Encouragement for Today

June 26, 2025 How Can I Grow Closer to God Today? LYSA TERKEURST Lee en español

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” Luke 9:23 (NIV)

Are you longing for a deeper connection with God but aren’t sure where to even begin?

If you’re worried that I’m going to tell you I have a long and overwhelming list of things I do every day to feel closer to Him … don’t be. Honestly, I just ask Him to renew me and shape me into the woman I need to be as I get into His Word. And I commit to following hard after Him, no matter what.

This helps me grow ever closer to God — pressing into Him so He makes the deepest impression on me.

In Luke 9:23, Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” His words must have seemed surprising at first. The disciples had already given up so much to follow Jesus.

Family. Friends. Jobs. The comforts of home.

Yet in our key verse today, we find Jesus telling them the cost was going to be even higher than they had originally anticipated. The disciples weren’t being asked to lay down some things. They would need to lay down everything. Their plans. Their agendas. Maybe even their own lives.

And while it may sound like a lot to ask, because of their willingness to continue following hard after Jesus, they would get to experience a level of closeness with Him unlike anyone else:

1. They would take Communion with Him before He was crucified (Luke 22:12-20).
2. He would bend low to wash their feet (John 13:1-17).
3. He would eat with them after His resurrection (Luke 24:36-43).
4. They would be the first believers to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).

Not only did they have the promise of eternity with Jesus in heaven, but they also had the privilege of experiencing unparalleled intimacy with Him on earth.

Could they have received any sweeter gift?

This is what my heart hungers for when it comes to the Lord: connection, communion, closeness. Not only in a distant, heavenly future — right here. Right now.

That’s why I’m so thankful Jesus’ invitation to the disciples in Luke 9:23 is for us too. We are also invited to be close. Which means we are also called to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.

I realize “taking up our cross” may sound strange or vague at first, but for me, it means breaking old habits to create space in my heart for new growth. It means moving beyond a superficial Christian checklist (go to church, read the Bible, don’t cuss, be nice, pray, give to the poor) and letting God rule in every area of my life.

Sometimes it means offering Him my willingness to step away from things like TV for a season. Fixing my eyes on Him first in the morning instead of my phone. Allowing Him to call me to a new level of discipline in my eating habits. I’ve offered up these things because I long for an ever closer walk with Him.

I don’t know exactly what following God wholeheartedly will look like for you. But I do know if we want to grow closer to God, we’ll have to distance ourselves from whatever is distracting us. We’ll have to lay aside whatever we are prone to delight in more than Him.

Let’s ask God how we need to deny ourselves to grow closer to Him, and then let’s do the hard and holy work. Because a deeper level of intimacy with Him will always be worth the cost.

Lord, show me what stands in the way of intimacy with You, and give me the strength to lay it down — for a season or forever. I long to be closer to You, no matter the cost. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Following Jesus is about way more than simply going through the motions. Join us in the pages of our new study guide, Is This As Good as It Gets? Experience the Lasting Change You Long For, A Study of the Book of Titus. Together, we’ll discover that we don’t have to settle for a faith that feels routine and lackluster — in fact, God is inviting us into something deeper. Get your Titus study guide!

ENGAGE

Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Luke 9:24, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” (NIV).

What distractions do you struggle with the most when it comes to drawing closer to God? How can you purposefully make Him a priority this week?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

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