How to feel closer to God

How to Feel Closer to God
I just stumbled over this on wiki it helped me alot ;)
Life can be hard sometimes, but that doesn't mean that you have to go through it alone. Even family members or friends can put you down by just not understanding enough, but there will always be one Person who will and that Person is God.

Steps/Tips and Warnings
1
If you are unfamiliar with God and don't know Him very well (ie: vaguely by name) then perhaps you should start by just locking yourself in your room. This will help you to feel that you are now alone with the Sustainer.
2
Take a deep breath and try to clear your mind of all things that trouble you. Then, say aloud, "Hi, God. I saved this time for You. Will You please come and talk to me?" This may feel absurd at first but know that God truly listens and cares. Remember, "Ask and you shall receive." There is nothing wrong with asking for God to talk to you.
3
Then, as you would speak to a friend or someone you really trust, unloosen your tongue and tell God all that bothers you. Or, tell Him something great that's just recently happened to you (ie: your team just won a game, someone you like asked you out, or you made a new friend). God listens and understands--always--so you won't have to feel silly.
4
Another great way to feel closer to God is to get to know Him. What does He like? What does He dislike? What makes Him happy, sad or angry? What does He value? What does He think is foolishness? All these answers are in the book He gave to us through men He loved so we could know Him better. We call that book the Bible. He knows it very well. It has His promises in it that He makes for all of us. It has the story of Jesus (The Gospel of St John)and how He came to the earth and died on a cross, even though He didn't do anything wrong, so that we would be forgiven for our sins. It tells us what a "sin" is. As we learn about our Creator and our relationship with Him, we will get closer to Him.
5
We can feel closer to God if we try to do the things He likes. If you came home from work and ignored your wife and brought home a girlfriend or two, you wouldn't have a very good relationship with her. You wouldn't feel very close to her even when you were alone with her. Relationship takes time and effort, and maybe a few flowers! God likes flowers too. He created them and He likes to hear about your enjoyment of them. In fact, God loves a thankful heart. If you don't know what else to say to God, tell Him how much you appreciate all the things He's made, all He's done for you, all He's given to you.
6
Don't make promises to God that you can't keep. And if you fail on a promise, go back and make amends with Him. Maybe He will want you to make amends to others. Maybe not. Recognize, when you pray, what your feelings are so that you can understand Him better. Open your heart and be honest-He already knows whats in your heart. YOU need to see whats in there-and be honest about it. If you lie, you are only lying to yourself because He already knows the truth.
7
Be aware that He can and will talk to you through your day to day life. He may talk into your heart during prayer ("Wow-I wouldn't have ever thought of that!") or throughout the day through other people who never knew what you said in prayer, or circumstances that are so very unusual. Also, He is usually more interested in answering the "Why?" instead of the "What?" or the "When?" Sometimes He answers "Yes", sometimes "No", sometimes "Not now".
8
Enjoy the walk with your new friend.


How to Become Closer to God as a Christian
If you feel as a Christian that you could be closer to God, here are some ideas and activities to help you glorify God and be closer to God. God loves you more than any other living thing. He created you and by doing the following, you are becoming closer to Him.


StepsTips and Warnings
1
Pray. Though this may seem obvious, pray twice or more a day to God. When you don't feel like praying: PRAY. Imagine yourself coming before him and seeing his majesty as you pray. Worship his majesty! Yet, He wants to be your best friend [bf], who is more than just and right, Holy God, The Judge, for "He is [perfect] Love".


2
Don't try to be proud/boastful, or pray anything fancy: just try to address everything big in your life -- but nothing is too little to ask about or for help and wisdom.


3
Confess your sins to Him. Pray for all your problems in your life right now, and other stuff that is really important to you. You can try making a prayer journal, if you aren't comfortable with praying, or you would like to record your petitions and their results.


4
Ask your Christian friends about prayer, if you aren't the best at prayer, or look around and read articles online. 1way2God.net has a great prayer system that tells you how to pray for yourself, other believers, etc.


5
Imagine God is always right next to you, (He is always with you) almost like a really close friend. If you do this, you'll probably find yourself talking to God more. This automatically brings you closer to him. You will really benefit by worshiping God and seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit.


6
Talk to your church's youth minister, priest or pastor about questions you have. In general, they have studied the Bible and likely have asked many of your questions themselves. Ask that person things you want to know about God: why does He allow the choice for us to sin; why does He allow/or make His people suffer; how are troubles for "our good"; why did He let His Son suffer, bleed and die on the cross; why did Christ need to return to the Father in Heaven; why did He send the Holy Spirit, etc. You will learn many things about God that you didn't know. This information, also, will help you to explain God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to your non-Christian friends.


7
Read the Bible. The Bible is the written word of God. Try to read your Bible daily through a reading plan. You can find tons of reading plans online, try to find one that you find works for you. This one is amazing, and will have your devotional readings aligned for learning something new every day:here is your list. Devotionals help so much, they explain passages in ways that relate to our lives, and explains a lot! You can buy your own, our find some online. A great book that spells out the promises of God, which are true even in the difficult times of life, is "Always True" by James MacDonald. He directs you to Scriptures that will encourage you and give you hope in tough times.
8
Pay attention in church. You'll learn a lot more and feel more in tune with God. Take notes in church!!! This helps tremendously and later on, you can review them and figure out how to apply principles to your own life.
9
Participate in church. Singing in church, and doing the actions you're supposed to do (bow your head, stand up, sit down, etc.) is not enough. Volunteer as much as you can, help others, etc., and be blessed.
10
The best way is to be honest in your thought, feeling, action. God is purer than any person, so the more you are pure, the more, not only you, but God will touch your heart and fulfill your deepest desires.
11
Resist violence and fights. Stay balanced and ethically serene. Read the Bible for help on keeping an eternal cool.
12
If you are Catholic, go to Confession at least once every 2-3 months. It will help you to live a more Christian life, and become closer to God.
13
If you are a child or teenager try to hang around people with the same faith so your faith will grow stronger. This doesn't mean you can't hang around people that don't believe