It’s difficult explaining to someone why you love something, and it’s even more difficult trying to convince another person to fall in love with something that they have never experienced themself. You love skateboarding not because someone told you to love it, and not because someone explained to you how much fun it is; you fell in love with skateboarding because you actually started skateboarding.

That’s exactly how our relationship with Jesus has to be. We are so often told by our parents and our church that we should love God, and people try to explain to us why God is so good, but it is impossible to fall in love with Him if we have never met Him personally.

A genuine love for God can only start with a real encounter with Him. He wants us to pray and talk to Him, and He wants to speak to us through the truth of the Bible. Our relationship with God can’t be something that was handed down to us by our friends or family, but it has to begin with us.

Challenge yourself to actually pray, to actually read the word of God, to actually try to know Him. You’ll start to see that your shallow view of God couldn’t even begin to break the surface of his greatness, and your experience with your Heavenly Father will change and transform your life like you never could have imagined.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8

“In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.” Psalm 18:6

“On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3

God, I pray that I could begin a real relationship with you. I pray that you would reveal yourself to me, and that I could embark on an intimate relationship with you as my Heavenly Father. I pray that my faith in you can be brought to life, and that my relationship with you could change my life. In Jesus’s name, Amen!