1. Developing a Close Bond with Christ
A Step by Step Guide
1

2. Introduction
Human beings by nature are social creatures. We
thrive on relationships. All kinds. Relationships with
our parents, siblings, spouse, children, coworkers....well, you get the point. The relationship
we often lose sight of is the one we have with God,
the most important relationship there is. But we live
in a world where most don’t even know who God is,
much less obey him. So how do we truly get to
know the one who created us, who died for us and
provides for us daily? Your personal relationship
with Christ will help maintain you during good days
and bad days in this life. And better than that, the
bond you have with Jesus will help prepare you for
eternal life. Here is your step by step guide.
2

3. Step# 1
s
Read Your Bible
s
“Then said I, Lo, I come: in the
volume of the book it is written of
me,” (Psalms 40: 7)
“Seek ye out the book of the Lord,
and read.” (Isaiah 34:16)
“Study to shew thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth,” (II Timothy
2:15).
3

4. Step #1- Read Your Bible
God has provided his holy word, that is, his
commandments, testimonies and everything we
need to know to be saved in the bible. These
days, the bible comes in all formats, whether
hard copy or soft copy. Perhaps individuals in
the baby boomer generation and prior might
want to stick to their hard copy bibles and that’s
ok! But for those who dare to venture out, the
bible is now on the internet, free of charge or
can be downloaded on your phone, iPad or other
electronic devices. What excuses do we have?! I
mean really. One click of a button or turn of the
page and there the word of God is.
4

5. Step #1- Read Your Bible
All humor aside, studying the bible is key to
our salvation. It gives you hope. The
plethora of self help and inspirational
books out there can’t save you. Only God
can and you can reach him in his word.
The bible teaches us about the laws and
how we must obey them. It teaches us our
history and prophecies of salvation. It’s
like we have a piece of God in our hands,
made possible because he loves his
children.
5

6. Step #1- Read Your Bible
When we study the word we do so in order
to put in action what we have learned (John
1: 1). In other words, the bible is of no use
to you if you don’t apply it’s teachings.
And you may not understand every single
line. I know I don’t. But you will
understand what you need in order to be
saved, that’s a guarantee. The bible has the
power to change you into a new person.
6

7. Step #1- Read Your Bible
Now, each of us are responsible for our own
actions, therefore, we have to study the bible on
our own. We can’t just wait until we are at
church or depend on another individual to
teach us. For we live in a day with mega
churches where the preachers have become
more like rock stars or hip hop artists. They
are more interested in wealth. While Christ
healed and taught for free, many so-called
religious leaders won’t utter a word unless you
can pay for them and their entire entourage.
Preachers are now idolized. Pastor Brown said
this. Well the Deacon told me this but what
about what the God said in the bible. What if
you are being misled.
7

8. Step #1- Read Your Bible
Now many might gainsay what I just
said, arguing that the bible was written
by man and not by God, so how can one
truly know what is the truth. But this is
merely a convenient excuse to justify
disobedience to God’s commandments.
It is true that the bible was written by
men but these were holy men inspired by
the Holy Spirit. These were not their
own personal ideas but the truth that
came from God above. The men who
wrote the bible died, but God’s word did
not pass away.
8

9. Step #1- Read Your Bible
In 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 it states,
“All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may
be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works.”
Therefore, you must learn about God for
yourself and the Holy Spirit will come to
you and guide to the right path. On to
step 2.
9

10. s
Step# 2
Pray to God
“Pray without ceasing”(1 Thessalonians 5: 17)
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous
man availeth much.” (James 5: 16)
10

11. Step #2- Pray to God
Prayer is very serious and holy. It is often a
private moment between you and God but
can also be shared with loved ones. This is
the moment when you present your
gratitude, supplications and sorrows to the
heavenly throne. And if done in sincerity,
the Holy Spirit will take your prayer and
bring it up as a sweet savor unto the Lord,
making intercessions on your behalf
(Romans 8:26-27). It is by law that we
communicate to the Lord through constant
prayer, paying homage to his glory and
greatness (Ephesians 6: 17-18, Romans
12: 12).
s
11

12. Step #2- Pray to God
We cannot pray to God as we so choose
because we are addressing an awesome
being. The Lord has provided instruction
on how we must pray daily (Matthew.
6: 7-13). The Lord’s Prayer
acknowledges the holiness of God as well
as make mention of our vital needs
including protection, forgiveness, mercy
and livelihood. Following the Lord’s
Prayer, we should present our own
individual prayers both in the daytime
and evening.
12

13. Step #2- Pray to God
If we remain in constant prayer we will
become active in our faith – creating an open
line of communication between us and the
Father. We know the power of prayer is truly
undeniable, with this power the afflicted can
be healed; worldly temptations can be fought
against; forgiveness can be rewarded and
blessings can be bestowed. And this power is
made evident in his children, for we obtain
comfort and peace in the knowledge that God
will hear us (James 5: 15-16). The Lord is
moved by our pleas and will help us according
to his will (Psalms 102: 17 & Proverbs 15:
8).
13

14. Step #2- Pray to God
You can always come to Him whether it is
concerning spiritual matters or common
matters, such as, your job, school, family
and overall guidance in life (Philippians
4: 6 & Matthew 21: 22). We do not pray
for extravagant desires but are moved and
compelled by the spirit to pray for what is
necessary.
14

