Are you a new believer in Jesus? Or did you accept Christ as your Savior a while ago?  Are you  now feeling distant from Him?  Maybe you want  to grow close to Him and learn to know Him better? Wherever you are in your faith journey, Jesus is near to your heart and with you daily. His desire is for you to know Him, love Him, and grow in your faith-walk with Him.

So, what can we do to grow our faith?

First, to grow close to Christ, we must know Him so that we can imitate Him and follow His ways. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher you’re your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

To draw close to the Lord, we must immerse ourselves in His Word. So often, knowing and following what God’s Word says protects us and helps us stay on a path of righteousness.

Next, to grow our faith, we must worship the Lord with other believers. Attending church allows us to draw closer to Jesus as we learn from others and worship together. Proverbs 13:20 tells us that “whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Being in the presence of other godly people will help us grow in faith because we can learn from and support one another through life’s difficulties. 

In God’s Word, we also learn that Jesus was always doing good. Acts 10:38 says, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He (Jesus) went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

Likewise, we should be serving others as well. Service is so important because God uses us to meet one another’s needs. As we serve others, our focus moves away from our problems and selves and instead fills us with purpose and direction. When we treat others the way Jesus did, we become more like Him and grow in our faith. John 21:15-17 says, "When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’”

By loving others well, they will see Jesus through our actions and words. It is so important that Jesus tells Peter so emphatically to feed His sheep, which leads us directly to our final point of how to grow our faith. To increase our faith, we must follow Jesus’s teachings. God tells us that we will keep His commandments if we love Him. (John 14:15). Throughout Scripture, we are instructed to follow God’s ways. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:18 that we should grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So often, the way we react isn’t the way Jesus wants us to. His ways are different from the world’s ways. That’s why we need to know Him well. 

Finally, we must quiet ourselves and be still before the Lord, praying to Him. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer is the way we communicate with God. When we give Him our troubles, requests and confessions, it lightens our burdens. It gives us hope and peace. As we pray, we develop our faith and we learn to trust Him more. 

How can I grow closer to Jesus today? 

• Look to the Lord. Lift your eyes from your problems and look to Christ. He desires to be a part of your life. He wants to take your burdens from you. So, talk to Him in prayer.
• Trust Jesus and live life according to His Word. There are protection and blessings in following God’s ways.
• Remember that God paid the price for each of us, shedding His blood for our sins. Through Him, we can have a new life. So share His love with others. Tell them about Jesus and serve Him.
• Get involved with other believers and your church. Spend time worshiping the Lord and thanking Him for His grace, mercy and love.
• Pray God’s Word and focus on it. When struggles and trials come, remember you have the Holy Spirit living within you.
• Memorize God’s Word so that you can quote it out loud to yourself. 
• Serve others. In doing so, you are the hands and feet of Jesus to others. 

Hebrews 13:20 says, Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Finally, remember that your relationship with Jesus requires time and nurturing. Just like we spend time with those we love, we need to spend time with our Savior.