How to have a loving and faithful relationship with JESUS

Christian faith is not just about believing that JESUS exists, He is real, and He is our One True Living GOD, but above all, it is a personal relationship with Him. Only in our personal relationship and daily encounters with Him that we come to know Him which is what He wants. He said in Hosea 6:6 that He wants us to know Him and love Him. You might want to experience JESUS' love, goodness, and mercy by having a closer, loving, and faithful relationship with Him but you don't know how to. So, I listed here below the ways on how to establish a loving and faithful relationship with the LORD JESUS.

1.) Believe that a closer relationship with JESUS is possible and that's what He wants.

You might have some doubts if having a relationship with JESUS is possible my answer is, yes it is very possible and He answers you when you talk to Him. This is what JESUS said in in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” See, it is His promise that He will answer us when we call to Him and I can attest that it is true because I experience it every waking day of my life. He even said in Jeremiah 29:13 this, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” We find Him if we search Him and desire Him wholeheartedly. Also, a relationship is what He wants because He said in Hosea 6:6 this, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” It is also His commandment that we should love Him above all. He said this in Matthew 22:37-38, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” With all these being said, it is very possible to have a closer relationship with the LORD JESUS because that is what He wants.

2.) Believe, accept Him as your GOD and Savior, and put your trust in Him.

For you to have a loving, faithful, and closer relationship with JESUS, you should first believe that He is our One and Only True Living GOD and Savior. Then you should acknowledge that you are a sinner and He is the one you need in order for you to be saved from sin and hell. Maybe you became a Christian for quite a long time now, but have never really experienced an intimate relationship with Jesus. If you sense Him knocking at the door of your heart today, as what He said in Revelation 3:20 (“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”) please listen and invite Him in to your heart, as your Lord and Master whom you want to rule in your life and as a dear best friend whom you can completely trust. You can put your trust in Him now by praying this simple prayer:

• LORD JESUS, I believe that You are the One and Only True Living GOD. I also believe that You died on the cross, on the third day you rose again, and you will come to judge the living and the dead. Thank you for dying on the cross LORD to save me from my sins. Please forgive me and cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. I repented my sins. Please come into my heart and be my LORD and SAVIOR. I love You, LORD JESUS. I put my trust in You. Amen.

3.) Humble down and repent.

To have a good relationship with JESUS, you should humble down and accept that you are a sinner and needs His help in our everyday life and for you to be saved and have eternal life. Therefore, make a conscious choice now to turn away from sin, reject it, and avoid committing it. And instead turn to JESUS as your model and source of strength and victory who was himself tempted but overcame every temptation. Shun every evil thought in your heart, reject sin and pray that JESUS will help you overcome every temptation that is thrown at you by the devil. Also, read your Bible day and night and meditate on JESUS' Words so that you will know His commands and learn to obey and follow it.

4.) Choose JESUS over anyone and anything else. Make Him your priority.

Since loving JESUS is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38), it is implied that we should love Him above anyone and anything else on top of our families and spouse or children. He even said in Matthew 10:37 this, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” We should give Him most of our time and love since He is the one who provides us breath for us to live. Also, we should please Him first by following His commands like spreading the gospel to all the nations in spite of all the hindrances. For example, you are prompted by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel to your neighbor but your husband would not allow you, you still would have to do it because you are here to please the LORD first. Besides, the LORD JESUS emphasizes that we should put our trust in Him, not in people. Let us check this verse in Psalms 118:8 which say, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Therefore consult and ask guidance from the LORD first before making any decisions and actions. Pray if it will bring Him glory or please Him before making any move that is what is meant by prioritizing Him; prioritize His happiness.

5.)Make loving and glorifying Him your purpose.

JESUS' ultimate purpose for creating us is that we glorify Him (Isaiah 43:7). Therefore let us align our purpose to His. Kindly check your purpose now if it is to love and glorify Him if not, it is high time for you to change it. From now on, make loving and glorifying Him your purpose. Remind yourself of your new purpose every time you wake up in the morning, so you will be guided and you'll feel happy and fulfilled every day. He is glorified when we love and obey Him. And, we can show our love for Him by singing songs of praise to Him (Psalms 100:2&4), communicating with Him regularly, trusting in Him, turning away from sin, completely obeying His commands, loving others by being helpful, kind, forgiving, and sharing the gospel to them as well.

