God's Commandments Bring Us Closer to Him

Genesis 1:27 (ESV) states that

God created man in his own image.

Of course, that probably does not mean that we resemble him in a physical sense. Rather, we resemble God in a spiritual sense, having self conscientiousness and an awareness of wrong and right.

Despite being made in his spiritual image, we sin against God because, as physical beings, we become distracted and enticed by the ways of this world. But God wants us to separate ourselves from our physical presence and worship him in spirit. How do we do that?

The answer is that we should read God's scripture and meditate/pray upon it. Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) says

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit.

God's commandments are designed to remove us from earthly pursuits so that we can focus on heavenly treasures. God knows that that mission is not always easy, so he gives us the gift of prayer as a way to communicate with him during that journey!