How to Live a Life of Communion with God

Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life is not merely living forever. It’s a quality of life—a life lived in fellowship with the triune God. It’s an entrance into the love shared by the Father and the Son from all eternity.

This life is a gift. Whoever believes in Jesus receives the gift of knowing God—of enjoying fellowship with the Father and the Son by the Spirit.

The challenge is that we are not naturally fit to enjoy this relationship. We are not the kind of people who easily enter into an experience of the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the good news is that if we have received this gift, God is already at work making us into the kind of people who can. He is shaping us to enjoy communion with Him—and with all those who share in that life (the church).

Our calling is to lean into this work. We are not passive. As Peter wrote, “Make every effort to add to your faith . . . virtue” (2 Peter 1:5). That virtue—those excellent qualities—are what make communion with God possible and enjoyable.

How do we grow in this? The heart of it is simple: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you” (John 15:4). Stay connected to Jesus. There’s more to do, but this is the center.

How does that connection work itself out in daily life? That’s what we’ll explore below.

You Need Time
All relationships take time. Aristotle once said that friendship requires eating a pound of salt together. Not all at once, of course—but slowly, over many meals. Time together builds friendship.

So it is with God. Communion with Him takes time. This is why we set apart time for fellowship with God—especially through His Word and prayer.

But how we spend that time matters.

Read the Bible to Commune, Not Just to Study
Any way you engage with Scripture is good. But God invites us to read His Word as a conversation, not just as a study. When I talk with my wife, I may learn things—but that’s not the point. The goal is loving fellowship. That’s how we approach God in Scripture.

The 17th-century theologian Wilhelmus á Brakel said it beautifully. God’s Word is not only to be obeyed—it is “a continual dialogue with God Himself while hearing, reading, and meditating upon His Word” (The Christian’s Reasonable Service, 1.74). We read it “as if hearing the voice of God,” placing ourselves in His presence with a humble and receptive heart (1.77, 81).[1]

That’s how we listen for the Lord’s voice, like Samuel: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:10).

Sunday with Jesus
“The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” The Sabbath isn’t just about avoiding work. It’s about Jesus. It’s a day with Him. The command is to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”—set apart for the Lord. Rest follows from that.

So we approach Sunday as a day of communion with Jesus—privately, with our families, and especially with the church.

When we gather with God’s people, we go to meet the Lord. David longed for this: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God” (Ps. 42:1). He sought God daily, but especially in worship. Today, we meet Jesus not in a temple but among His people. In Revelation, Jesus walks among the lampstands—which are the churches.

So we listen to sermons and partake of sacraments not merely to learn but to encounter God. We sing not just for music but to speak with our Father. We want to say with Jacob, “Surely the presence of the Lord was in this place!” (Gen. 28:16). And from there, we carry that presence into our week.

Mini-Worship Services Each Morning
One way to begin each day in communion with God is to turn your morning time with God into a mini-worship service. You can do this alone or with others.

It doesn’t have to be in the morning, but starting your day with God often bears rich fruit. It gives you something to carry with you into the day.

How? Use the structure of corporate worship or an element from it:

• Begin with a call to worship or a simple invocation
• Read a Psalm or Scripture passage
• Sing or listen to a hymn
• Confess your sins
• Offer prayers—free and written
• Pray for others: your church, your family, your nation, the world
• Pray the Lord’s Prayer or
• Say and pray through the Apostles’ Creed
• End with thanksgiving and a benediction

Draw ideas from the Book of Common Prayer or other guides. The point is not the form but the frame of mind—seeking to enjoy the eternal life that is communion with God.

Carrying Communion Into the Day
Communion with God isn’t limited to set times. Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17).

That means returning to God throughout the day—making Him the baseline of your thoughts.

A few years ago, I realized my reflex in quiet moments was to check my phone. And most of the things I looked at on my phone were trivial. Why not turn those moments toward the triune God?

Scripture supports this. David said, “I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night” (Ps. 63:6). That’s communion throughout the day.

Often, I use a single Scripture to carry into the day. It might be from my morning reading or a verse I’ve memorized. I return to it throughout the day.

When I gave tours in the Smoky Mountains, I would pause at quiet moments to meditate on a verse. I always returned to the group refreshed.

Additional Times of Communion
The Book of Common Prayer introduced me to noonday prayer—a 10-minute pause to read a Psalm, pray the Lord’s Prayer, and offer simple prayers. It has become one of the most meaningful parts of my day.

Evening worship is another opportunity, especially for families. It can be a short, structured time modeled on worship—a Psalm, a prayer, a Scripture reading, a song.

Finally, I try never to end the day without a brief prayer and Scripture. It prepares my heart and often helps me turn to God when I wake in the night: “I meditate on you in the watches of the night” (Ps. 63:6).

Where to Start
This may feel overwhelming. So remember two things:

1. Start small. You don’t become a marathon runner overnight. Read a Psalm in the morning. Reflect on one verse during the day. Spend 10 minutes in worship with your family. Meditate on a passage. Pray through the Apostle’s Creed. Come to church ready to meet God. Whatever you do, just start. But don’t try to run before you can walk.
2. Your standing with God doesn’t depend on this. Your salvation is in Christ, not in your devotional life. “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). These practices don’t earn us salvation. They are part of how God shapes us into people who enjoy Him more fully.

This shaping is a lifelong work—only completed in glory. But we can begin now. We can raise our sails to catch His gracious wind.

So Why Start?
Because it’s wonderful. This is eternal life. Communion with God brings joy and peace the world cannot give or take away.

Wherever we are, we can lift our hearts to heaven, where Christ is. There we find rest, peace, and pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11). And we return to earth refreshed, ready for whatever comes.

The philosopher Epictetus once said, “If we had any sense, what should we do, both in public and in private, but sing hymns and praise the deity?” (Discourses, 1.6). He saw that praise is the most human thing we can do.

How strange if a Greek philosopher grasped this, and we—who know the triune God—did not!

No, this is our great destiny—our chief end. We were made for this. And in Christ, we are being restored to it. This is the abundant life Jesus won for us.

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[1] “Q. 90. How is the word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation? A. That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives” (The Westminster Shorter Catechism).