10 Tips for a Closer Connection with God
10 Tips
for a Closer Connection with God
Discover 10 Tips for a Closer Connection with God. Find ways to live our Catholic faith more fully in prayer and in what we do.
10 Tips for a Closer Connection with God
1. Learn to Pray Always
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18)
Praying always is an attitude of the heart. Life is more than daily routines. How we do them makes a difference. When we are aware of God’s presence in our everyday life, our activities take on a new perspective. We can have a grateful heart when things are going well and pray for strength in times of difficulty. Our focus is on our relationship with God throughout the day.
2. Have a Routine of Prayer
We are more likely to pray daily with a routine in place. It can give us a different perspective when we invite God into our day.
We can schedule it as a structured time or a daily to-do list. Once we choose a time that works for us, we can look forward to it. We will focus better during prayer if we still have energy. It can become the best part of our day.
3. Read the Bible Regularly
Reading a Catholic Bible helps our faith come alive and reminds us of our spiritual roots.
- Start with a prayer.
- Choose to read a section in order. It will help keep it in context and make it easier to understand.
- Take enough time. We can visualize ourselves in a scene and reflect on a specific part of it. It will give us a different experience every time we read it.
4. Attend Mass with an Awareness of God's Presence
The words, music, and routine of the Mass can become very familiar, but that is not our focus. It is a unique opportunity to remember our Saviour’s sacrifice and to spend time in His presence. At Mass, we receive God’s gift of grace in a way that is unlike anything else. It is our connection with God.
5. Receive the Eucharist Prayerfully and with Humility
When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we receive more than the host that we see with our eyes. We receive our loving Saviour, Whom we know in our hearts. All that is needed is to open our hearts to His will. Our prayer can be:
Lord, Jesus, make my heart like Yours.
6. Make Time to Pray by the Tabernacle and at Adoration
When we bring our concerns to prayer, we can lay them at His feet and then leave them there. Our prayers are not about pleading for our needs. God knows what they are. It is about spending time with Him, present in the Eucharist. We can learn to rest in God’s presence as we focus on Him. When we open our hearts to the movement of His grace, then we can experience life from a new depth.
7. Make a Regular Confession
Life is a journey of self-discovery, which means realizing our strengths. It also means having a growing awareness of our flaws. When we choose to carry that ourselves, we can continue to make the same mistakes and have a lot of regrets. The Sacrament of Reconciliation helps us to let go of our weaknesses and rely on God’s grace. Instead of focusing on negative things, we can learn to turn to God because we need Him. It helps us find the strength to move forward and reach the potential God placed in our hearts.
8. Pray the Rosary with Greater Devotion
Praying the rosary means repeating familiar prayers. Yet, this prayer is more than words or beads. It’s about love. The Mysteries and prayers can calm our hearts and remind us to follow God’s will. We learn from the lives of Jesus and our Blessed Mother and pray for the grace to follow their examples.
When we struggle with distractions, we do not have to feel limited by them. We can take that moment to ask for the grace to pray from the depth of our hearts. Then we can let it go and continue praying.
9. Ask for the Intercession of the Saints
When we ask for the intercession of the saints, they kneel beside us in prayer. We can choose a saint who is the patron of a concern we want to pray about. For example, St. Joseph is the patron saint of families. When we ask for the help of a saint, we join our prayers with someone holy who lives in God’s heavenly presence. We never pray alone when a saint is praying with us.
10. Love Our Neighbours
Our relationship with God does not end with ourselves. The love God gives us is so great that our hearts cannot contain it. It overflows to others. The first way we can love others is by praying for them. We can also share our time, skills, and resources. Whether we listen, share a word of encouragement, or make a donation, how we do it matters. Treating others with dignity means not expecting anything in return. It means giving to those we may never meet. Charity is not about us. It’s about sharing God’s love.
Prayers, Information, and More
Click to find information and prayers. For example, you can pray the rosary with inspirational paintings.
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CREDITS
The LOGO image of Our Lady of Grace is original artwork by Martin Lariviere in 2009. We have the artist’s permission (my son). It is our exclusive trademark logo image.
A beautifully photographed sky by Donald Tong inspired the website’s colour scheme. Cropped portions of it are the background for the footer Bible verse. He shared it as a free download on pexels.com.
Raphael painted The Sistine Madonna circa (1513-1514). We made circular cut-outs from the original image.
Michelangelo painted The Creation of Adam circa 1511. This fresco painting is part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
August de Richelieu shared the photo of the family preparing a meal on Pexels.
Pixabay shared the Bible photo.
Heinrich Hofman painted Christ and the Young Ruler in 1889.
Carlo Esteban Murillo painted the angel with the Eucharist circa the 17th Century.
David Eucartistia on Pexels shared the photo of Eucharistic Adoration.
Andreas Lischka shared the photo of a candle on Pexels.
The photo of the hands in a heart shape is from Pexels. We cropped out the dark background.
Our information is from general knowledge, experience, and shared internet sources. We’d like you to use it as a starting point for your research to verify facts and build a reference list.
IN REVIEW
- Learn to pray always.
- Have a routine of prayer.
- Read the Bible regularly.
- Attend Mass with an awareness of God’s presence.
- Receive the Eucharist prayerfully and with humility.
- Make time to pray by the tabernacle and at Adoration.
- Make a regular Confession.
- Pray the rosary with greater devotion.
- Ask for the intercession of the saints.
- Love our neighbours.