5 Spiritual Practices for Deepening Your Relationship with God

Spiritual practices are essential for deepening our relationship with God and growing in faith. Scripture offers avenues through which we, as believers, can engage spiritually and grow closer to the Lord.

Here are a few practices I’ve gathered that will deepen your relationship with God. I’ve also provided suggestions on how to grow in them.

Prayer

Communication through prayer with God is fundamental to our faith. Jesus himself practiced prayer (Luke 5:16, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed“). To grow in prayer, it’s helpful to establish a regular time and place to pray. Also, I suggest using a prayer journal to keep track of your prayers and God’s answers. Capturing your conversations with God is helpful, both in the present and down the road.

Reading and Meditating on Scripture

The Bible is the ultimate source of spiritual nourishment for us as believers. Psalm 119:105 states, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” To deepen this practice, it’s helpful to set aside daily time to read God’s Word and think about what you. Meditate on small chunks. Memorizing verses can help the words of Scripture be applied in your daily life.

Worship

Worshiping God, whether through music, nature, or fellowship, brings us closer to His presence. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages us not to give up meeting together, but to encourage one another. Participating in communal worship enhances our experience, but worship is something we can do ourselves or with a loved one. Don’t limit worship to singing songs at church once a week.

Like prayer, worship should be a continuous state of being for us. Like the Apostle Paul said, pray continually. I suggest doing the same with worship: make worship a lifestyle.

Fasting

Fasting is a spiritual practice that was as much a part of Jesus’ daily life as prayer. It’s a practice that we are getting better at, but still have room to grow. In Scripture, fasting refers specifically to abstaining from food. However, in our modern Western culture, we’ve redefined fasting to include other distractions, like social media. Fasting is a time to focus on prayer and seeking God’s will. Jesus mentions fasting in Matthew 6:16-18, guiding us to fast for God, not for people to see. If you’re new to fasting, start with small fasts and increase as you feel led. A reminder: fasting isn’t a suggestion for us to give up sinful behavior. That’s called repentance.

Service

Nothing reflects the heart of Christ more than helping others. Mark 10:45, states, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” Look for opportunities to serve in your neighborhood church, or simply someone at the grocery store. It can be as simple as helping someone load or unload their shopping cart or walk across the street safely. Serving others will naturally cultivate a spirit of humility and love, in you and the person you’re helping.

If you’re looking for a book on growing deeper in your relationship with God, both Dallas Willard and Richard J. Foster have written about how spiritual practices help us grow in our faith and our relationship with the Lord.

Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, is one of my favorites on the subject of spiritual formation and growth.

For us to grow in these practices, we must remain open to the Holy Spirit as well as seeking accountability through fellow believers. It’s essential for us to remember that spiritual growth is a journey and God meets us where we are, not where we think we should be. I encourage you to embrace each step with patience and persistence, trusting that the Lord will cultivate your heart and deepen your faith.

Until my next post…

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

---

Please hit me up if you have questions or drop a comment below. And please subscribe to my blog!

---

#bgbg2#BibleGateway

The Stigma Stops Here.

#mentalhealthmatters

© 2026 Rainer Bantau | The Devotional Guy™ | All Rights Reserved