If you’ve ever walked near the ocean, you know the shore is where the land meets shallow water. If you’ve been adventurous enough to step into the ocean, then you’ve discovered the farther out you go the deeper the water becomes. What once only covered your feet can suddenly cover your head.
Like the shores of the ocean, our walk with Christ can be shallow or it can be one of great depth—the choice is ours. Instead of continually growing in a relationship with Him—living in places of intimacy and oneness—we can find ourselves encountering God from a shallow place, doing “drive bys” or quick “drop-ins.” To experience the fullness of God and walk each day filled with the richest measure of His divine presence (Ephesians 3:19, AMP), we must allow ourselves to be uncomfortable with where we are and move out to where God wants us. In other words, we must find ourselves abiding in the Father making the deep places of the Spirit our constant dwelling (John 15:7).
God created us to be in relationship with Him. He designed us to walk intimately with Him and have His tangible presence continually operating in our lives, provoking others to desire the same for themselves.
As I meet believers in various parts of the world, particularly women, I’m amazed how many express having an inward pull for something greater. They love the Lord and in their hearts they know they’ve been called to experience Him deeper and serve Him in a greater capacity.
AWAKENING YOUR SOUL
To go deeper is to go beyond our natural way of living, extending every part of who we are to God. It’s taking on the nature of His Son and living out His life before the world around us. It’s an awakening of our souls, coming to the realization that we are loved, accepted, and have been made free, yet understanding our life is not our own.
Going deeper isn’t as complicated as some may believe. It’s multi-faceted, but not complicated. There are several ways we as believers can experience going deeper in our relationship with God.
3 Ways to Deepen Your Relationship with God:
1. Set your lives apart in prayer, not because you “have” to, but because you desire to.
It’s drawing near to God with an open heart, being receptive to whatever He may say. It’s pulling away from the distractions, drowning out the noise, and separating from a world that demands our time and attention. It’s approaching the throne of grace every day to hear His heart and aligning the contents and desires of our heart with His (Lamentations 2:19).
2. Make God’s Word a priority and the final authority in life.
It’s receiving all we need for every situation—meditating on verses of Scripture, repeating them over and over allowing them to penetrate deep within our hearts. God’s Word has the power and ability to transform every aspect of life. When we give place to the Word of God, pulling away from the distractions and busyness of the day, we find ourselves at the feet of Jesus. Like Mary, we receive something greater, which will never be taken away (Luke. 10:41-42).
3. Recognize and respond to the love of God that resides within you (Romans 5:5).
It’s moving beyond how we feel or what we have experienced and making a decision to love how Jesus loves. Because God is love, we must never forget that having a deeper relationship with Him is impossible without a deeper relationship with love (1 John. 4:8). When we allow God to flow through us, loving the unlovable awakens the soul and moves us from the shores of spiritual lethargy to the depths of spiritual awakening.
Colossians 2:3 states that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” History tells us that treasures are generally found in the deepest part of the ocean floor. To get them, someone must dive below the surface level beyond what can be seen. The treasures hidden in Christ belong to us today; they aren’t hidden from us, they’re hidden for us. We each have the ability to experience the treasures found in the deep, but it requires something of us—time, dedication, and commitment. The time and attention we give to our relationship with God will determine just how deep we go. Choose to plunge into the deep today—He’s waiting for you!
