I just finished a book called “RARE Leadership” by Marcus Warner. It was a great look at the importance of prioritizing relationships over anything else. We were hardwired for relationships and because of this it’s essential we keep relationships front and center. One of those key relationships is our relationship with God but how do we keep that close?

Here are five practical things the author suggests:

1. QUIET

We must have “quiet” space in order to grow in our intimacy with God. Just like any human relationship we need time and space without distractions if we expect to be close to God. People have been calling it “quiet time” for a long time for a reason. Plain and simple, we must get rid of distractions and focus on Him.

2. SCRIPTURE READING

Marcus Warner says, “An often overlooked facet of spending time in the [Bible] is that it orients our souls around the nature and ways of God… The more time we spend listening to a certain composer, the more familiar you become with his style and the more you recognize his influence on other musicians.” The same is true of reading God’s Word. It saturates us in the way God thinks, behaves, and calls us to live. We become more like Him the more time we spend in His Word.

3. APPRECIATION

This is the surprising gem for me in this part of the book. Appreciation (praise, acknowledging what God has done for us, how he is, thankfulness, etc.) has a way of putting us IN the presence of God. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.” When we intentionally focus on God’s goodness it draws us closer to Him.

4. WRITING

Putting things down on paper has a strange way of making things connect better in our heads. Journaling clears out the cobwebs of the mind so we can think more clearly and record all that God is saying to us. If you haven’t tried writing as part of your time with God, I encourage you to give it a try. Write our your prayers, your thoughts, your attitudes, your fears. This is a paper version of the conversation your having with God in your heart.

5. SHARING

Bouncing the thoughts, feelings, and ideas God is giving us off of a close group of people or a few trusted godly counselors is always a great way to grow closer to God. How do you know if God is speaking to you? Share your thoughts with someone else so they can verify, “Yes, this sounds like God”, or “No, that doesn’t sound like Him.” Sharing gives us confidence that what we’re hearing is from God.

Those five things are all great tools and important practices that will help us grow in our relationship with God. They’ve all been a big part of the growth in my relationship with God and I hope they can help you grow too. Just a quick plug, coming up in week three of our series “Outcasts”, we’ll dive deeper into the role appreciation plays in all of our relationships. You won’t want to miss it.

Quick question for you to consider – which of these five things stands out the most to you?