HOW TO GET CLOSER WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER & SOLITUDE

Most of us want to get closer with God, but so often, life gets in the way. With all the distractions and challenges we face every day, it seems almost impossible.

And sometimes, no matter how hard we try, something is still missing.

Our to-do lists stretch for miles, and at times, it feels like it’s all we can do to just get through the day.

And with everything going on in our world over these last few years, God seems farther away than ever.

We need God. We want God in our life.

But where is He?

Having a close relationship with Him feels hopeless.

But thankfully, it’s easier than you’d think!

Although, there are many things we can do to get closer with God, today we’re going to talk about the power of prayer and solitude, as we continue through our series on a spiritual reset.

[Scroll to the bottom for the video, How to Incorporate Prayer & Solitude in Your Day.]

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How to pray to get closer with God

In prayer, your faith will move you from the realm of religion into a true relationship with God. There is no other habit like prayer that can really transform your walk with God into a deep personal sense of fellowship with Him.

Rev. David Yarborough

We talk a lot about prayer in our life. 

“I’ll pray for you.”

“I need to pray for about that.”

“I should pray more.”

Although we have good intentions, often times we don’t actually follow through. 

I mean think about it for a moment.

How many times have you told someone, “I’ll pray for you,” but then get distracted and wind up forgetting it altogether?

Yeah, I’ve been there too, my friend!

I think we typically feel intimidated about talking to God. We make it far more difficult than it truly needs to be; or we think, “I’ll pray for them later.”

But by the time we pour ourselves into bed at night, we start our prayers and fall asleep before we finish, “Dear Lord….”

Sound about right?

Prayer is actually quite simple. In fact, it’s nothing more than deliberate communication with God.

That’s it!

It doesn’t have to be formal. It doesn’t have to be perfect or polished.

All you have to do is just start talking!

 Check out 15 Best Prayer Journals to Strengthen Your Prayer Life.

The Enemy doesn’t want us to get close TO God

Satan knows the incredible power of prayer, and he’ll fight like crazy to keep us from growing closer to God.

In fact, his #1 goal is to separate us from God and each other.

So when we’re sitting in the Presence of God and building a relationship with Him, Satan will work to stop it by making you believe prayer has to be harder than it actually is.

How does prayer get us closer to God

Prayer helps us…

• Build a relationship with God.
• Seek His wisdom on how to go through life.
• Open up to fully receive the blessings He wants to pour out on us.
• Learn how to listen for His guidance.

The reason we’re including prayer in our spiritual reset is because it keeps us in His Presence and helps us forge and/or deepen our relationship with Him.

We simply have to talk to Him as if we’re talking to a friend.

In other words, prayer takes you from just knowing ABOUT God to actually knowing Him on a deeper level.

It’s the key to our spiritual growth.

How does solitude draw us closer to god

This brings me to another area of prayer that we need to address — solitude.

Simply put, solitude is the quality or state of being alone.

Although it would be great if we could jet off to a beach somewhere and soak in the ocean breezes, we have to learn how to find that peace and solitude in our every day.

And it’s not as hard as you might think.

“Physical isolation, stillness and silence may all work to enhance solitude, but they’re not required for its existence.” Brett and Kate McCay The Art of Manliness

If we want to get closer with God in the chaos of our day, we have to disconnect for a few minutes, and intentionally set our mind on Him. We must quiet the distractions in our mind, and focus solely on God and where He is leading us.

Since solitude is more about the state of mind, even when there’s no time to lock yourself into your war room, you can still experience the transformation of a spiritual reset.

You see, God wants us to wrestle with life’s challenges and trials in His Presence. So, taking a few minutes each day to mentally shut out the world and set our minds on Him will help us uncover all He has for us.

The power of Prayer and solitude to GET closer WITH God

Prayer and solitude…

• Allow us to put on the armor of God and suit up for battle every day.

In other words, we’re less affected by the challenges in our lives and better able to handle our emotions when they come.

• Provide a safe place to examine our motivations, habits and behaviors.

• Fill us with His grace, love, wisdom and guidance.

