Five Tips to Draw Close to God When He Seems Distant

Mignon McLaughlin wrote, “The young do not need God and the old cannot find him.”Feeling distant from God can have many origins, but it's what we do about the distance that determines how long that feeling will last. Chances are either you or someone you know, struggles with drawing close to God. It happens to all of us and often we don't know what to do, or what to advise, to feel close to God again.During my years of ministry, I’ve come up with the following five tips to help those who feel God is off their radar. I hope you find them helpful.

Five Tips to Draw Close to God   

1.  Where were you spiritually the last time you felt close to God? What did you do then in your relationship with Jesus that you are not doing now? Begin doing those things again (see Revelation 2:4,5).2.  Identify your fears and anxieties—these often overwhelm our thoughts and cause God to be pushed into the background. Meet with a godly friend, pastor, or trusted Christian counselor to process your anxieties before the Lord.3.  Practice self care by treating yourself to some “Jesus and Me” time with a quiet walk or an hour alone with God and your thoughts in a quiet coffee shop. I’ve found that a massage or pedicure works great to relax my spirit and draw me back into a quiet place with Jesus.4.  Are you walking in obedience to what God has already told you to do? If not, change your direction and obey. Disobedience causes us to feel distant from God.5.  Malcolm de Chazal said, “We always keep God waiting while we admit more importunate suitors.” Where are you investing your time? Eliminate some time drainers and begin to engage in worship, prayer, reading the Psalms, and hanging out with other followers of Christ.No one said it would be easy. A relationship with God, like any other relationship, takes intentional action on our part, even if all we do is decide to sit at the feet of Jesus and wait.What have you found helpful for those times when you need to draw close to God? What has worked for you?