Psalm 50:15 says that we can call upon God in every trouble and he will deliver us; that is how many of us see our relationship with God – we pray asking for health, wealth, or peace, and we hope he will answer. The Bible is replete with versus that tell us to cast our troubles upon God, to turn our anxieties over to him and he will take the burden (1 Peter 5:7), but one is left to ask, does thinking of God only in this limited way really change your world? The answer is, not really. If you find that most of your time with God is spent sending prayers of request or worries, then perhaps it is time that you try to grow your relationship with God.

Perhaps the most simple truth in the Bible appears in 1 John 4:16, when it reads, "God is love." This passage further tells us to rely on God, but also simply that whoever lives in love, lives in God. So, if God is this entity who simply embodies love, can it seem right that our only relationship with him is to complain, request and cast our troubles upon him? The answer must be no, not because God cannot accept our troubles, but because we need to see our relationship with God in a more positive light. God needs to be someone who we come to with thanks, affection and love.

The next time you talk with God, try to talk WITH God, not just to him. Actually listen, pause, reflect and "hear" what God has to say to you; some people call this meditation. Begin by closing your eyes, and thanking God. Thank him for your life, or your health, your favorite dog – whatever is important and good in your life. Feel that gratitude, building within you, filling your heart. Thank God, with all your soul, for this good thing in your life, no matter how small it is. Let yourself feel how this part of your life impacts you, and how God is responsible for that. Then, let your mind wander to other things that you are grateful for – a beautiful tree that you saw today, a childhood memory that you hold dear, even your new car. Just wander in your mind, thanking God, letting him hear your appreciation for this world he created, and for your life. Does this mean you can never ask God for anything again? Certainly not. But do not let your relationship with God be only about you asking or venting to him. Let your relationship with God be more positive, and open yourself up to his response through your own senses. Think about it this way: if God showed up on your doorstep, in the flesh, would you ask him for a million dollars? Probably not. More likely, you’d fall down at his feet and thank him for your life, and for the amazing world that he created.

A book that has helped me grow in my relationship to God is LEARN TO STUDY THE BIBLE by Andy Deane. It taught me forty different Bible study methods that I could use to study the Scriptures each day during my daily devotions. You can check it out at http://www.LearnToStudyTheBible.com