Lesson 12 How Can You Draw Close to God?
1. Does God listen to all prayers?
God invites people of all sorts to draw close to him in prayer. (Psalm 65:2) Yet, he does not listen to, or accept, all prayers. For example, the prayers of a man who mistreats his wife can be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7) Also, when the Israelites persisted in badness, God refused to hear their prayers. Clearly, prayer is a privilege. Nevertheless, God will accept the prayers of even gross sinners if they repent.—Read Isaiah 1:15; 55:7.
[“Read” scriptures.] Isaiah 1:15: And when you spread out your palms, I hide my eyes from you. Although you offer many prayers, I am not listening; Your hands are filled with blood.
Isaiah 55:7: Let the wicked man leave his way And the evil man his thoughts; Let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him, To our God, for he will forgive in a large way. [End of “Read” scriptures.]

Watch the video Does God Listen to All Prayers? See jw.org.

2. How should we pray?
Prayer is part of our worship, so we should pray only to our Creator, Jehovah. (Matthew 4:10; 6:9) Also, since we are imperfect, we should pray in the name of Jesus because he died for our sins. (John 14:6) Jehovah does not want us to repeat memorized or written prayers. He wants us to pray from our heart.—Read Matthew 6:7; Philippians 4:6, 7.
[“Read” scriptures.] Matthew 6:7: When praying, do not say the same things over and over again as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words.
Philippians 4:6, 7: Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Our Creator can hear even silent prayers. (1 Samuel 1:12, 13) He invites us to pray on every occasion, such as at the beginning and the end of the day, at mealtimes, and when we face problems.—Read Psalm 55:22; Matthew 15:36.
[“Read” scriptures.] Psalm 55:22: Throw your burden on Jehovah, And he will sustain you. Never will he allow the righteous one to fall.
Matthew 15:36: he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after offering thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Picture on page 24: [Image:] A man praying to God
3. Why do Christians meet together?
Drawing close to God is not easy because we live among people who lack faith in God and ridicule his promise of peace on earth. (2 Timothy 3:1, 4; 2 Peter 3:3, 13) So we need the encouraging association of fellow believers, and they need us.—Read Hebrews 10:24, 25.
[“Read” scripture.] Hebrews 10:24, 25: And let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking our meeting together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near. [End of “Read” scripture.]
Associating with people who love God helps us to draw close to God. The meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses provide fine opportunities to benefit from the faith of others.—Read Romans 1:11, 12.
[“Read” scripture.] Romans 1:11, 12: For I am longing to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift to you for you to be made firm; or, rather, that we may have an interchange of encouragement by one another’s faith, both yours and mine. [End of “Read” scripture.]
Picture on page 24: [Image:] People reading the Bible at a Christian meeting
4. How can you draw close to God?
You can draw close to Jehovah by meditating on what you have learned from his Word. Contemplate his activities, his advice, and his promises. Prayerful meditation builds appreciation in our heart for God’s love and wisdom.—Read Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3.
[“Read” scriptures.] Joshua 1:8: This book of the Law should not depart from your mouth, and you must read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it; for then your way will be successful and then you will act wisely.
Psalm 1:1-3: Happy is the man who does not walk according to the advice of the wicked And does not stand on the path of sinners And does not sit in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of Jehovah, And he reads His law in an undertone day and night. He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, A tree that produces fruit in its season, The foliage of which does not wither. And everything he does will succeed. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
You can be close to God only if you trust in him, if you have faith in him. But faith is like a living thing that needs feeding. You must constantly feed your faith by reviewing the basis for your beliefs.—Read Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 11:1, 6.
[“Read” scriptures.] Matthew 4:4: But he answered: “It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.’”
Hebrews 11:1: Faith is the assured expectation of what is hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities that are not seen.
Hebrews 11:6: Moreover, without faith it is impossible to please God well, for whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Picture on page 25: [Image:] A man reading God’s Word during a break at work
5. How will drawing close to God benefit you?
Jehovah cares for those who love him. He can protect them from anything that could jeopardize their faith and their hope of everlasting life. (Psalm 91:1, 2, 7-10) He warns us against ways of life that threaten our health and happiness. Jehovah teaches us the best way of life.—Read Psalm 73:27, 28; James 4:4, 8.
[“Read” scriptures.] Psalm 73:27, 28: Truly, those keeping far from you will perish. You will put an end to everyone who immorally leaves you. But as for me, drawing near to God is good for me. I have made the Sovereign Lord Jehovah my refuge, To declare all your works.
James 4:4: Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God.
James 4:8: Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you indecisive ones. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Picture on page 25: [Image:] Friends enjoying time together

For more information, see chapter 17 of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach?