3 Ways To Grow In Your Relationship with God in 2024

3 WAYS TO GROW YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IN 2024

1. Elevate scripture over your experience.

When we pursue Christ, we must always submit our experiences to the authority of His word. When there is something we don’t understand, instead of dismissing it, or bringing scripture to the level of our experience, patiently wait for God to make it known to you. God reveals the more we sit at his feet.

This means that, have a teachable spirit. Growth comes when we are willing to learn new things when the Spirit of God brings about deeper illumination of the Word. We must become flexible to God whose ways are higher than our ways, and whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Many times believers make a mistake, when they are struggling to grasp a doctrine of scripture or struggling to conquer certain habits or sins or strongholds in their lives, they usually base their theology around their inability to understand instead of asking God to illuminate scripture. Asking questions should be the lifestyle of a disciple because a disciple in a nutshell is a learner.  Lord, I don’t understand, help me understand and be patient enough to sit consistently in his presence till they know, till the strongholds submit to Christ and the power of his word and the leading guidance of his Spirit. God will not lead you astray, you must appreciate where you are but understand also that  where you are is only a step in a stairway there’s more to be uncovered and known, which will lead to greater acts of faith.

2. Submit daily to God. This is how you will discern and learn to move with him.

God is always working, always moving, always in the business of manifesting his word in our lives. He wants you to know all his ways, not just some. He wants to reveal himself to you as a provider and show you many ways in which he provides, one season he can provide just enough, like the widow of Zeraphath, 1 Kings 17:7-16 in another season he will bring you to a land flowing with milk and honey, Exodus 3:17. Therefore it is submitting to Him daily that we will get to be acquainted with every season God calls us to. When we understand God's ways, we can live in contentment instead of striving and acting out of impatience. Submitting to the work he wants to do in our lives.

 Every season God calls us into is meant to make us more like Christ and to develop a Christ-like character in us. God works in us for our sanctification, thereby sharing in His Holiness. We must mature in our faith and the knowledge of the Son of God so that we can come to such unity, that we will no longer be infants tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, Ephesians 4:13-14

God will also reveal himself in many ways, as a healer and, and also reveal the many ways in which he will bring about healing in our lives. To Naaman, He said go dip yourself in the river seven times and you shall be healed. 2 Kings 5:14 And to another he sent a word and healed them, Psalm 107:20 KJV. God cannot be boxed, hence a passive and lazy Christian will not know him. God must be sought after, meaning it must be a daily pursuit. God must be loved above all things and everyone in your life. You must get to the point of the revelation that truly no one lives by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

From there on, growth will happen exponentially.

3. Step out in faith to grow. Come out of the boat. 

”And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Living inside the boat of fear will not grant you the ability to know God and his ways. The Bible says we must know God experientially, Philippians 3:10-12 AMP. Knowing him by experience is one of the fastest ways to grow. Our faith is not only in mere talk, but it is in living by the power of God's Spirit, and power is seen when we step out to go and apply what we have come to know about God in his word. What has God laid in your heart to do? What have you been praying about? You have to come out of the boat and do it! You must break free from fear and step out. 

In the scripture above Peter decided to leave the other disciples in the boat and step out in faith and as a result, he walked on water, though fear took hold of him, but yet he through the act of faith, he encountered the God who delivers him from all his fears. Now this experience taught Peter that the next time he steps out, God will always be by his side to deliver him. Experience builds confidence. Peter heard Jesus say, come! And he did not hesitate he stepped out.

Will you step out this year? Is God calling you to start a business? Is he calling you to start preaching to others, is he calling you to start serving in the local church, is he calling you to use your gifts more. Stepping out in faith will grow you faster than anything. Go! Experience the word becoming flesh in your life. God is with you, to back up his word.

Those are some of the ways you can grow in your walk with the Lord this year. I pray they bless you and summon faith as you read. Please leave us a comment if the article blessed you, and share it with a friend.

Prayer 

FATHER I pray in Jesus' name. I want to know and become thoroughly acquainted with your ways, in my work, in my family, and in my ministry may I know you. May I come to know Christ and become one with him this year. May you fill me with your Spirit and remind me of the faithful promises of your word. I thank you, Lord that you are more invested in my growth than I can ever be. I ask that you be glorified in my life as I grow in you. In Jesus's name Amen.