How Can I Feel Closer to God? by Chris Morphew

This resource book tackles the “how to” of a relationship with God for the mind of a pre-teen. It addresses prayer, reading the Bible, getting started, and what to do if it feels hard, boring, or pointless. The chapters are not too long, most being around 7 pages or so.

Target Reading Age: 9-13

This is a short but well-planned book to help preteens navigate their growing emotions and how they might not feel God in the same way. The author does a very good job of explaining that the goal is not just knowing a lot about God, but it’s to have a relationship with Him. The author speaks in a way that will resonate with your children, addressing things like “If God is real, why doesn’t He feel real?” He does this without being disrespectful or irreverent, simply tackling questions preteens are likely asking.

“But one of the most important things we can do as apprentices of Jesus is to keep pushing back against that lying voice telling us that it’s all too hard, that it’s not worth it, or that God doesn’t really love us-because the more we practise living out lives the way Jesus lived his life, the more natural and life-changing it will become for us.”

Overall, I think this is a very helpful resource for preteens to give them healthy habits in growing their relationship with God without becoming legalistic or missing the gospel. There is some assumption that the child reading this book is actually saved, but I appreciate how the author acknowledges that it’s God who does the saving- that it’s in His hands. I also wish it was a bit more focused on eternity and living in light of it, but this could prove fruitful and encouraging for many preteens struggling to make their faith their own and stepping into more independent growth.

Things to Note:

-The NLT is used.
-I disagree with his exegesis of Genesis 28:16, saying that Jacob realized God was with him anywhere he was, but I agree with the sentiment.
-He refers to prayer once as a “conversation,” but “Listening Prayer” is never alluded to.
-He says about Christ, “Jesus was also fully human, which means he didn’t just get the Scriptures downloaded into his brain at birth. he got to know the Bible the same way anyone else does: by reading and listening to it, over and over again.
-There are a couple of mentions of God speaking to us, although it uses the term “speak” to mean many things like showing us His power and glory. It takes a slightly Continuational stance in leaving the door open a bit concerning this topic, acknowledging how God has used prophecy, dreams, and visions to speak to His people in scripture and follows up by saying, “But however else God chooses to speak to us, he’ll never say anything that contradicts what he’s already said in the Bible.” As a soft Cessastionist, I think this easily clarified with my child, pointing to the closed Canon as the way in which God speaks to His people today as well as the Holy Spirit moving in our hearts, with the latter being often what people mean when they say “God speaking to us.”
-People referenced or quoted are Brother Lawerence, John Mark Comer, and Tim Keller.

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