15. Step #2- Pray to God
We continue to seek the Lord through
prayer, which will save us from death.
Christ, himself, prayed to his Father and
now commands us to pray so that Satan
might flee from our minds. Throughout
the entire bible, we are warned to remain
in constant prayer and fasting. Praying is
one of the many great weapons we utilize
to fight against the devil’s fiery darts.
15

16. Step #2- Pray to God
When you begin to pray, the Holy Spirit will
enter into your mind, providing you with
the strength to fight against this carnal flesh
(Luke 22: 40 & 45-46). Prayer will cause
you to be mindful and active in the spirit –
leading you closer and closer to victory.
Going without prayer, is like walking
through this world without your armor and
weaponry- leaving you vulnerable to Satan’s
forces. We must never let go of prayer. It is
a healing balm that helps us overcome,
growing stronger and stronger day by day.
16

17. s
Step# 3
Fasting
“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me
with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping,
and with mourning:”(Joel 2: 12)
17

18. Step #3- Fasting
Fasting is the act of depriving yourself from
food and water for a set period of time in
order for you to meditate on the Lord.
Though fasting is uncomfortable and
sometimes unpleasant, God has instructed
us to fast in the bible. We afflict our souls
today but we will rejoice in due time.
Believe it or not, fasting helps you grow
spiritually. It is during a physical fast that
you are better able to concentrate on your
spiritual condition and what steps you need
to take to become stronger in your faith.
18

19. Step #3- Fasting
Throughout the bible, God’s children
fasted, whether it was on an individual basis
or with an entire group (Daniel 9:3). At
times, it was necessary to call for a special
fast because of the situation that Israel was
going through (Ezra 8: 21-23). Our
forefathers serve as an example to us;
however, there is no better example that we
have than in Christ. Our Savior, who is
God, fasted and afflicted himself for 40
days and 40 nights (Matthew 4: 2). Let
us be like Christ, who is perfect above all
men, and fast according to his will.
19

20. Step #3- Fasting
Fasting, if done correctly, will force you to
eliminate all distractions and center your
entire mind on God. What is so
magnificent is that God’s presence
surrounds you. You can more clearly read
your bible or you may even feel compelled
to write a class or song. The most
opportune time to fast is when you are at
home in private. Let us be edified and see
how Christ has instructed us to fast
(Matthew 6: 16-18).
20

21. Step #3- Fasting
You decide how many hours you would like to
fast. I personally choose not to watch TV or
listen to the radio during my fast; this will
distract me and place common and even
unclean thoughts into my head. I open up my
fast as I would open up my day by having a
little worship session, which would consist of
a song, prayer and scripture reading.
Throughout the duration of my fast, I will
work on a song or class and close my eyes and
meditate. Try doing yoga or maybe go for a
light walk, which can help bring you into
deeper thought on the Lord. It is o.k. to take
a shower and put on clean clothes, just as
Christ instructed us to do.
s
21

22. Step #3- Fasting
What is important is that you continue to fast. Everyone’s schedule
and life is different so you have to find a fasting schedule that works
best for you. What is important is that you do it and do it regularly.
Find a day and set a schedule, whether it is monthly, bi-monthly or
weekly. We fast because we must do so if we are to gain eternal life.
Unlike the disciples, Christ is not on this earth walking with us (Mark
2: 18-20), so we fast that we might be prepared for his coming, as the
disciples did fast when Christ left this earth. As we continue on this
earth, we are still in a state of war. This is a battle against sin and
death. Fasting enables us to fight and fight hard against Satan that we
might win and be free (I Corinthians. 7: 5). No matter how busy
you are you must do it. This is God’s will and we must align ourselves
with his law, so that it becomes a part of us.
22

23. s
Step# 4
Singing Praises
“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful
noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his
presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him
with psalms.” (Psalms 95: 1-2)
23

24. Step #4- Singing
God is omnipotent and great. His power is
poured out on this entire earth. He is
worthy of acknowledgement and praise.
We must glorify the Lord in all ways
(Psalms. 96: 1-4, 95: 1-6, 100: 1-2). Since
the beginning of time, mankind, this entire
earth and the heavens have praised God.
We continue to do so through music,
poetry, dance and artistic expression.
Praising God evokes such great emotion
within us as we commune with the entire
throne of God. It is His will that we praise
his name and lift him up.
24

25. Step #4- Singing
No one can deny why worshipping
the Lord is such a need.
Particularly through song, one is
healed spiritually, your soul is
comforted, you’re inspired to be
stronger, it teaches you about the
Lord and it can prophecy about
his coming. We are able to tune
Satan out when we begin to praise
the Lord that is why we must do it
every day.
25

26. Step #4- Singing
Spiritual songs should not merely be
about an exciting beat but provide a
message reflecting God’s truth. The
popular trend for gospel music is to
now imitate the sounds of Rhythm and
Blues, Jazz, rap or Pop music for the
purpose of increasing their popularity
and appeal. This is money driven. It
has nothing to do with God. If you can
talk you can sing. The Holy Ghost will
take the song that you sing and perfect
it making it a sweet savor acceptable to
God.
26

27. Questions
For questions regarding this presentation
please contact us via email at
info@householdofisrael.org or by phone at
219.949.9308
27

28. Special Thanks
This presentation was developed and
narrated by
Elisabeth C. Pointer
28