Lesson 20: How to Stay Close to God Every Day
A believer may know how to pray, read Scripture, worship, confess sin, and examine his conscience—and still begin performing those activities without truly drawing near to God.
The Bible calls us beyond outward routine:
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
— James 4:8, KJV
That is both an invitation and a command.
Draw near.
God does not call His people to live at a comfortable distance from Him.
He does not intend prayer to become an occasional visit, Scripture to become an empty assignment, or worship to become a collection of words spoken while the heart is elsewhere.
He calls His people near.
Staying close to God does not mean that you will always experience strong emotion. It means that your heart remains turned toward Him, responsive to His truth, dependent upon His grace, and unwilling to become comfortable with distance.
What Does It Mean to Be Close to God?
God is present everywhere.
David said:
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”
— Psalm 139:7, KJV
Therefore, staying close to God does not mean reducing a physical distance between yourself and Him.
A person cannot travel beyond God’s sight.
He may ignore God, resist Him, or live as though He were absent—but he cannot escape His presence.
Spiritual nearness refers to fellowship.
It means living consciously before God.
It means that the heart values Him, seeks Him, listens to His Word, and responds when He gives light.
It means that you do not deliberately protect what separates your affections from Him.
A person may be surrounded by religious activity while inwardly distant.
Another may be fulfilling ordinary responsibilities while quietly depending upon God and walking before Him.
Closeness is not proved merely by outward appearance.
It concerns the direction of the heart.
Nearness to God Must Become Precious
The psalmist said:
“But it is good for me to draw near to God:
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
that I may declare all thy works.”
— Psalm 73:28, KJV
He did not merely say that drawing near was a duty.
He said:
“It is good for me.”
Until you believe that nearness to God is good, other things will continually appear more desirable.
The world offers immediate distractions.
Sin promises temporary pleasure.
Human approval offers visible reward.
Self-rule promises independence.
Busyness creates the feeling of importance.
God calls you to recognize something better:
It is good to be near Him.
It is good to know that nothing needs to be hidden.
It is good to receive truth rather than live by deception.
It is good to depend upon the One who is wiser than you.
It is good to bring burdens before Him.
It is good to live under His care and authority.
Do not treat closeness with God as the loss of freedom.
Distance from God does not free the soul. It leaves the soul thirsty, vulnerable, and increasingly governed by lesser things.
Closeness Is Not Measured Only by Feelings
Some days you may feel deeply aware of God.
At other times, your emotions may be quiet.
A powerful church service, meaningful prayer, or familiar hymn may produce a strong sense of nearness. Those experiences can be precious, but emotion alone cannot measure your relationship with God.
A person may feel moved while still resisting God’s Word.
Another may feel little emotion while quietly obeying Him with sincere faith.
Do not conclude:
“I feel emotional, so I must be close to God.”
Neither conclude:
“I feel emotionally quiet, so God must be far away.”
Ask better questions:
Am I turning toward Him?
Am I receiving what He has said?
Am I knowingly hiding anything?
Am I depending upon Him or living entirely in self-confidence?
Am I willing to obey the light He gives?
Spiritual nearness includes the heart, but it rests upon truth rather than changing emotion.
Closeness Is Not Earned by Religious Performance
A person may attempt to make God near through the amount of religious work he performs.
He may believe that a long prayer, many chapters of Bible reading, constant ministry activity, or an impressive sacrifice will force God to approve him.
But believers draw near through Jesus Christ.
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus…
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…”
— Hebrews 10:19, 22, KJV
Our access rests upon the blood of Jesus.
Spiritual disciplines matter. Prayer, Scripture, worship, and obedience are essential parts of walking with God.
But they are not payments that purchase access to Him.
Do not pray merely to complete a requirement.
Do not read Scripture merely to prove your devotion.
Do not worship in an attempt to impress God.
Come through Jesus Christ with a true heart.
The practices taught in this series are means of turning toward God—not achievements by which we become worthy of Him.
Spiritual Drift Usually Begins Quietly
Most people do not decide suddenly:
“I no longer want to walk closely with God.”
Distance often develops through neglect.
Scripture warns:
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard,
lest at any time we should let them slip.”
— Hebrews 2:1, KJV
A boat may drift without its passengers making a deliberate decision to travel in the wrong direction.
The current carries it.
Spiritual drift may begin with small changes:
Prayer becomes hurried and then increasingly rare.
Scripture is still read, but with little attention.
Conviction is delayed rather than answered.
The heart becomes more comfortable with compromise.
Distractions receive the best attention while God receives what remains.
Days pass with little conscious dependence upon Him.
None of these changes may appear dramatic.
That is why they are dangerous.
Neglect has direction.
A small distance tolerated today may become a greater distance tomorrow.
Do not wait for a spiritual crisis before noticing that your heart has moved.
Watch the Direction of Your Desire
The heart repeatedly returns to what it values.
Jesus said:
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
— Matthew 6:21, KJV
What repeatedly captures your thoughts?
What do you anticipate most?
What disappointment affects you most deeply?
What do you fear losing?
Where do you run first for satisfaction?
These questions do not mean that every earthly interest is sinful.
