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How can I come closer to God? I try to read the Holy Bible, but I just read the words and not understand what I am reading. I guess a lot is on my mind and I am not focusing. I take too much on my plate, and therefore, my mind is always thinking. I know that is no excuse, but I need some guidance. It just seems as though I get really close to the church, then I go to the opposite extreme. I think that it’s the devil fighting me every time. I feel like I'm swinging like a pendulum. Please help!

Also, it’s disturbing that the Muslim community purchased land a mile away from our purposed church site five years after we purchased ours and they are currently praying in their facility.

Getting closer to God is a life-long experience which grows out of love for Him and appreciation for all that He has done for you. It is not necessarily the amount of reading and prayers that you are doing, but the commitment to your relationship with God will be more fulfilling when you read and meditate on His word. It is through reading the Holy Bible and other spiritual material, in addition to having a set time for prayer, that you will hear God speaking to you. Hearing God's voice through the Holy Scriptures is an important part of coming closer to God and having a strong relationship with Him. Although you may feel that your plate is full, it may be that you are filling it with too many things because you have not yet identified nor confronted yourself with the real void in your life, which is … the lack of a genuine serious relationship with God. Learn to prioritize, making God #1 in each and in every day and in whatever you do.

As for the proximity of the Muslim facility to the proposed site of the church, this is not something which should be of any concern for anyone. This community may pray wherever they have the right to do so. This should have no bearing on your faith at all, but only to make it stronger and to serve has a constant reminder of how precious our faith is to the whole world. God has a perfect plan for why He allowed this site to exist, so there is no reason for fear or worry.