How to Get Closer to Jesus and Strengthen Your Faith
How do you get closer to Jesus and strengthen your faith? Start with prayer, keep opening Scripture, turn from sin with real repentance, stay rooted in worship and Christian community, and practice humility with patience. These are ordinary habits, but they work. They keep your heart aimed at Christ instead of your own fears and distractions.
Key takeaways
- Start with a 1-minute honest prayer today, even if you do not know the right words.
- Read Scripture for 5 to 10 minutes a day and look for one truth to believe.
- Repentance means a real turn back to Jesus, not just feeling sorry for 1 sin.
- Worship and Christian community work best when you show up weekly, not only when you feel ready.
Start with prayer and faith in Jesus
Prayer is the most immediate way to draw near to Jesus because it brings you to the Father through Him, not through your own effort. Put simply, you do not pray to earn access. You pray because Jesus has already made the way open, and faith makes that invitation personal.
That matters when you feel stuck, distracted, or unsure what to say. Prayer doesn’t have to be polished to be real, and it doesn’t have to be long to be sincere. A short, honest prayer like, “Jesus, help me trust You today,” can steady your heart more than a perfect speech you never actually pray.
A simple rhythm helps: speak honestly, keep it brief when needed, and return to prayer regularly instead of waiting to feel spiritually ready. City Blessing points out that drawing near to God is made possible because of Jesus' blood and sacrifice, which is why prayer changes more than your schedule. It turns your focus back to Christ, and that shift is often the first sign that faith is growing.
Build a steady Bible reading habit
A steady Bible reading habit grows best when you make it small enough to repeat every day.
- Pick a daily time you can actually keep, even if it is only 5 to 10 minutes, because consistency matters more than intensity.
- Pray before you read and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you are reading.
- Use a simple plan, such as reading through the Gospels first or following a plan like The Navigators Bible Reading Plan, also known as the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan.
- Look for Jesus in the passage, then write down one truth to believe and one action to practice that day.
- Let the passage show you who Jesus is, because regular reading makes faith less dependent on moods and more rooted in His words and ways.
This is where many people slip up, reading only when they feel inspired. Scripture often works the other way around, too: the habit shapes the feeling. The Navigators says that time in Scripture transforms you to be more like Jesus, and that is the practical payoff, not just better knowledge but a changed life.
Understand repentance, worship, and Christian community
| Practice of faith | How it helps you get closer to Jesus | Biblical or article-based emphasis | Common mistake to avoid | Best used when facing | Result in daily life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repentance | It clears the distance that sin creates and turns your heart back toward Jesus with honesty and trust. | Repentance in the Bible is a real turning, not just regret, and Acts 26:20 ties it to deeds that match the change. | Treating repentance as guilt without change, or only for serious sins. | Conviction, hidden sin, spiritual dullness, or drifting priorities. | A softer conscience, renewed obedience, and a clearer sense of Jesus' mercy. |
| Christian worship | Worship lifts your attention from yourself to God and helps you respond to who Jesus is with reverence and joy. | Worship belongs to the life of faith because praise, prayer, and teaching shape your heart together. | Going through the motions without engaging your heart or hearing the truth being sung and spoken. | Weariness, discouragement, or seasons when personal devotion feels dry. | A heart steadied by truth, gratitude, and renewed devotion to Christ. |
| Christian community | Other believers encourage, correct, and strengthen you so you do not try to follow Jesus alone. | The New Testament consistently shows faith lived in fellowship, not isolation. | Pulling back from church, avoiding honest conversation, or expecting others to carry your growth for you. | Loneliness, confusion, temptation, or spiritual stagnation. | Support, accountability, encouragement, and a more durable walk with Jesus. |
Repentance is not just feeling sorry. It is turning around. GotQuestions.org describes repentance as a change of mind that results in a change of action, and it cites Acts 26:20 to show that repentance should show up in what you do. That means the honest response to sin is not vague shame, but a concrete turn back to Jesus.
Worship matters because it re-centers you when life has pushed God to the edges. Singing, praying, and hearing Scripture with other believers can carry truth into places private devotion has not reached yet. The Chapel puts it plainly: drawing closer to God looks like prayer and time in the Word, and worship gives those habits a shared place in your week.
Christian community keeps your faith from shrinking into private opinion. That’s why churches, small groups, and Bible studies matter when you are tempted to drift. Believers grow best when they are taught, corrected, and encouraged together.
Keep growing through humility, patience, and support
- Treat humility as the starting point for growth, because a teachable heart is ready to be changed by Jesus.
- Expect progress to be gradual, since lasting spiritual change often happens through steady obedience instead of sudden breakthroughs.
- Ask for help from mature Christians, pastors, or trusted believers when you feel stuck, because encouragement and correction are part of biblical discipleship.
- Watch for the practical warning that pride isolates you, while humility keeps you open to Scripture, prayer, and wise counsel.
- Remember that closeness to Jesus is usually built in ordinary faithfulness, not in dramatic moments alone.
Dallin H. Oaks emphasized humility, seeking help from others, and patience as part of coming closer to the Savior, and that sequence makes sense in real life. Pride wants instant proof and private control. Humility accepts slow change, lets other believers speak honestly, and keeps showing up when growth feels quiet.
This is also where support from outside your immediate circle can help. Joyce Meyer often stresses consistency in Bible study, and even a simple reading routine can give structure when your motivation is low. If you need a place to restart, The Navigators Bible Reading Plan or the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan can give you enough direction to keep moving without getting overwhelmed.
The decision you still have to make is practical: choose one time for prayer, one Bible reading plan, and one place where other believers can speak into your life. If a commitment feels too large to keep, it is probably too large for a beginning step. Start smaller, keep it honest, and let steady obedience do its quiet work.
Frequently asked questions
What if I do not feel close to Jesus right now?
Start with a small, honest prayer and a short Scripture reading. If you feel spiritually stuck, the article says that ordinary faithfulness matters more than waiting for strong emotions. A simple prayer like, “Jesus, help me trust You today,” can be enough to begin again.
How long should I pray each day?
There is no required length, and the article even says prayer does not have to be long to be sincere. A few honest minutes each day can build a steady habit better than occasional long prayers you cannot sustain. The key is to return to prayer regularly, not to reach a certain number of minutes.
Which Bible passages are best for drawing near to Jesus?
Start with the Gospels, especially Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, because they show Jesus’ words, actions, and character most clearly. The article also suggests reading in a way that helps you notice one truth about Jesus and one action to practice that day. That keeps your reading focused on relationship, not just information.
Can worship at church help if my personal faith feels weak?
Yes. Shared worship, teaching, and encouragement can steady your faith when your private devotion feels dry. The article adds that singing, praying, and hearing Scripture with other believers can carry truth into places private devotion has not reached yet. Worship helps re-center your heart on Christ when life has pushed God to the edges.
Is repentance only for major sins?
No. Biblical repentance is an ongoing turning back to God whenever you notice your heart drifting from Him. The article adds that repentance is not just feeling sorry, but a real change that should show up in what you do, so it applies to hidden sin, dullness, and even small drifting priorities.