Work, family, rest, responsibilities, and lawful enjoyment all have a proper place.
The issue is what has become the treasure of the heart.
Something does not need to appear evil in order to create distance. A good thing may become spiritually harmful when it begins occupying the place that belongs to God.
Ask honestly:
“Has anything become more precious to me than nearness to the Lord?”
You may continue performing religious activities while another affection quietly rules you.
Watch not only what you do.
Watch what you love.
Recognize the Early Signs of Distance
Spiritual drift often gives warnings before it becomes severe.
You may notice:
- less desire to seek God;
- growing impatience with Scripture;
- prayer becoming only a hurried request for help;
- increasing resistance to correction;
- worship becoming words without inward attention;
- compromise becoming easier to defend;
- greater dependence upon distraction;
- less concern about conduct once taken seriously;
- growing self-confidence and decreasing dependence upon God;
- a desire to avoid quietness because quietness may expose the heart.
One sign by itself does not prove that a believer has entered serious rebellion.
Tiredness, grief, pressure, illness, or an unusually demanding season can affect concentration and emotion.
Lesson 17 addressed how to walk with God during ordinary weakness.
The question is not merely whether one practice has become difficult.
The question is:
What direction is my heart moving?
Am I struggling while still turning toward God?
Or am I becoming content to live without Him?
The direction matters.
Do Not Become Comfortable With Coldness
A cold heart is especially dangerous when the person no longer cares that it is cold.
Jesus warned:
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
— Matthew 24:12, KJV
Love can cool gradually.
A person may continue speaking Christian language, attending church, and maintaining a respectable appearance while affection for God weakens.
Do not pretend that coldness is spiritual maturity.
Do not say:
“I simply do not feel as deeply as I once did, and that does not matter.”
Neither attempt to manufacture emotion so that you can feel spiritual again.
Bring the actual condition of your heart before God.
Say:
“Father, my desire for You has weakened.”
“I have become too comfortable without seeking You.”
“Other things have gained too much of my affection.”
“Please awaken my heart and help me return.”
Concern over coldness is itself different from complete indifference.
Do not waste that concern.
Let it move you toward God.
Do Not Substitute Activity for Nearness
Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, but she became:
“…cumbered about much serving…”
— Luke 10:40, KJV
Jesus told her:
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful…”
— Luke 10:41–42, KJV
Martha was not occupied with something obviously evil.
She was serving.
Yet service became troubled distraction.
It is possible to perform good responsibilities while allowing the heart to move away from the Lord.
You may work hard.
Care for family.
Serve at church.
Teach Scripture.
Help other people.
Maintain a ministry.
Complete many worthy tasks.
Yet inwardly, you may speak about God more often than you speak to Him.
Good activity must not become a substitute for personal nearness.
The Lord wants more than your labor.
He wants your heart.
Seek God Himself, Not Only His Help
Many people turn toward God primarily when they need something.
They seek relief, provision, healing, direction, protection, or an answer.
God invites us to bring needs before Him. Lesson 12 established that clearly.
But closeness to God means desiring more than His gifts.
David said:
“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;
my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.”
— Psalm 27:8, KJV
To seek God’s face is to seek God Himself.
Not only:
“Lord, change this circumstance.”
But also:
“Lord, help me know You.”
Not only:
“Give me what I need.”
But:
“Keep my heart near You whether the circumstance changes quickly or not.”
A person who wants only God’s gifts may become distant when those gifts are delayed.
A person who seeks God learns that His presence is not merely a means to another end.
He is the treasure.
Abide in Jesus Christ
Jesus said:
“Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine;
no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”
— John 15:4, KJV
To abide means to remain.
The branch does not visit the vine occasionally.
Its life depends upon continuing connection.
Jesus was not teaching that disciples generate spiritual life independently and come to Him only when their own supply becomes low.
He said:
“…without me ye can do nothing.”
— John 15:5, KJV
You need Christ continually.
Not only when you were first saved.
Not only when you have sinned.
Not only when you feel weak.
Not only during crisis.
Every day.
This lesson does not attempt to teach the full subject of bearing fruit. That belongs later in the course.
The foundational truth here is dependence:
Do not attempt to live the Christian life at a distance from Christ.
Remain turned toward Him.
Remain under His words.
Remain conscious that all true spiritual life comes from Him.
Walk in the Light You Have
Closeness with God cannot be separated from responsiveness to truth.
First John says:
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
— 1 John 1:7, KJV
Walking in the light does not mean that you already understand everything or have reached perfect maturity.
It means that you are not knowingly choosing darkness while claiming to desire fellowship with God.
When Scripture makes something clear, respond.
When your conscience is properly troubled under Scripture, do not silence it.
When a responsibility is known, do not delay indefinitely.
Lessons 18 and 19 have already explained confession and conscience. The point here is not to repeat those processes.
The point is that nearness grows in honesty.
You cannot protect darkness and enjoy unhindered fellowship with the God who is light.
Return at the First Sign of Drift
You do not need to wait until you are far away.
When you recognize the beginning of distance, turn.
God said:
“Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts,
and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.”
