How To Make A Covenant With God

Making a covenant with God is an important step in deepening your relationship with Him. If you feel called to make this commitment, know that God eagerly awaits to enter into an everlasting covenant with you.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: To make a covenant with God, commit to obeying and serving Him, pray for His help to keep the covenant, and formally make your covenant through baptism or another sacred ceremony.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about covenants with God. You’ll learn the biblical basis for covenants, how to discern if you’re ready, the steps to take in making a covenant, and how to faithfully maintain your covenant with God.

Understanding Biblical Covenants

Covenants in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, God made covenants with key figures like Noah, Abraham, and Moses to establish relationships with them and their descendants. These covenants revealed God’s promises to bless them, provide land and prosperity, and set them apart as His chosen people.

Key covenants included the Abrahamic, Mosaic, Noahic, Davidic, and New Covenants, which progressively revealed God’s purposes (1).

For example, in Genesis 15, God made a covenant with Abram (later called Abraham), promising to make his descendants as numerous as the stars and to give them the land of Canaan. Circumcision became a sign of this everlasting covenant.

Centuries later, through Moses, God freed Abraham’s descendants from slavery in Egypt and made a covenant at Mount Sinai to make them His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6).

The Mosaic Covenant provided the Ten Commandments and other laws to set Israel apart for God’s purposes.

Covenant of Grace through Jesus Christ

The New Covenant was initiated through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, bringing justification by grace through faith (Romans 5:1-2). God writes His law on people’s hearts, showing that obedience now flows from an inner transformation, not external legalism (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

We relate to God not merely as subjects to a king, but as children to a loving Father.

The New Covenant fulfills but also supersedes the previous covenants: “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete” (Hebrews 8:13). It covers not only Israel but all nations who place their faith in Jesus, expanding God’s kingdom across the world.

It provides eternal life and adoption into God’s family for all who believe.

Baptism as a Covenant

Baptism serves as an outward sign of the New Covenant, symbolizing Jesus’ death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). When believers are baptized, they publicly profess their faith in Christ and pledge themselves to follow Him.

At the same time, God pledges His faithfulness to raise them to eternal life as they identify themselves with Christ’s death and resurrection (1 Peter 3:21). So baptism both signifies and seals the New Covenant relationship with God.

In baptism, God promises forgiveness, the Holy Spirit’s daily power, and eternal blessings to believers and their children (Acts 2:38-39). They, in turn, promise to love and obey God as faithful disciples of Jesus.

As in marriage, God’s initiative sustains the covenantal bond, not primarily the believer’s imperfect actions.

Discerning If You Are Ready

Pray and Reflect

Making a covenant with God is a serious commitment that requires thoughtful discernment. Here are some tips for praying and reflecting on your readiness:

• Set aside quiet time to pray, read Scripture, and journal your thoughts. Ask God to search your heart and reveal any areas that need work.
• Consider your motives. Are you making this covenant simply out of excitement or peer pressure? Or is it a genuine desire to deepen your devotion to God?
• Reflect on your spiritual maturity. Do you have a stable prayer life and Scripture reading habits? Are you actively serving in church? Is your relationship with God bearing fruit?
• Examine any major life changes coming up like marriage, children, new job. How might these impact your ability to honor the covenant?

Give yourself ample time in prayer and reflection. Discernment is a process, not a one-time decision. And remember – there’s no rush. It’s better to wait until you feel truly ready.

Consider Your Commitment

Once you’ve prayed about it, honestly evaluate what you’re committing to. Here are some key considerations:

• Covenant commitments vary, but may involve things like daily prayer, Scripture reading, tithing, abstaining from sinful activities, and regular church attendance.
• Are you currently struggling to maintain any of these disciplines? If so, that’s a red flag that you may lack readiness.
• Consider the duration of the covenant. Shorter commitments (like 40 days) are great for beginners. More extended covenants (1-2 years) require greater spiritual maturity.
• Know that you’ll likely face temptations and periods of dryness. Are you prepared to remain committed even when it’s difficult?

Evaluate your current spiritual rhythms and level of devotion to God. Be realistic about what you can handle. Start small if needed.

