Each religion approaches the divine in a unique way. Here are ten universal paths practiced by devotees to find God and connect with the higher self.

Every path to God is a personal experience, a private journey. No one path is inherently superior, as all paths to God are valid and useful.
Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” (John 10:30) Humans and God are one. As devotees draw nearer and nearer to God, the ultimate goal is to merge with the Divine in an intimately spiritual union. Sri Ramana Maharishi, the famous Indian guru who achieved enlightenment at the age of 16, asserts, “God, Guru, and the Self are the same.” (p. 10, Erase the Ego)
Meditation as a Means to Draw Near to God
When a devotee quiets the mind, the inner voice can be more easily heard and heeded. Meditation allows for the cultivation of the state of mind needed to achieve enlightenment.
Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and other religions use meditation as a means to quiet the inner chatter and hear the voice of God, or the wisdom of the Higher Self.
Prayer as a Communication and Primary Path to God
Prayer can take many forms, including recitation of a mantra or repetitions with a rosary. Prayer can be a silent plea to the universe or a specific, intimate dialog with a personal, living God.
Prayer can involve specific requests of God or the Universe; expressions of appreciation for blessings; and communications of thanks, or cries for help.
Temporary Vow of Silence to Find the Higher Self and God
Silence does not just involve resting the vocal cords. Many religions advocate silent retreats, such as Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists.
Ritual silence can be used as a religious tool to quiet the mind to a deeper level than a meditative session. Silence is a disciplined, unique way to connect with the Higher Self and with God.
Yoga as a Discipline to Reconnect the Mind, Body, and Spirit With God
This ancient discipline is a subtle yet powerful path to God. The root word “yuj” means “to join, to yoke, to concentrate one’s attention.”
According to the Sanskrit Glossary of Yogic Terms, yoga is “a method of practice leading to conscious union of the human being (atman) with the universal existence of Brahman.” Brahman is the Hindu Trinity Godhead, similar to Christianity’s concept of the Holy Trinity. (Yoga Publications Trust, 2007)
Tithing and Offerings to God
Flowers, money, and personal sacrifice (as Catholics practice during Lent) are all examples of devotees’ external expressions of offering a part of themselves. Devotion is expressed through offerings, gift giving, giving of oneself. Tithing and offerings are expressions of love.
Acts of Kindness and Compassion as an Expression of the Divine
Jesus preached the importance of loving others, including it as one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. The Dalai Lama teaches that compassion can be learned, and calls all who wish to achieve enlightenment to practice compassion.
Forgiveness is a supreme act of compassion, and also shows emotional and spiritual maturity. To forgive is divine, and is one way to draw closer to God.
Study of the Holy Texts Illuminate the Path to God
The Jewish religion emphasizes study as a means to understand and draw nearer to God. Christians study the Bible, revering the sacred text as a manifestation of God Himself: “And the Word became flesh…” (John 1:14)
Healthy Love of Self and Emotional Maturity as a Path to God
If God and the Self are the same, then a healthy love of self is absolutely necessary in spiritual growth, devotion to and love of God. Healthy love of oneself is a step in reconnecting to the Higher Self and emotional maturity allows for synthesis of mind, body and spirit.
Ethical Decisions Draw the Righteousness Near to God
Ethics does not involve right vs. wrong or good vs. evil, but rather entails a consistency of moral code. While some religions may differ on ideas and philosophies of morality, ethics and righteousness prove a powerful path to God, as a disciplined approach to what one believes is right.
Rituals as an Outward Expression of Devotion and Commitment to God
Pagans, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others all practice religious rituals. Culturally, humans crave ritual to give order and increase meaning to outward acts of devotion. Rituals can provide structure and discipline to devotion. Some use rituals as a tangible lifeline that leads directly to God.
Devotees can use one, several, or all of these paths to God and to the Higher Self. For example, japa mala combines ritual with prayer and meditation.
Just as seekers approach the study of the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, from different angles, so the seeker can approach and ultimately unite with the Divine, the One God, the Higher Self, or the Universe using any of these valid and powerful paths.

The thief on the cross had no time to be baptized, join a religion or become familiar with scripture but Jesus promised him that he would be with him in paradise that very day. (Lk 23:43) The childlike faith that consented to the belief that Christ was not only innocent but that he was exactly who he was reported to be was all it took. That is still all it takes.

Religion and the faltering reasoning of mankind always create entrance requirements for heaven that is wrong. The Biblical view stands alone to correct this error. The most common belief is that God holds us up daily and places our lives and actions on an imaginary scale to see if our ‘good’ out weigh our ‘bads.’ This paints a picture of God that is ridiculous. He is not that frivolous.

In a phone conversation I had with an old friend in Washington the day after Michael Jackson’s death I was to surprised to hear my friend remark that Jackson must be OK with God because he gave to over 39 separate charities. Having been well taught in scriptures I was amazed to hear my friend use the imaginary scale in the sky idea to console him self about Jacksons death.

Was Jackson redeemed because of his giving and in spite of his connection to a religion that mainstream Christianity often views as a cult, or a life that may have left a lot to be desired? My answer is simply “I haven’t a clue.” If I knew Michael Jackson well enough to say whether he answered the all important Biblical question then I could say with perfect clarity where the soul of the pop icon is at this very moment. I will leave both the question and the answer in the hands of the Almighty for now and I will not presume.

The same rule applies in my thinking as it concerns the rest of the souls of the departed icons who have drawn our attention of late. Regardless of their religious affiliations or the lack of them I can’t say that each of them did not have a moment in time when they asked the all important Biblical question in their own words and in their own way. Only God knows that.

Christians are so worried that Jackson may have slipped away without reckoning with God that they began to believe a rumor floating around the internet that famed singer Andre Crouch and his wife ministered the question to Jackson shortly before his death and he responded positively. A recent report in Charisma magazine dispelled the rumor with a categorical denial from Crouch that anything like that ever happened.

When life’s greatest difficulties are all around me and I ponder my own mortality and the brevity of life I always think on the great question. Yet it is not the question alone that stands as the great comforting thought in my darkest moments. It is the answer I chose to make well over four decades past. So what is the question?

As the Apostle Paul and his young disciple Timothy travelled through ancient Macedonia they stopped to preach the gospel in the city of Philippi. They were well received until they cast an evil spirit out of a young woman who was being used to make prognostications (fortune telling) for two men who made good money for themselves as a result. For this they were thrown into a prison where they were held in chains.

They filled the night with prayer and singing praises to God which resulted in a divine intervention. There was a brief earthquake and the prison doors all flew open. The Phillipian jailer knew that to allow even one prisoner to escape would cost him his own life under Roman law so he was about to kill himself instead of waiting for a sure public execution. Paul seeing what was about to happen called out to the warden and told him that everyone was still present and accounted for and that he should not harm himself.

The Philippian jailer was so moved by the events that he came in and threw himself at the feet of Paul and Timothy and cried “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) This question is to this day the most important question any human being can ask of God. It is the crux of any true relationship with God and it cannot be replaced by religious tenants, conscience giving or imaginary scales in the sky.

The answer given by Paul is the difference between eternal life and eternal separation from God. It is a question that neither regards a person’s status in life, poverty or riches, fame or obscurity or any other condition. Paul said “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:31) The jailer did believe and his wife and family followed suit.

In the quiet and deeply personal moments of anyone’s life this question is still paramount. It is the question of the ages with an eternal result. What would your answer be?