— Zechariah 1:3, KJV
Turn when prayer has become consistently neglected.
Turn when the Bible remains closed without concern.
Turn when another affection has begun ruling the heart.
Turn when you recognize that religious activity has replaced personal dependence.
Turn when you have become comfortable with a compromise.
Turn when you realize that several days have passed with little conscious thought of God.
Do not say:
“I have drifted too far to return.”
Do not say:
“I must first recreate the feelings I once had.”
Begin with honesty.
Draw near through Jesus Christ.
Take the next clear step.
The earlier you respond, the less room distance has to deepen.
Do Not Live Only on Yesterday’s Nearness
You may have a genuine testimony of past closeness with God.
Perhaps there was a season when prayer was strong, Scripture was precious, worship was sincere, and obedience was prompt.
Thank God for past mercy.
But yesterday’s walk cannot replace today’s dependence.
Israel received manna daily. What was gathered for one day was not meant to become a substitute for continued dependence upon God.
Do not live only on memories:
“I once prayed faithfully.”
“I once served with zeal.”
“I once felt close to God.”
“I once surrendered everything.”
Ask:
“Where is my heart today?”
Past faithfulness should encourage present faithfulness—not excuse present distance.
God’s mercy is new every morning.
Draw near today.
Closeness Is Maintained in Ordinary Moments
Many believers expect nearness to God to be established through dramatic events.
A revival meeting.
A crisis.
A major decision.
A powerful emotional experience.
But most of life is ordinary.
Ordinary mornings.
Ordinary work.
Ordinary conversations.
Ordinary responsibilities.
Ordinary evenings.
Closeness is often maintained through quiet turns of the heart:
Remembering God before answering sharply.
Thanking Him for an unnoticed mercy.
Asking for help before beginning a responsibility.
Refusing a distraction that is taking too much affection.
Pausing to acknowledge dependence.
Returning attention to Him after the mind wanders.
Do not despise these ordinary acts of nearness.
A relationship is not built only from dramatic moments.
It is strengthened through continuing attention.
A Simple Nearness Check
Use these questions periodically—not as an exhausting ritual, but as an honest checkpoint.
1. What Has My Heart Been Seeking?
What repeatedly occupies my attention and desire?
2. Am I Drawing Near or Drifting?
Not merely, “How do I feel?” but, “What direction am I moving?”
3. Have Spiritual Practices Become Empty Routine?
Am I praying, reading, and worshiping with conscious attention toward God?
4. Is Anything Being Protected?
Is there a compromise, affection, or act of neglect I do not want God to address?
5. Am I Seeking God or Only His Gifts?
Would I still desire Him if the present circumstance did not change immediately?
6. What Is the Earliest Sign of Distance?
Identify the first clear warning rather than waiting for a crisis.
7. What Step Would Draw Me Near Today?
One honest prayer?
A quiet return to Scripture?
A confession already made clear?
Removing a persistent distraction?
Setting aside time to seek God Himself?
Respond to what is clear.
Discipleship Questions
- Why does spiritual nearness refer to fellowship rather than physical distance?
- How can religious activity continue while the heart becomes distant from God?
- What is the difference between emotional quietness and genuine spiritual drift?
- Why is it important to respond to the first signs of distance?
- What currently appears to be drawing your heart nearer to God—or farther away?
Closing Exhortation
God calls His people near.
Do not settle for occasional visits.
Do not confuse outward activity with inward fellowship.
Do not measure your relationship with God only by emotion.
Do not attempt to earn access through religious performance.
Come through Jesus Christ.
Value nearness.
Seek God Himself.
Remain dependent upon Christ.
Walk honestly in the light He gives.
Watch the direction of your desire.
Recognize the early signs of drift.
Turn before distance becomes deeply established.
The invitation remains:
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
It is good for you to draw near to God.
Draw near today.
A Prayer to Stay Close to God
Father,
Thank You for inviting me to draw near through Jesus Christ.
Forgive me for the times I have performed religious activities while my heart remained distracted or distant.
Help me understand that nearness to You is good.
Teach me to value Your presence more than temporary pleasure, distraction, human approval, or self-rule.
Show me honestly whether my heart is drawing near or drifting.
Expose the earliest signs of distance before they become deeply established.
Keep me from measuring my walk only by feelings.
Keep me from attempting to earn Your favor through religious performance.
Thank You that my access rests upon the blood of Jesus Christ.
Help me seek You and not only the things I want You to give me.
Teach me to abide in Christ, walk in the light, and remain dependent upon Your grace.
When my attention wanders, turn it back.
When my love grows cold, awaken it.
When I recognize drift, help me return without delay.
Let me walk near You in ordinary moments and not only during dramatic experiences.
Keep my heart true before You today.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Next Step
Set aside ten quiet minutes and complete these three statements:
The clearest sign that I am drawing near to God is:
The earliest sign that I may be drifting is:
The specific step I will take today is:
Do not choose ten steps.
Identify the clearest one.
Then act upon it today.
Previous Lesson: Lesson 19 — How to Keep a Clean Conscience Before God
Next Lesson: Lesson 21 — Why the Bible Must Be Your Final Authority