6.) Include Him in all your undertakings.

Speak and consult to Him often of your daily concerns, your plans, your chores, your business, your schedules, your troubles, your fears, your worries, and your victories every moment of your life. Converse with Him as if you are talking to a dear friend. Ask for His guidance and wisdom for He gives it to all without reproach (James 1:5). Ask Him to help you run your business, and how to properly do your chores or your job. He will certainly help you because He is our guide and adviser (Psalms 32:8). Also, tell Him your triumphs and give Him thanks for it. Ask His approval for all your plans.

7.) Pray and talk to Him always.

Spend time listening and communicating with JESUS always. Have the habit of speaking to Him as if you were alone with Him in prayer. Prayer is central to Christian life. It is a way of communicating with our Most High GOD JESUS CHRIST to maintain a good relationship with Him. When we communicate, it involves the receiver and the speaker. Us, the speaker, talk and listen first, and then we wait for the receiver which is the LORD JESUS to answer and talk. That is the process of praying; it involves listening to the LORD, not just us talking. There is an exchange of thoughts and a dialog between you and GOD. Always remember that listening is the key to effective prayer. After presenting your request to JESUS, you should pause, wait, and listen for His reply. Remember, you need help, so wait and be patient. Don't give up until you get the help you need. Most of the time, based on my experience, the LORD replies by giving me an idea of what to do to solve my problem. Also, if you are a Christian, it is better if you sing a Christian song to the LORD first before praying to establish rapport with the LORD and make Him smile. And don't forget that the LORD wants to talk to us and tell us marvelous things. Consider this verse in Jeremiah 33:3 which says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Therefore, we should make it a habit to pray and talk to JESUS because a relationship cannot exist without communication. Communication is vital to every good and healthy relationship.

8.) Listen and obey Him continually.

When you hear GOD's voice, listen to it and obey it. You should respond to it immediately. The LORD JESUS said this in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.” Obedience is one best proof that we love JESUS. In fact, it is our whole duty to obey Him. Let us check this verse in Ecclesiastes 12:13 which say, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” In addition, the LORD JESUS said this in John 14:21, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” See, when we love and obey Him, He will show Himself to us and make His dwelling in us (John 14:23). What an astounding revelation it is. We can truly experience CHRIST if we continue to obey Him. This is so true because I experience JESUS' guidance and company every waking day of my life. We talk, we laugh, we cry. He also counsels and teaches me everything like what to write for this blog. When CHRIST is in you, He will guide you and teach you the things that would make you happy and give you peace and the things that will make you sad and empty. He will convict your spirit and teach you what thoughts lead to sin and how to control it. You will also learn to discern the good from bad and help you stay away from sin that causes you unrest thereby, making you feel happy, fulfilled, content, and complete lacking nothing.

9.) Continue to believe, love, communicate, and obey Him.

A relationship with JESUS is not just one-time. It is meant to last forever that is why we need to build it and continue to water it with faith, love, communication, and obedience so that it will grow, flourish, and last.

10). Read your Bible continually and attend services in a Bible-based church regularly.

For us to increase our knowledge of the LORD and His commands, we should read our Bible day and night (Joshua 1:8) and we should obey and follow the laws written in it. Also, we need to attend services in a Bible-based church regularly to learn more about the LORD. We need to belong to a healthy Christian congregation as well to be influenced by good, loving, and faithful followers of CHRIST; shaping us into stronger and victorious believers and followers.

Now, my dear reader, believe in everything I told you today and if you feel you are compelled to receive JESUS now, please do so and decide to make Him your GOD and best friend. If you do all the ways I have mentioned above,  you will have a good, loving, and faithful relationship with Him which will lead to a happy and content life. I love you with the love of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. May you have a loving and faithful relationship with Him. God bless you. Thank You so much LORD for helping me write this piece. I love You. All glory, honor, highest praises, and thanksgiving are Yours. Amen.