Practical Ways to Cultivate a Richer Love for God
Here are some practical steps I’ve found helpful for fostering a growing love relationship with God:
1. Spend time reading or listening to the Bible to better understand who God is.
Take the time to engage with God in His word, to reflect on His character, and to meditate on His attributes.
As we ignore His Word for various reasons, we rob ourselves of what sustains faith, love, and fulfillment.
Conversely, reading God’s Word is food for the soul.
As you immerse yourself in the Bible, you will regularly feast on soul-reviving and life-changing words like—
As the Father has loved Me, I have loved you
You are fearfully and wonderfully made
You are holy, chosen, and loved
You are forgiven
There is, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
I have loved you with an everlasting love
I will never leave or forsake you
As you steep yourself in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will nurture your love.
As you immerse yourself in the Bible, you will regularly feast on soul-reviving and life-changing words like—As the Father has loved Me, I have loved you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are holy, chosen, and loved. You are forgiven.
2. Seek to establish a habit of prayer, noticing God, speaking with Him instead of just thinking to yourself.
Every time you want to reach for that phone, pause and trust Jesus’ presence. Or set aside regular/specific times to pray.
3. Obey God in your daily life.
Reading and praying aren’t the Christian life; they prepare us to live the Christian life. As our love (obedience) is tested in real life, we see God’s faithfulness and experience His protection and goodness.
God takes us deeper as we obey Him, and the Holy Spirit grows our love.
4. Engage in praise and worship.
Raise your hands and sing when the band leads in worship, read your Bible out loud and get on your knees to pray aloud. Don’t let your body keep your heart from loving God. Stated more positively, orient your body to serve your love for God. Position your body to reflect what you want your heart to express.
Orient your body to serve your love for God. Position your body to reflect what you want your heart to express.
5. Regularly examine your heart for idols or areas where you set your heart on something or someone above God.
Face your idols, your temptations, your blindspots, and your weakest areas with God. He knows, you know! It is the Holy Spirit that brings us liberty. Examine what you seek in these idols and why. Get to the root and give it to God. Let Him address these idols in your heart! It’s liberating and leads to fulfillment. And loving God, you may choose to deny this idol and to obey Him.
Examine what you seek in these idols and why. Get to the root and give it to God. Let Him address these idols in your heart! It’s liberating and leads to fulfillment.
6. Don’t do it alone.
Participate in a community of believers. Engage in the life of your church. Join a life group where you can discuss struggles, process truth and life, and pray for one another.
While loving the all-loving yet still invisible God takes conscious effort, His love shown on the cross, in His word, and in our lives calls us higher. May these practices deepen your intimacy with the Father and your love for Him.