How You Can Draw Close to God

“Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you,” says James 4:8. Showing how much Jehovah God wants humans to have a close relationship with him, he gave his Son in our behalf.

IN RESPONSE to that loving overture, the apostle John wrote: “We love [God], because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) But for us personally to draw close to God, we must take certain steps. They are similar to the four ways that we draw close to fellow humans, as outlined in the preceding article. Let us now examine these.

Observe God’s Wonderful Qualities

God has many wonderful qualities, some of the most outstanding being his love, wisdom, justice, and power. His wisdom and power are abundantly demonstrated both in the distant universe and in the world around us, from mighty galaxies to tiny atoms. The psalmist wrote: “The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and of the work of his hands the expanse is telling.”​—Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20.

Creation also reflects God’s love. The way we are made, for example, shows that God wants us to enjoy life. He gave us the ability to see colors, to taste and smell, to appreciate music, to laugh, to enjoy beauty, also giving us many other faculties and traits that are not absolutely essential for life. Yes, God truly is generous, kind, and loving​—qualities that undoubtedly contribute to his being “the happy God.”​—1 Timothy 1:11; Acts 20:35.

Jehovah glories in the fact that the exercise of his sovereignty and the support of it by his intelligent creatures are based primarily on love. (1 John 4:8) True, Jehovah is the Universal Sovereign, but he treats humans, especially his loyal servants, as a loving father treats his children. (Matthew 5:45) He spares nothing that is for their good. (Romans 8:38, 39) As mentioned, he even gave the life of his only-begotten Son in our behalf. Yes, God’s love is the reason we exist and have the prospect of eternal life.​—John 3:16.

Jesus gave us deep insight into God’s personality because he perfectly imitated his Father. (John 14:9-11) He was totally unselfish, considerate, and thoughtful. On one occasion, Jesus was presented to a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. You can imagine that the man might have been uncomfortable in crowds. Interestingly, Jesus took this man to a private spot and cured him there. (Mark 7:32-35) Do you appreciate people who are sensitive to your feelings and who respect your dignity? If so, then you will definitely draw closer to Jehovah and Jesus as you learn more about them.

Think About God’s Qualities

Someone can have wonderful qualities, but we need to think about that person in order to be drawn to that one. The same applies to Jehovah. Meditating on his qualities is a vital second step in drawing close to him. King David, a man who truly loved Jehovah and was “agreeable to [Jehovah’s] heart,” said: “I have remembered days of long ago; I have meditated on all your activity; I willingly kept myself concerned with the work of your own hands.”​—Acts 13:22; Psalm 143:5.

 When you observe the wonders of creation or read God’s Word, the Bible, do you, like David, meditate on what you see and read? Imagine a son who has just received a letter from his father for whom he has deep affection. How would he view that letter? He certainly would not just scan its contents and toss it into a drawer. Rather, he would study it, extracting from it every detail and nuance. Likewise, God’s Word should be precious to us, just as it was to the psalmist who sang: “How I do love your law! All day long it is my concern.”​—Psalm 119:97.

Maintain Good Communication

Good communication is the lifeblood of any relationship. It involves speaking and listening​—and not just with the mind but with the heart as well. We speak to the Creator by means of prayer, which is worshipful address to God. Jehovah delights in the prayers of those who love and serve him and who acknowledge Jesus Christ as His chief representative.​—Psalm 65:2; John 14:6, 14.

In the past, God spoke to humans in a variety of ways, including in visions, in dreams, and through angels. Nowadays, however, he does so by means of his written Word, the Holy Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16) The written Word has many advantages. It can be consulted at any time. Like a letter, it can be savored over and over again. And it is not subject to the distortions that often mark oral retelling. So think of the Bible as a large collection of letters from your beloved heavenly Father, and through these letters allow him to speak to you daily.​—Matthew 4:4.

For instance, the Bible sets out Jehovah’s view of right and wrong. It explains his purpose for mankind and for the earth. And it reveals his dealings with a broad range of people and nations, from loyal worshipers to bitter enemies. By having his interactions with humans recorded in this way, Jehovah has painted an exceptionally detailed portrait of his personality. He reveals his love, joy, sorrow, disappointment, anger, mercy, concern​—yes, the range of his thoughts and feelings, and the underlying reasons for these—​all in a way humans can readily understand.​—Psalm 78:3-7.

After you have read a portion of God’s Word, how can you benefit from your reading? And, in particular, how can you draw closer to God? First, think about what you have read and learned about God as a person, letting the points reach your heart. Then in prayer tell Jehovah your thoughts and innermost feelings about the material you have considered and how you will try to benefit from it. That is communication. Of course, if you have other things on your mind as well, these can certainly be included in your prayer.

