DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD 

 

• Be practical 
  Find a quiet place that you have access to every day - a room in your house, your car, the park, beach, forest or your local mountain walk. In that quiet place get rid of all distractions and even turn your mobile off or on silent.   
   

• Be intentional as you thank God for who He is and all He has done for you, give Him praise.
  Greet your Heavenly Father with thanksgiving and praise Ps 100:4. Begin to thank him for all the wonderful things that he alone has done in your life. The miracle of salvation, your health, the people in your life - your family, community and work colleagues. Thank Him for your finances, food, clothes, your job...anything that comes to mind. Always include thanksgiving in your prayers (Philippians 4:6) and the reason is, that YOU become more aware of God’s presence through thanksgiving and praise (Psalm 95:2). 
   

• Worship and adore God, giving him ALL the glory!
  As you come before the Lord and adore him, you are giving him ALL the glory and honor. Jesus told the woman at the well that the Father is seeking out those who will worship him in spirit and truth, because God is spirit (John 4:23-24). As you worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness (Ps 96:9) and lift up His holy name (Revelation Chapter 4), God becomes greater in your life and circumstances dont dominate or seem so overwhelming after all. The limits are off you in His holy presence and freedom will reign in every area of your life as you submit to God. He whom the son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36). 
   

• Enter the throne room of God, through the blood of Jesus Christ 
  Come boldly before God’s throne, through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 4:16 and 10:19). Hand your concerns over to God (1 Peter 5:7) and pour your heart heart out to Him letting Him know your requests (ask, seek and knock) and thank God in advance that he hears your prayers and HE is the God who answers (Philippians 4:6, Matthew 7:7).
   

• Pray according to God’s Word
  WHY PRAY ACCORDING TO THE WORD? Because God is watching over HIS WORD to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12), to act and bring about a miracle that only HE can do. Prayer begins with God, therefore pray according to the word of God and in line with His word. When you pray according to God’s will - His word, you are one with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 
  
  A wonderful example of how to pray is found in the book of Matthew Chapter 6:9-13. When the disciples asked Jesus 'How to Pray', Jesus taught them to pray to the Father, to hallow His name, to pray for His Kingdom to come and will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven. The Word of God feeds your Spirit man, release's forgiveness, keeps you from temptation and empowers you to live a godly, Christ life, here on earth. This is a model prayer that covers every aspect of your life on a daily basis. The ‘Our Father’ is a very safe prayer to pray for yourself, your loved ones, your Government, people everywhere and all nations.  
   

•  IN THIS MANNER, THEREFORE, PRAY  
  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen (Matthew 6:9-13)