Steps to take to enter into a personal relationship

Step 1: Believe in the Son of God.
God wants us to have a life that is eternal; therefore, he sent His Son so this would be possible (John 3:16). We only need to believe in the Son, and we receive this gift of everlasting life. With this gift a promise is given to us that we are now seen as justified. This righteousness is not received by what you do but received because of what Jesus Christ did at Calvary. We are placed in right relationship with the Father. The Father will see the Son in you (Romans 10:9-10).

Step 2: Repent and turn away from your sins.
The word repent in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, is metanoeo meaning to change one’s way of thinking. The word also has the connotation of actually changing your purpose in life. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, we read that worldly sorrow will lead us to death. We need not only be ashamed because we were caught in sin but also be sorrowful enough to make a change in our lives and run from sin.

I have met many people who think that they need to get their lives in order before they come to God. They feel as if they need to clean up the sin or bad habits before having a personal relationship with Him. We need to think the opposite. First we approach God with a repentant heart, and He will help us to stop those bad habits. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we win over temptation that can lead to sin. In Acts 3:19 we read that our sins can be wiped out. God forgets our sins once we have repented, and we can feel as if we are starting a new life. Actually we are starting a new life in Christ once we accept Him. The Bible says, “…the times of refreshing shall come…” (Acts 3:19). We are a new person in Him. In Luke 13:1-9, we can clearly read that the choice is ours. If we do not repent, we will die.

Step 3: Confess Jesus as Lord.
We should not be ashamed of the Lord but confess Him as our Savior (Romans 10:9-10). The Bible says that with our mouth we confess. Believe in your heart that He is Lord. Confess with your mouth. That is putting some action to your belief. The word, confess, here seems to express speaking out. Shout out that He is Lord! Live every day as if it is your last day for sharing about Jesus. Share with others what you are holding dear in your heart. Let your joy overflow to others. Make them wonder what you have in your life that is so special. Help them have a life full of happiness.

Step 4: Accept Him by faith in Jesus Christ.
Your faith in God proves that you are loyal to Him. It is fidelity to your agreement. Allow God to give you the faith you need. Sometimes people wonder if their faith is genuine. The Bible defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Pray to the Father for strong faith. Jesus said to His disciples in Mark 11 that whatever they ask for in His name, if they believe that they will receive it, it would be theirs. This verse applies to you as well. Ask the Father to give you faith in Him, and He will. Jesus said in Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”


Step 5: Trust in God's Word for assurance.
In I John 5:13 the Bible says that we can KNOW that we have eternal life. We may have times when we doubt our salvation, but we can always turn in God’s Word and gain reassurance. Perhaps there are periods in our lives when we doubt our salvation. However, Satan would want us to continue to doubt God’s Word and doubt ourselves. The devil is pleased when we are not confident of what God did for us at the cross. We are breaking fellowship with the Father when we are not assured of our relationship with Him. Settle your doubts by reading the Bible and praying. We will be discussing more in this study about seeing evidence of the Fruits of the Spirit in our lives as another way to assure us of our salvation. Also, we can check for evidence of fruit being produced in our work for the Lord. Remember we gain security only in Him not in our works. Our work for the Lord shows our gratitude to Him.

Step 6: Read and meditate on the Word of God.
We should read and memorize God’s Word (Psalms 119:11). The word for meditate in Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament, is hagah and may have several meanings. Let’s focus on meditate, speak and moan. In Psalm 1:2 and Joshua 1:8 the word is used in this context. This word is interesting because in our relationship to God and His Word, we want to be able to meditate on Him and His Word day and night. If we concentrate on Him and read His Word constantly, we are placing His Word in our hearts.

Another word for meditate may be think, plan, brood, etc. What does brood mean? When a mother bird sits (broods) on her young in the nest, she stays for a period of time, cares and nourishes them. We must cherish God’s Word as a mother bird does her young. Spend time in His Word. Meditating and understanding God’s Word begin during times when we sit (brood) and read His Book. We will have moments when we will need to be prepared to speak His word from memory. We may not have the Bible in our hands. How can we speak in public about God’s truths if we have not meditated on these truths in private?

I can also identify with the word moan. There have been times in my prayer life when no words or thoughts would come to mind to speak. These thoughts may have come in the form of cries or verbal moaning. Sometimes in our Christian lives, we experience times of utter despair and confusion. Maybe at these times we were trying to survive on our own. Maybe we were just at a point in our spiritual walk with the Lord, and He wanted us to rely on Him for strength. During moments like this, I literally cried out Psalm 22 like David cried while in despair. Whether His Words are meditated, spoken or moaned, let them be hidden in our hearts, so our relationship with the Father can be intertwined as if we were one in spirit.

Let’s make a goal in our lives to dwell on God’s positive thoughts. We can learn of His thoughts by making a commitment to daily read His Scripture. Our thoughts and ways are not His thoughts and ways. His thoughts and ways are much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). The only way that we are going to understand the Father is spend time with Him. Spend time reading His Message to you. All answers for life can be solved through prayer and reading of Scripture.
-A Woman's Path to God, L. Burch

This may be your first time ever to think about these steps. If you have any further questions or thoughts, please feel free to comment below. I would love to hear from you.
In His Love,
Les