I remember a time in my life when I found myself praying to God, really wanting Him to move in a particular situation. I was desperate for a solution. I wanted Him to swoop in like Superman and fix everything so I could just move on with my life. I prayed about the situation, shared with God how I felt, and simply asked Him to fix it.
I had prayed to God before—plenty of times—but this prayer was different. I was saying the words, but something felt off. There was a disconnect. It felt like God wasn’t hearing me. As I struggled to get the words out, the reason this prayer felt so different hit me like a ton of bricks: I hadn’t prayed to God in a long time. God was my friend, but…
No friend wants to be called on only when you need them to do something.
Once I realized this, it hit me that I couldn’t keep asking God to do something for me when my own relationship with Him wasn’t where it needed to be. I needed to make things right—not just with God, but within myself. I had to nurture a more intimate relationship with Him. I take time to go to work, hit the gym, spend time with my husband and family, and work hard to keep this ministry going—but I wasn’t giving God the time He deserved. I needed to change that. I needed to get closer to Him…
And stay there.
So, I ask you: Are you the type of person who only prays to God when you need Him to do something for you? What about when someone asks you to pray for them? Or when you post on social media, saying you’re praying for someone or using the prayer emoji? The deeper question is: Are you close enough to God that when you pray, it doesn’t feel forced or awkward?
This post isn’t just about prayer. It’s about growing closer to God so that you can pray—authentically and intimately. Once I identified the problem, here’s what I did to change things:
First, I had to acknowledge that I was wrong. I had to confess and ask God for forgiveness. As women, we wear so many hats, and it’s easy to get caught up in life’s busyness. I get it. The more life happens, the more God gets pushed to the back burner. But before I could move forward, I had to face that truth.
Next, I had to carefully consider the people I was surrounding myself with. Let’s be real, ladies—sometimes we just don’t get along with everyone. Yes, we want everyone to like us, and we want to like them too, but personality clashes are real. I’ve learned the hard way to keep certain people at arm's length. I'm very particular about who I let into my inner circle. I’ve been through too much and come too far for someone or something to pull me back to where I’ve worked so hard to leave. The Bible tells us that He will keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him. But I can’t keep my mind on God if it’s cluttered with negativity or distractions that separate me from Him.
Believe it or not, I’ve had to pay close attention to what I watch on TV and the music I listen to. I believe there are spirits behind entertainment—whether it’s television or music. I love music of all kinds, but I had to start reading the lyrics carefully. Let me tell you, I deleted a lot of songs. If it didn’t align with God’s Word, it had to go. My desire to please God became more important than anything else.
Then, I had to make a daily commitment to spend time with God. I don’t know about you, but I used to grab my phone first thing in the morning, only to be greeted by bad news or stressful messages. Starting my day on the wrong foot was a bad habit I had to break. I made a conscious effort to pray before doing anything else. I also use my Bible app throughout the day and have a stack of books to help me grow stronger in my faith. These books help me study the Bible more deeply, guiding me to understand God’s Word better.
Pray. Pray. Pray. Just like I spend time with my husband, I need to spend time with God. When my husband and I were dating, the more we talked and spent time together, the closer we became. God wants the same kind of focus and quality time. The Bible tells us not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything.
As I began to put these steps into practice, one thing I noticed was how my attitude and reactions changed. I didn’t respond the same way to situations I once would’ve reacted negatively to. I developed a sense of peace and calmness. There are things I can handle right away, but other things require me to pray and ask God for guidance.
With that said, I strive to remain consistent. I strive to pray more, study God’s Word more, because I’ve found that it gives me a peace that surpasses all understanding.
This blog is about the steps I took to get closer to God, and I pray that you see yourself in some of these areas. If you’re feeling distant from God or struggling to reconnect, know that you’re not alone. I’d love to support you on your journey. If you need help or would like to talk about how to get back on track, please reach out to me. I’m offering one-on-one support at no cost because I believe everyone deserves to experience the peace and closeness that comes with a deep relationship with God.
Let’s take this journey together. I can’t wait to hear from you and walk alongside you as you grow closer to Him.
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