Six ways we can get closer to Jesus in our lives
When you have a close friend you spend a lot of time together. You miss each other when you are apart and you look forward to being together again.
Do we feel the same way about spending time with Jesus? If we don’t, we can work to change that.
How can we get closer to Jesus in our lives? Spend time with Jesus.
That sounds like a simple answer, but how can we spend time with Jesus? What can we actually do to spend time with Him?
There are many ways we can spend time with Jesus. The amount of ways is limited only by your imagination. I am sharing a few different ways here; use them as inspiration to find more ways you can spend time with our beloved Savior.
1. Pray.
Pray. This is number one. In the Bible, Jesus teaches us how to pray. In Matthew 6: 9-13, He gave us the Our Father.
When we pray, we place ourselves in the presence of God. We ask Him for help, we praise Him, we thank Him, and we cry out to Him.
We can be our true selves with God. We do not need to hide anything from Him because He knows us. He created us and He loves us so much. He wants us to come to Him in everything.
One easy way to begin praying every day is to start off each day with a Morning Offering prayer. By praying this prayer first thing in the morning, we offer our day to God. It also can help us to be more mindful of Him throughout the day.
How to “Pray About It” and Learning How to Pray: Lectio Divina share more methods of prayer you can use. In the Prayers section of Blessed Catholic Mom, you can find over 20 pages of prayers. You can pray a different one each day!
2. Participate in the Mass.
The holy sacrifice of the Mass is a prayer itself. We praise, honor, and worship God as well as receive Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
While we privately pray during Mass, it is also a prayer we share as a community. We pray with our fellow believers as we face the altar.
In the Eucharist, God Shows His Love for Us shares more about Jesus’ love for us in this Sacrament of sacrifice and unity.
3. Spend time in Adoration.
Spending time in front of the tabernacle or before Jesus in a monstrance in adoration is another way to spend time with Him. When we do this we are physically present with Him.
I often think of the Garden of Gethsemane when I think of spending time in adoration. Jesus asked his apostles to spend time with Him in prayer. I can accept this invitation as well and spend time with Him.
How to make the most of your time with Jesus in Adoration shares ways to help you draw closer to God during your time in adoration.
4. Go to Confession.
In the Sacrament of Confession God wipes away our sins. The priest is the servant of God who we speak to, but it is God who forgives us.
Confession brings us closer to God in three ways.
- We examine our conscience to see where we have harmed God, others, and ourselves through sin.
- We tell God we are sorry for our sins and ask for His forgiveness.
- God forgives us.
This process draws us closer to God because we are focusing more on our relationship with Him and desiring a closer relationship. Jesus is always waiting for us. He always welcomes us. In the sacrament of Confession, we accept His invitation and come to Him.
In the Sacrament of Confession, God Shows His Love for Us shares more about this wonderful healing Sacrament.
Examination of Conscience, Prayer Before Confession, and the Act of Contrition can help you as you prepare for your next Confession.
5. Read the Bible.
In addition to prayer, the Bible is one of the best ways to get to know God. How can we have a closer relationship with Him if we do not know Him? The Old and New Testament books share details about God’s promises and Jesus’ life. They both guide and help us so we can one day be with God in Heaven.
The more we learn about God and all Jesus has done for us, the more we want to know and the more we love, understand, and trust in Him. We draw closer to Jesus by learning more about Him.
A Bible Reading Plan for Beginners- 3 Different Ways You Can Read the Bible in Just 15 Minutes a Day is a great post to help you plan your Bible reading time.
6. Help others with a heart of service.
St. Mother Teresa saw God in those she helped. When she looked at a person dying in the streets, she did not turn away but served with a heart full of love and compassion. She is an example of God’s love in action.
Serving others with love in our hearts is a way to get closer to God. Seeing God in others and loving others because they are children of God are ways to grow closer to the heart of Jesus.
There are so many things we can do! We can smile at someone, we can pay for the meal of someone behind us in the drive-through. We can go that extra step to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Refraining from saying an unkind word is also an act of love towards someone.
We can ask God to help us to serve Him well in all ways and to see the opportunities He places before us to do so.
In John 15:12 Jesus said, “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.” This is His command. We know He did not tell us to do anything He did not do. We know He will be with us to help us as we live our His commands.
Getting closer to Jesus enriches our lives.
Jesus loves us so much that He sacrificed Himself on the cross for us. There is no greater love than the true love He showed us.
We can spend time in prayer, go the Mass, receive the sacraments, read the Bible to learn more about Him, and serve others as ways to get closer to Jesus.
3 Ways to Deepen Your Relationship with Christ provides more ways to get closer to Jesus.
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