Deepen Your Relationship with the Lord

As we begin a new year, many of us make resolutions aimed at self-improvement. However, for Christians, the most important goal should be deepening our relationship with Christ. This guide explores how to cultivate a more meaningful spiritual connection in the year ahead.

Why Do We Need Spiritual Renewal?
In our busy lives, it's easy to let our relationship with God take a back seat. We may profess our love for Jesus, but our actions don't always reflect that commitment. True spiritual growth requires intentionally pursuing three key outcomes:

• Knowing Christ better
• Showing Christ's love freely to others
• Sharing the good news about Jesus

How Can We Deepen Our Connection with Christ?
1. Surrender to God's Will
Deepening your spiritual life starts with surrendering control to God. This means:

• Letting go of your right to dictate your own path
• Trusting God's plan over your own
• Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance
• Making time for consistent intimacy with God through prayer and Bible study

2. Take Responsibility for Sin
We must:

• Honestly acknowledge our wrongdoing
• Stop making excuses for sin
• Seek genuine transformation
• Allow the Holy Spirit to work on changing harmful habits
• Desire to become more Christ-like

3. Reject Self-Reliance
True spiritual growth requires:

• Humbly admitting our dependence on Christ
• Recognizing we can't achieve spiritual growth through our own efforts
• Relying on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and strength
• Allowing our weaknesses to showcase God's power

What Prevents Deeper Spiritual Connection?
Common obstacles include:

• Busyness and misplaced priorities
• Inconsistent prayer and Bible study
• Making excuses for sin
• Pride and self-reliance
• Comparing ourselves to others instead of Christ

Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to:

• Set aside specific daily time for prayer and Bible reading
• Identify one area where you need to surrender control to God
• Confess and repent of any sin you've been justifying
• Look for opportunities to share Christ's love with others

Ask yourself:

• Am I truly putting Christ first in my daily decisions?
• What areas of my life am I still trying to control instead of surrendering to God?
• How can I be more intentional about cultivating intimacy with God?
• What sin do I need to stop making excuses for?

Remember: The more intentional you are about deepening your connection with Christ, the richer your experience of His presence and direction will be in your life.