The more we spend time in His presence through prayer and solitude, the more we become like Jesus. 

A Spiritual Reset to Grow Closer to God

To incorporate prayer and solitude into your spiritual reset, all you need to do is take 10-15 minutes each day and intentionally set your mind on God.

Talk to Him throughout the day.

Go to Him with questions you have. Tell Him what’s bothering you and praise Him when you find His blessings peppered in the chaos. In fact, in the Spiritual Reset Journal, I walk you through what to reflect on to help you transform your quiet time with Him.

We want to create daily habits and experiences to develop, grow and strengthen our Spirit. So just like anything else, when we get started, it takes practice.

If we want to… 

• Stop suffocating in our pain
• Stop worrying about everyone and everything around us
• Enjoy a fulfilled life
• Have a deeper relationship with God

...we have to participate in the transformation we want to see through prayer and solitude.

WHAT to pray to DRAW closer to God

As you go through your spiritual reset (and every day after that), here are some important topics to pray when you’re trying to draw closer to God.

Thank Him for His constant Presence.

“And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 AMPC

Every morning as I sit down with a hot cup of chai, my Bible and prayer journal, I start by thanking Jesus for his sacrifice, which allows me to always be in His Presence.

Pray for rest from the trials and challenges in your life.

“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. ²⁹ Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. ³⁰ For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” Matthew 11:28-30 TPT

When life is hard, and it feels like the challenges will never end, nothing brings me comfort and peace quicker than resting quietly in His loving arms.

Pray for a closer relationship with Him.

“Be strong and courageous. Don’t tremble! Don’t be afraid of them! The Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He won’t abandon you or leave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 GW

As I stated earlier, if we want to see a transformation in our life and grow closer to God, we have to spend time getting to know Him.

Pray for wisdom and revelation

“Wisdom is a gift from a generous God, and every word he speaks is full of revelation and becomes a fountain of understanding within you.” Proverbs 2:6 TPT

We have a very limited perspective from where we stand, and when life is falling apart around us, it’s incredibly hard to process. But, thankfully, when we seek His wisdom and revelation about our life, the game changes and life becomes more clear!

Can I get an amen?

Pray for discernment to know what’s coming from Him and what isn’t.

“Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.” 2 Timothy 2:7 NLT

I don’t know about you, but I often struggle trying to figure out if what I’m feeling is from God or if it’s just more guilt from the enemy, so I turn to God to uncover the truth.

Pray for ears to hear from Him

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 NIV

Learning how to listen to God takes practice and spiritual discipline, so asking God to help you listen for His guidance is important in growing closer to Him.

Pray for courage to go where He’s leading you.

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 TPT

A big component to getting closer to God is finding the courage to step out of your comfort zone and go where He is calling you.

daily Prayers to get closer TO God

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need a couple of examples to get my creative juices flowing.

So here are a couple of prayers you can use during your spiritual reset to grow closer to God. (You can grab my free prayer cards from the community library.)

Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you for the opportunity to sit in your Presence. I ask for your wisdom today. Reveal any areas where I’m not honoring you. Show me your path for me and how to walk that out. Teach me how to listen for your guidance and give me the courage to walk it out in obedience. Open my eyes to the blessings that I know can be found in my challenges. Lord, remind me today to take a pause — to think about you, set my mind on you, and be refreshed by you. In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen

Another example is praying the scriptures, and a great place to start is the Psalms. In fact, one of my favorite passages is Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord Forever. NLT

There’s nothing more powerful than praising God through the hard times, and since Satan knows the power of prayer and solitude with God, there’s nothing that defeats him quicker!

Prayer & Solitude Wrap Up

This week as you work through your spiritual reset, focus on communicating with God.

Start your morning in prayer. Communicate with Him throughout the day. And finally, end your day praising Him.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be formal or rehearsed. You don’t have to lock yourself away from the world.

Just start talking to Him!

I’d love to hear from you. Comment below or send me a prayer request and tell me how I can pray for you throughout this spiritual reset.

Until next time, my friend…

P.S. Before you go, be sure to grab my FREE, 4 Steps to a Spiritual Reset to guide you and help you get closer with God.

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