One thing every human has in common is the reality of relationships in our lives. From family members to friends to romantic relationships, connection with other humans is an inescapable part of the human experience. Relationships can add so much joy and depth to our lives, but they also have the potential to bring immense pain and heartache. Relationships between humans are messy, beautiful and fulfilling, but what does a relationship with God look like?
A huge part of a relationship with God is knowing the difference between knowing about Him and Him. The difference between just knowing about God and knowing Him is the relationship. Think of it like this; we all know who Michael Jordan is, but we don’t know Michael Jordan.
If you were seeking to get to know someone you’d never met before, would you go to that person directly or someone who knows them? It would make no sense to go to someone else when you could go to that person yourself! Knowing God is so important to us in Youth With A Mission that it’s our first foundational value and our motto, “ To know God and make Him known.”
So what do you do when you’re getting to know someone? You spend time together! A relationship with God looks like intentionally spending time with Him and getting to know His nature, character, and ways. Human relationships are give and take; the same is true for a relationship with God.
The same way He seeks us, He wants to be sought after. During a YWAM Asheville DTS, we learn about hearing the voice of God and what it looks like to intentionally listen to what the Lord is saying in every part of our day, not just while we read our Bible. God wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives and relate to us as a Father and a friend. He enjoys our company and cares about even the most intricate details of our lives.
When we spend time with God, our relationship grows deeper; as it grows deeper, we become more and more like Him. Becoming like Jesus is a byproduct of a true relationship with God. We cannot help but be transformed by His presence. At the Asheville YWAM base, we
prioritize community time with God through worship, prayer and ministry. We believe that the best YWAM DTS locations recognize that the relationship with God is individual as well as communal. A relationship with God produces the fruits of the Spirit, gives us power and authority, and reveals our purpose.
A YWAM DTS is the perfect place to grow your relationship with God! There are dozens of YWAM locations all across the world and the majority of YWAM bases offer a DTS. A DTS course schedule has designated individual and corporate time with the Lord and is designed to create intimate space with Him.
The lecture phase of my DTS at what I believe to be one of the best YWAM locations in the USA, Asheville, helped me build a foundation for my relationship with the Lord that I will be able to build on for the rest of my life. During my YWAM Asheville DTS, the Lord radically transformed my view of Him and revealed how I believed what other people had told me about Him instead of getting to know Him for myself. DTS showed me what it looks like to experience the Lord’s heart for me and what it means to know Him for myself and not just what other people told me about who He is.
Before coming to the Asheville DTS, I believed many lies about God. Through the lecture phase and mission trip, the Lord showed me His heart for me and that He loved and liked me. This revelation changed my life.
YWAM Asheville helped me instill basic spiritual principles that have helped me continually grow in intimacy with the Lord. Simply reading your Bible on a daily basis has a massive impact on your relationship with God. It is one of the main ways we learn who God is and how He operates. Prayer is another crucial part of the relationship with God. The Lord really does want to hear from us.
We don’t have to over-spiritualize or overthink our prayers; He just wants us to talk with Him. Another practical way to grow your relationship with God is to do a DTS. Setting aside 5 months of your life to pursue God is monumental to say the least and can be huge in building a foundation in your relationship with God!
God desires a relationship with each of us. He longs to be known by us and delights in knowing us. He is a God who draws close and desires to be found. So much of a relationship with Him is consciously recognizing His presence and intentionally seeking to hear His voice.
Whether you are just discovering who the Lord is or have known Him for years, there is always more of Him to discover and more intimacy to be experienced with Him. Relationship with God is the pillar on which our lives rest and where every other relationship flows. May you be continually undone as you seek His face and allow yourself to rest in the relationship for which you were created.