Knowing God takes real effort. Matt. 6:33 says to seek first the kingdom of God. While the efforts we need to make come in a variety of forms, they always are of one basic fundamental problem, removing our self from the path to His righteousness. For example, consider the following:

• Forgiveness – Why is it so difficult for us to forgive when it is a given that God forgives us?  His forgiveness allows us to move into relationship with Him. When we forgive others the door opens for us to move into relationship with them. In our selfishness we may say that we do not desire a relationship with the other person but we forget that God loves the other person as much as He loves us. Did Jesus not say that we should love others as ourselves? Can we really love God while discarding others? 
• Worry – At the root of every worry we find ourselves once again. Worry usually means that we do not have a clear trust that God is in control and that He understands what is best for us. We worry that life may not turn out as we would hope. (It seldom does.) Scripture tells us to be “anxious for nothing”. (Phil. 4:6) What happens when we get past the worries? By simply accepting God’s favor, even when the outcome is obscured, we enter into relationship with Him by means of faith.
• Fear – Remember the acronym, F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real). Fear is a lot like worry but on a much more intense level. Personally I believe that it is the enemy’s most prized weapon. Using fear he is able to melt your trust, confidence and faith. Fear paralyzes and inhibits our relationship with God. Satan is described as the master deceiver. His ability to make something seem insurmountable is unmatched on earth. It is supernatural and can only be combated by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, hence the need to seek first the Kingdom.

In each and every case we find that it is always about relationship. The real power for living life is found in the relationship we have with God through His Son. In each and every case we find that it is always our self will that impedes that relationship and a great effort is required on our part to identify the problem and surrender our will. Don’t skip past the surrender part. There is a lot more of our self in the way than we imagine and the task of identification and surrender is challenging, but well worth the effort.