Do you desire a closer relationship with God? Of course you do, or you wouldn’t be reading this. Now there are people out there that will sell you a course on how to please God for only $99.95 plus tax and your old re-cappable tires, but I’ll tell you how to do it for free. And you can keep your old tires. It seems the more books people read, the more classes they attend, the more they become indoctrinated with religious “formulas”. Do you know what? That stinketh to God, as King James would have said. And it stinketh to me, too. Let me show you a better way.
Picture a pair of newlyweds, maybe put yourself and your loved one in this picture. Imagine how much in love they are. You were there once, remember? Ah, yes. They have just been united in Holy Matrimony, unless they’re from the Ozarks like I am. If that’s the case then they “got hitched”, and now they are the happiest two people on the face of the earth. How do I know that? I counted them: one, two, yep, there’s two of them. OK, why are they so happy? Because she is his and he is hers and nothing shall ever separate them. Here we have two very happy campers. The way you would like to have it with God, right? Right.
Now, do they go through a religious ritual every time they see each other? Not likely, unless they’re “churchy”. They don’t need to. There’s no need to try to gain access to one another’s heart. Access is already granted by reason of their marriage, and their great love for each other. Are you with me so far?

 When we ask Jesus to come into our heart, instantly we have access to the very heart of God, by virtue of our covenant with Jesus. We can’t access the heart of God by ritual or religion. Some people of other religions try to gain access to God by whipping themselves with chains, taking a step, and whipping themselves again, or by chanting words over and over for endless hours while burning incense, and standing or sitting a certain way.  Still others try to gain access to God by praying to saints or dressing a certain way or ringing a bell or burning candles. Ritual doesn’t get it with God. It doesn’t matter if you pray standing on your head while holding a turtle in one hand and counting beads with the other with your toenails painted purple, facing east, you won’t get to God’s heart without a relationship with Him. Period. Get this: formulas stink, or stinketh, whichever you prefer.
In the Old Covenant, the Israelites came to God by ritual and sacrifices of animals. But God, seeing that way was not perfect, longed for a better way. And He established that better way through the blood of Jesus, whereby He did away with that which was inferior. What God desires is a relationship with us. He is not satisfied with the emptiness of religion and ritual.

You think church is boring to you? Think of how it must be for God to set in on some services. If God gets any sleep at all, it must be during church. What He really wants is your love.
God desires a relationship with us that is enjoyed by newlyweds, and that is an open access to our heart. No ritual, no religion, just pure communion of two hearts; yours and His. No wall of separation, no fear to be honest with each other, nothing hidden, no fear of rejection, just pure, unconditional love. Nothing standing between you and your Beloved, the heavenly Father. Not even the football game. Does that sound like something you’d like to have? Then you came to the right place. Leave your religion at home, or in the nearest dumpster. God doesn’t need it. He needs YOU! And by the way, He doesn’t need your money, either.  Your Pastor should be teaching you all this stuff. And if he isn’t, find someone who is, like me. God wants you to enjoy His best.

Remember, all the religion and rituals in the world won’t get you into heaven. But a relationship with God will!