How to Deepen Your Friendship with God

Do you want to deepen your friendship with God? I have several practical tips to share with you on this devotion to strengthen your faith.

How to Deepen Your Friendship with God

Our devotion this week is based on this scripture:

The secret counsel of the Lord
is for those who fear him,
and he reveals his covenant to them.
Psalm 25:14 CSB

Recently I started reading the One Year Chronological Bible, which begins in Genesis. A verse stood out to me in a new way, though I’ve read Genesis every January since 2003.

The verse was Genesis 18:17 NIV: “Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”

God had just sent three men to visit Abraham and Sarah with the good news that they would have a baby the following year. These “men” were most likely two angels, along with the pre-incarnate Christ. The two angels’ next stop was Sodom and Gomorrah, which God planned to destroy due to the people’s grievous sin, according to Gen. 18:20.

Right after the men left, God invited Abraham to plead with him for the sake of the people in those cities. We aren’t going to get into the specifics of this story today, but we are going to take a wide-angle view, which teaches us about friendship with God.

Can you imagine if God consulted you before he spun a tornado or stirred up a snowstorm? You may be pleading for the people in the path of those storms, like Abraham did.

But let’s stop and ponder an even more important truth: WHY would God ask you first, when he is the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25) and the Creator of all things?

Can you imagine if God consulted you before he spun a tornado or stirred up a snowstorm? #spiritualgrowth #faith #trustGod Click To Tweet

God Wants a Friendship With You

I turned to my study Bible, the Concordia Self-Study Bible (1984), to read the footnotes on this passage:

“Abraham was God’s friend…And because he was not God’s covenant friend, God convened his heavenly council at Abraham’s tent. There he announced his purpose for Abraham and for the wicked of the plain – redemption and judgment. He thus even gave Abraham opportunity to speak in his court and to intercede for the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah…Here, in Abraham, is exemplified the great privilege of God’s covenant people throughout the ages: God has revealed his purposes to them and allows their voice to be heard (in intercession) in the court of heaven.”

Did you catch this amazing truth, friend? As a friend of God, YOU have the great privilege of allowing your voice to be heart in the court of heaven! Your prayers matter far more than you think. In a mysterious way, God allows our prayers to work alongside his will to accomplish his purposes on earth.

Maybe you’re a little overwhelmed right now, thinking, “I just don’t know God that well.” I understand how this passage could be intimidating to you. But I want to encourage you to deepen your friendship in several practical ways, so you feel more confident approaching the throne of grace with your prayers (see Hebrews 4:16).

As a friend of God, YOU have the great privilege of allowing your voice to be heart in the court of heaven! #prayer #spiritualgrowth #friendofGod Click To Tweet

3 Ways to Deepen Your Friendship with God

Here are three practical ways you can deepen your friendship with God, so you can have greater confidence in your prayer life. I’m using them daily and they are making a difference in my friendship with God, and I know they can make a difference in yours too!

Read his actual Word daily.

I love my devotionals, Christian books, podcasts, videos and favorite blogs that enhance my understanding of God’s Word. But nothing – nothing – has been more powerful for transforming my life than sitting down with my Bible every morning. The Holy Spirit has spoken new things to me every time I interact directly with his Word. You can also learn how to recognize God’s voice and understand his purposes for you by reading the actual Bible every day. There is no better method for deepening your friendship with God than incorporating his actual words into your heart and mind.

Go on a prayer walk.

Even though it’s cold right now, I love bundling up and praying out loud to God while I walk my dog. Lately, I’ve been praying on the way to the bridge where we turn around, and simply listening for God’s voice on the way back. In that listening pattern, I become mindful of my surroundings – the sights, sounds and smells on my walk. Then I can hear God’s still, small voice as I quiet my spirit.

I encourage you to pour your heart out to God as you take a daily stroll, then spend some time just listening for his responses in contemplative prayer. As I wait, I do a breath prayer of God’s name Yah(in) Weh(out) until I hear God’s voice, or you can also use Abba (in), Father (out). Try it, and let me know what you think! I also found great inspiration on prayer from this podcast episode, and it’s changing the way I pray.

Choose hope every day.

This has been an extremely difficult start to the new year for those of us in the United States. We cannot afford to let the news, politics or social media dictate our thoughts. We MUST determine to put on a kingdom-focused mindset every day. What I mean by that is our involvement in advancing God’s kingdom here on earth, doing all we can to promote both truth and love until Jesus returns.

The book that is helping me do this daily (after my Bible reading and prayer time) is John Eldredge’s Restoration Year. It’s a powerful, thought-provoking devotional based on one of my favorite books (All Things New) that reminds me to choose hope daily. I am feeling lighter, happier and more joyful, despite the chaos in our culture, by choosing hope, and I feel closer to God too.

These steps can help enliven your faith, boost your insight, supercharge your prayers and build your hope. I pray you’ll consider doing them daily in this new year, for the weeks and months to come.

3 practical ways you can deepen your friendship with God, so you can have greater confidence in your prayer life. #prayer #spiritualgrowth #faith Click To Tweet

Bonus Tip for You

I shared another tip in this IGTV video, which can deepen your friendship with God. Check it out HERE.

In that video, I mention my playlist of Christian songs that I love. Check it out on YouTube HERE.

Question for you: How has today’s devotion inspired you to pursue a deeper friendship with God? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

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