Do Things Together With God

The Bible says of certain faithful men of old that they walked with, or before, the true God. (Genesis 6:9; 1 Kings 8:25) What does that mean? Essentially that they lived each day as though God were right there with them. True, they were sinful. Yet, they loved God’s laws and principles, and they lived in harmony with God’s purpose. Jehovah is drawn to such  ones, and he cares for them, as shown at Psalm 32:8: “I shall make you have insight and instruct you in the way you should go. I will give advice with my eye upon you.”

You too can have Jehovah as an intimate friend​—one who walks with you, cares for you, and gives you fatherly advice. The prophet Isaiah described Jehovah as being “the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk.” (Isaiah 48:17) As we experience these benefits, we sense Jehovah’s presence “at [our] right hand,” as it were, just as David did.​—Psalm 16:8.

God’s Name​—Focus of His Qualities

Many religions and an increasing number of Bible translations fail to use and make known God’s personal name. (Psalm 83:18) Yet, in the original Hebrew text, that name​—Jehovah—​appears about 7,000 times! (Inconsistently, while removing the divine name, most Bible translators  retain the names of the many false gods mentioned in the original text, such as Baal, Bel, Merodach, and even Satan!)

Some people feel that the omission of God’s name is a trivial matter. But think: Is it harder or easier to develop a close, enlightened relationship with a nameless person? Such titles as God and Lord (which are also used of false gods) might draw attention to Jehovah’s power, authority, or position, but only his personal name identifies him unequivocally. (Exodus 3:15; 1 Corinthians 8:5, 6) The personal name of the true God captures his qualities and characteristics. Theologian Walter Lowrie rightly stated: “A man who does not know God by name does not really know him as a person.”

Consider the example of Maria, a sincere Catholic living in Australia. When Jehovah’s Witnesses first met her, Maria allowed the Witnesses to show her God’s name in the Bible. How did she respond? “When I first saw God’s name in the Bible, I wept. I was so moved by the knowledge that I could actually know and use the personal name of God.” Maria continued to study the Bible, and for the first time in her life, she got to know Jehovah as a person and was able to build a lasting relationship with him.

Yes, we can “draw close to God,” even though we cannot see him with our literal eyes. We can “see” his exquisitely beautiful personality in our minds and hearts and thereby grow in our love for him. Such love “is a perfect bond of union.”​—Colossians 3:14.

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Jehovah Responds to Your Love for Him

RELATIONSHIPS are two-way. As we draw close to God, he responds by drawing closer to us. Consider his feelings for aged Simeon and Anna, both of whom received special mention in the Bible. The Gospel writer Luke tells us that Simeon was “righteous and reverent,” awaiting the Messiah. Jehovah observed these fine qualities in Simeon and showed love for this dear old man by revealing to him that “he would not see death before he had seen the Christ.” Jehovah kept his promise and directed Simeon to the infant Jesus, brought by His parents to the temple in Jerusalem. Thrilled and deeply appreciative, Simeon embraced the infant and prayed: “Now, Sovereign Lord, you are letting your slave go free in peace according to your declaration; because my eyes have seen your means of saving.”​—Luke 2:25-35.

“In that very hour,” Jehovah also demonstrated his love for 84-year-old Anna by directing her to Jesus as well. This precious widow, the Bible tells us, was always at the temple “rendering sacred service” to Jehovah. Overflowing with appreciation, she, like Simeon, thanked Jehovah for his extraordinary kindness, after which she spoke about the child “to all those waiting for Jerusalem’s deliverance.”​—Luke 2:36-38.

Yes, Jehovah observed how deeply Simeon and Anna loved and feared him and how concerned they were with the outworking of his purpose. Do such Bible accounts not draw you to Jehovah?

Like his Father, Jesus also discerned the real inner person. While teaching at the temple, he observed a “needy widow” donate just “two small coins of very little value.” To other observers her gift would have been insignificant but not so to Jesus. He praised this woman because she gave all she had. (Luke 21:1-4) Hence, we can rest assured that Jehovah and Jesus appreciate us if we give them our best, whether our gift is great or small.

While God rejoices in those who love him, he feels hurt when humans turn away from him and follow a course of wrongdoing. Genesis 6:6 tells us that Jehovah “felt hurt at his heart” because of the badness of mankind before the Flood of Noah’s day. Later, disobedient Israelites repeatedly “put God to the test, and they pained even the Holy One of Israel,” says Psalm 78:41. Yes, God is not an aloof “First Cause” without feelings. He truly is a person, one whose feelings are not unbalanced or dulled by imperfection, as are ours.

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Reflecting on Jehovah’s creation is one way to draw close to him