How Can You Draw Close to God?

1. Does God listen to all prayers?

     God invites people of all sorts to draw close to him in prayer.  (Psalm 65:2) Yet, he does not listen to, or accept, all prayers. For example, the prayers of a man who mistreats his wife can be hindered.  (1 Peter 3:7) Also, when the Israelites  persisted in badness, God refused to hear their prayers. Clearly, prayer is a privilege. Nevertheless, God will accept the prayers of even gross sinners, if they repent. Read Isaiah 1:15; 55:7. 

2. How should we pray?

      Prayer is part of our worship, so we should pray only to our Creator, Jehovah.  (Matthew 4:10; 6:9) Also, since we are imperfect, we should pray in the  name of Jesus because he died for our sins. (John 14:6) Jehovah does not want us to repeat  memorized or written prayers. He wants us to pray from our heart.  Read Matthew 6:7; Philippians 4:6, 7. 

     Our Creator can hear even silent prayers.  (1 Samuel 1:12, 13)  He invites us to pray on every occasion, such as the beginning and the end of the day, at mealtimes, and when we face problems.  Read Psalm 55:22; Matthew 15:36.

3. Why do Christians meet together?

      Drawing close to God is not easy because we live among people who lack faith in God and ridicule his promise of peace on earth.  (2 Timothy 3:1, 4; 2 Peter 3:3, 13)  So we need the encouraging association of fellow believers, and they need us.  Read Hebrews 10:24, 25.

       Associating with people who love God helps us to draw close. to God.  The meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses provide fine opportunities to benefit from the faith of others.  Read Romans 1:11, 12.

4. How can you draw close to God? 

      You can draw close to Jehovah by meditating on what you have learned from his Word.  Contemplate his activities, his advice, and his promises. Prayerful meditation builds appreciation in our heart for God's love and wisdom. Read Joshua 1:8;Psalm 1:1, 3. 

       You can be close to God only if you trust him, if you have faith in him.  But faith is like a living thing that needs feeding. You must constantly feed your faith by reviewing the basis for your beliefs.  Read Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 11:1, 6. 

5. How will drawing close to God benefit you?

      Jehovah cares for those who love him. He can protect them from anything that could jeopardize their faith and their hope of everlasting life.  (Psalm 91:1,2, 7-10)  He warns us against ways of life that threaten our health and happiness. Jehovah teaches us the best way of life. Read  Psalm 73:27, 28; James 4:4, 8. 

Next time:What Is the Good News About Religion?

From the Awake! magazine, 2014