of this same advice can be applied creatively to our relationship with the Lord with delightful results. If you want to regain and maintain that passionate edge in your  love relationship with the Lord, it will require making investments. Like any relationship it must be nurtured. 

​So here are 8 creative tips on how to grow closer to God and rekindle the passion in your love relationship with Jesus!

1. Go On Surprise Dates

This may seem odd, but spontaneity can break up monotony. Married couples can benefit from this but so can your love relationship with the Lord.  

​So how can you be more spontaneous? Keep it simple and make a decision for the coming week to look for a 15 or 30 minute window of time to meet with the Lord in a new place. Maybe you will go for a prayer walk or go grab a cup of coffee at a coffee shop with a devotional. The only condition is to do something new and out of the ordinary.

2. Appreciate The Little Things

Taking time daily to appreciate the little things and communicating your appreciation verbally to the Lord can do wonders for your relationship. We often call this cultivating an attitude of gratitude. When we take time to tell the Lord what we appreciate about Him and who He is, it often opens our heart to see even greater things.

You can make this a daily habit by simply making it part of your morning routine while you are in the shower, or putting on your make up, or driving to work. There is no need to make it a big formal occasion just simply decide you will express three things you appreciate about Him every morning. But here is the key – you want to keep it fresh don’t just repeat the same things every day. Allow the Holy Spirit the opportunity to bring something different and relevant to your heart. 

3. Be A Good Listener

Any great relationship involves two-way communication. Our relationship with the Lord is no different. Yes, the Lord definitely wants to hear from us, but we also need to hear Him. For many listening is a skill that is underdeveloped.

Anyone who has a passionate love relationship with God can attest to hearing what the Lord has said to them. It is His voice that kindles the fire in their heart. So how do we “listen” to the Lord? The obvious answer is- He speaks to us primarily through His word. But keep in mind, as a born-again believer the Lord dwells in our hearts by the Holy Spirit and communicates with us Spirit to spirit. He uses His word to bring understanding.

I have found that the Lord is not “wordy” but often gives us a thought from or in relation to His word to ponder or meditate on. Our meditating on His word is a form of listening. As we ask questions, He brings understanding that reflects His heart and desires inspired by love.

​Taking time to listen and ponder His words can greatly intensify your love relationship with God!

4. ​Always Say Thank You

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Notice it does NOT say to give thanks for everything but IN everything. It is the will of God for us to give thanks IN everything. Why?

One reason is because it helps us to become more aware of His powerful loving presence with us at all times and in ALL things. Nothing will bond your heart to His like being thankful in ALL things!

Begin right now by thanking Him for being with you and for the little things around you that can be taken for granted. To develop the habit you might try setting a “thankful alarm” on your phone to remind you several times a day to pause and  do nothing but give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.

 “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits!” ​Psalms 68:19

 We have much to be thankful for!

5. ​Create and Enjoy Moments of Intimacy

Intimacy with the Lord is a vital part of our relationship and must be intentionally cultivated and enjoyed.

One of the definitions for “intimate” is: very private; closely personal. These are two aspects to true intimacy. This means we want to regularly make time to be alone with the Lord, free from distractions. A special time alone for just you and Him to meet.  And we must be open and honest for it to be truly intimate.  A time for us to share what is on our hearts then allow Him to minister His love and mercy to our most vulnerable places. A time and place for us to share our most intimate dreams and desires and then allow Him to minister His hope and promises.

I encourage you to pause right now and schedule a time to meet with the Lord privately and share your heart personally. Make it special but not complicated.

Plan to brew your favorite tea, light your favorite candle, and pour out your heart. Then look forward to that special time together with anticipation! Like you would with your spouse if you were planning a little weekend getaway or a special evening together. Intimacy will bind your heart to His with a cord that cannot be broken. 

6. Plan For An Adventure Together

Vital to any love relationship is going on adventures together. Not only does it create invaluable memories but even the planning process can bring a new sense of vitality to the relationship.

Have you ever considered planning an adventure with Jesus? 

For some this might look like planning a missionary trip, but it doesn’t need to be that elaborate or necessarily sound that “religious.”  Essentially an adventure with Jesus can be defined as planning to bless someone in an unusual or outside of your normal routine- kind of way.

It might look like prayerfully writing out 3 notes of encouragement and planning to place them on the windshield of three unknown people. Or blessing someone with an unexpected gift in a creative way. Or planting a garden and sharing the harvest with your neighbors. Or taking time to teach someone a skill that you have developed.

​The opportunities are endless! An adventure with Jesus can spark new levels of creativity and enjoyment in your relationship. So plan for an adventure!

7. Write A Love Letter

Taking time to express your love for God in writing can not only help you reconnect with the love buried within you but it also helps to deepen your love relationship by bringing it into a clear and refined focus.

What we focus on becomes magnified. So why not focus on writing a love letter to the Jesus.

You might also consider writing a distinct love letter to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Though we are told to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus there is no prohibition in expressing our love for each of them specifically. 

​I would suggest pulling out some pretty writing paper and tucking it into your Bible or prayer journal as a reminder to occasionally write a love letter to God. 

8. Develop A Special Love Language 

Many couples develop a special secret love language usually made up of phrases and often funny sayings that no one but the two them understand.  This “language” gives them a distinct and unique connection not shared by anyone else.

Did you know that the Lord has given every born again believer access to a special secret love language? This language, though not understood by our heads, it  is understood in our heart of hearts, our spirit person where we are in communion with God. 1 Corinthians 14 refers to this as a “spiritual language” saying,  “he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” It is a special love language that can be shared between you and the Lord.

If you want to know more about this you can watch my teaching on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  But without question this is one of the most intimate form of communications we can have with God and it is made freely available to us in Christ through the baptism of the holy Spirit. We just need to ask, believe, and receive. 

There you have it- 8 tips on how to rekindle the passion in your love relationship with God! As a follow up you might enjoy-  How to Super Charge your Quiet Times.