Summary: Do you ever feel distant from God? Do you long to be close to Him? In today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast we’ll talk about 14 practical things you can do to get closer to God.<br> <br> 14 Practical Ways to Get Closer to God<br> The more intentional we are about our relationships, the better those relationships will be. Let’s look at some practical things we can do to get closer to God. I’ll give a short list here and then go into more depth in the podcast.<br> <br> Find something you enjoy doing with Him. If you dread your quiet time, you won’t want to do them. In the past, I didn’t feel like doing quiet times because I thought they were boring. I found something I enjoyed doing, though, and all of a sudden I wanted to do my quiet times. Some of the ideas we talk about on the podcast are <a href="https://barbraveling.com/2014/03/09/how-to-truth-journal/">truth journaling</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waY2Y9x9Zi8">Scripture meditation</a>, the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/reimagining-the-examen/id1065042173?mt=8">Examen app</a>, <a href="https://barbraveling.com/free-bible-studies/">topical Bible studies</a>, and any of these <a href="https://barbraveling.com/renewing-of-the-mind-tools/">renewing of the mind activities</a>. Don’t worry about beginning with something simple, as you can always progress later to more Bible reading, etc. The key in the beginning is to establish the habit.<br> Meet with God each day during the time of day that you’re most alert. The advice we usually hear on this topic is to have your quiet time as soon as you wake up. That works for me and for many others, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you’re a person who has more energy or self-control later in the day, it may be better to schedule your devotional time for that time of day. If you struggle with discipline in quiet times like I did for twenty years, try journaling through<a href="https://barbraveling.com/2013/07/31/how-to-make-yourself-have-a-quiet-time-orrenew-your-mind/"> these questions and Bible verses</a>.<br> Do a “closeness check” at the beginning of your time together. In the past, I used to begin each quiet time with a closeness check. I’d ask, “Am I feeling close to God?” If the answer was no, I’d think back to the previous day to see if there was anything I needed to talk to God about. I’d confess any sin that I needed to confess (often heart sin such as bad attitudes) and work through anything I needed to work through with Him. We’ll talk more about the reasons for not feeling close (sin, idolatry, and not accepting what you need to accept) in the podcast and what you can do about it.<br> Believe that He loves you. Have you ever been in a relationship in which the person actually loved you, but for some reason you felt like they didn’t love you? When this happens to us, it makes us not trust that person or feel close to them. The same thing happens when we feel like God doesn’t love us. If you feel like He doesn’t love you right now, try praying through the following Bible verses and picture God doing the things He says He’ll do in those verses. The first couple of times I tried this, it was transformative: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/2012/09/21/insecurity-bible-verses/">Insecurity Bible verses</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1%3A9&version=NASB">1 John 1:9</a>.<br> Work on letting go of your idols and sin. When we feel like we have to have certain things to be happy, it interferes with our relationship with God. So does sin. It’s impossible to completely get rid of sin and idols, but the more progress we make in those areas, the closer we’ll feel to God. Here are a couple of posts/blog series that will help: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/2013/05/26/how-to-break-free-from-idolatry/"></a>