Discuss with Spiritual Leaders

Before making a covenant, have transparent conversations with spiritually mature Christian friends or pastors. Here are some benefits of getting input:

• They may discern red flags about your readiness that you’ve overlooked.
• They can give perspective on what types of covenant commitments are suitable for your current spiritual maturity.
• They may ask tough questions to reveal your true motivations and commitment level.
• You can learn from any covenants they’ve made – mistakes to avoid and best practices to follow.

Approach these conversations with humility. Listen intently to counsel without becoming defensive. Godly input is invaluable for discerning if you’re ready to make a serious, binding commitment to God.

Steps to Make a Covenant with God

Repent and Seek Forgiveness

The first step in making a covenant with God is to repent of your sins and seek His forgiveness. This involves confessing your sins to God, asking for His mercy, and committing to turn away from wrongdoing (Acts 3:19).

It’s important to have a change of heart and desire to live according to God’s ways. As you humble yourself and submit to God’s authority, He promises to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Commit Through Prayer

After repenting, verbally commit yourself to the covenant relationship through prayer. Tell God you want to enter into a covenant with Him, and ask for His help to keep your commitment. Here is a sample prayer: “Lord, I want to make a covenant with you today. Please forgive me for my sins.

I commit my life to honoring and obeying you from this day forward. Give me the grace and strength to be faithful to this covenant all the days of my life.” Speak from your heart in your own words. God desires a sincere and personal covenant relationship with each of His children.

Formalize the Covenant

You can formalize your covenant commitment to God by writing it down. This document can include promises you are making to God, ways you intend to honor the covenant, and blessings you are seeking from Him.

Some also choose to have a covenant renewal ceremony where they read the covenant document aloud before God and invited witnesses. This adds a sense of solemnity and accountability. However you choose to formalize it, intentionally documenting your covenant solidifies your commitment and reminds you of your promises to God.

Entering a covenant with the Lord is a sacred commitment that will enrich your relationship with Him. As you seek forgiveness and pledge your loyalty to God, He promises to pour out His love and blessings on your life. Amazing things happen when we commit to walk in covenant with the Almighty!

Maintaining the Covenant

Daily Prayer and Scripture Reading

To maintain a close relationship with God, it’s important to spend regular one-on-one time with Him through prayer and reading the Bible. Many faithful Christians start their day by reading a passage from the Bible and talking to God about what’s on their heart and mind.

This helps center our thoughts on godly principles (Philippians 4:8) and invite God’s guidance into our day.

A good goal is to pray and read the Bible for at least 15-30 minutes every day. Find a peaceful spot and leave distractions behind. Ask God to speak to you through His word and listen for His still, small voice in your spirit (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Writing down verses or thoughts that stand out can help you remember and apply God’s truths.

Participate in Spiritual Community

Getting together regularly with other believers is another key way to maintain a vibrant covenant with God. By worshipping, studying the Bible, praying, and fellowshipping with other Christians, we are strengthened in our faith and better able to follow Jesus.

According to a 2019 Gallup poll, only about 36% of Americans say they attend religious services weekly or almost every week. But making church attendance a priority has many spiritual benefits, such as hearing Biblical teaching, singing praises to God, building relationships, and being inspired by testimonies of God at work.

Regularly Partake in Communion

In the Gospels, Jesus instituted Holy Communion (aka the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist) during the Last Supper with His disciples. He instructed them—and all believers—to break bread and drink wine together often in remembrance of His sacrificial death on the cross (Luke 22:14-20).

By partaking of Communion with the right heart attitude, we spiritually commune with Christ and renew our covenant bonding with Him.

Most churches celebrate Communion regularly, like once a month—so try not to miss it. Take a few quiet moments to examine your conscience and surrender any unconfessed sin to God before receiving the bread and cup (1 Corinthians 11:27-28).

This practice keeps us in right standing before God and one another.

Conclusion

Making a covenant with God marks a sacred milestone in the Christian journey. As you walk with God daily, strive to uphold your end of the covenant through obedience, service, and love. God will surely remain faithful to His promises within the covenant.

May your covenant lead to great spiritual growth and a lifetime of walking in God’s will.