Come near to God and He will come near to you.”
— James 4:8a
It’s that time of the year again, when the world is full of joy, giving, and hope. The excitement of Christmas builds as people everywhere prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. Advent, which literally means ‘coming’ in Latin, is a time when Christians reminisce on the birth of Jesus Christ, while also anticipating His second coming.
It is also a great time to pause and reflect on the past year, while planning for the year ahead. You can use this season as a time to grow and strengthen your relationship with God, rekindling your time with the Creator and drawing near to Him.
Here are 6 powerful ways you can draw nearer to God during the Advent period:
Pray
We can all agree that authentic, constant communication works wonders for any earthly relationship. The same is true with God. When we come to Him, with humility and sincerity, He is moved to step into our situations.
The power of prayer is phenomenal. It brings salvation, refuge, healing, peace, prosperity, and so much more. The more we engage in it, the more we grow in our faith. We are spiritually strengthened. When this becomes our habit, impossibilities become possible in our lives.
Engage with God’s Word
This is how God speaks back to us after we pray to Him. Here, the pure character of God is revealed to us. It is our perfect road map in life. In this time of Advent, read and study the Word. Listen to the sermons of His servants.
Engage in Godly devotionals and resources. Read and watch edifying books and movies. Listen to songs written and rendered under the Holy Spirit’s influence. Just soak yourself in Scripture and meditate on it (Joshua 1:8). Additionally, when you immerse yourself in His Word, mountains become a plain.
God’s Word banishes fear, destroys discouragement, infuses hope, and brings true transformation.
Give Like Jesus
Christ didn’t hold anything back—He gave freely, paying the ultimate price, His life. Beloved, that ability, gift, resource, time, and energy God has given to you is for a magnificent purpose.
He gave them to you so you could use them to glorify Him and help others. In this season, receive grace to give like Jesus. Feed those who are hungry, clothe the naked, lend a helping hand, show love, give an encouraging word. The list goes on. When we give, God multiplies our sacrifice and gives back to us.
Volunteer to Help Others
Churches, communities, schools, orphanages, hospitals, prisons, care homes, and organizations are in need of genuine love and support.
The precious souls there are the very ones Christ came to save, as well. The Lord cherishes when we feed the hungry, clothe the poor, help the sick, and visit those in prison, etc (Matthew 25:31-40). When we volunteer our time, gifts, and service, we make God’s heart rejoice and He pulls us closer to Himself.
Get Baptized
If you haven’t made this public declaration of your solidarity with Christ, Advent is a perfect time to do so. Immersion in water in the name of the Holy Trinity is extremely important for every believer.
Get in touch with leaders in your church to find out how you can be baptized. This season is a glorious one to make your testimony in Christ shine.
Share the Amazing Love of Jesus
Don’t be silent about it! One of the best ways to draw nearer to Christ is to spread the gospel and evangelize. The salvation of a single soul sparks unimaginable jubilation in Heaven. Sometimes it’s when you share your faith with others that God draws you near to Himself.
We can make Christmas shine even brighter when we multiply the number of the redeemed who understand the sacrifice behind the season and worship the Master for it.
Isn’t it wonderful that the King of kings wants to be close to us? Believers have this awesome privilege. We should enjoy it to the fullest and trust God for grace to carry on.
Presently, as the world awaits Christmas in anticipation, we must awake each morning with even greater excitement, knowing that every single day is a blessed opportunity to draw nearer to Yahweh.
With love, Grace
Grace Anyanwu is a Christian psalmist, minister, writer, and author of I Choose to Wait. In 2016, Grace married her love and best friend, Dr. Miracle Anyanwu. She, alongside her husband, presides over various ministries such as Miracle Anyanwu Ministries (M.A.M), I Choose to Wait Movement (I.C.W.),The Miracle Anyanwu Foundation (MAF) – a non-profit charitable organization targeted primarily for the underprivileged in Africa. Grace loves encouraging and inspiring women to live boldly for Christ and she does that through Grace Encourages. Outside of ministry, they love traveling, relaxing on the beach, writing, watching movies, bowling, and spending time with loved ones. They are blessed with four lovely children.
