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.

Christian evangelical apologists, Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett, claim in the book “O” God that Oprah is a fake spiritual teacher and guru who distorts Christianity.
In their book, “O” God: A Dialogue on Truth and Oprah’s Spirituality, Christian evangelical apologists Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett claim that Oprah Winfrey has misguided and incorrect spiritual beliefs.
The men assert that Oprah and her friends — individuals Oprah features on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah Radio and in O Magazine — are promoting false religious beliefs that do not mesh with true Christian teachings.
Overview of “O” God Book by Christian Apologists McDowell and Sterrett
Christian evangelists Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett state that the purpose of their book “O” God is to help Christians sort out how Oprah’s beliefs stray from traditional beliefs and teachings of the Christian faith. Both men are Christian apologists. Christian apologetics is a discipline that deals with proof and defense of Christian beliefs.
“O” God is a book about two women friends who are graduate students. They discus their spiritual ideas and religious questions as well as Oprah’s spiritual ideas. Direct quotes from Oprah herself and her friends are used throughout the book. Through the women’s conversations in “O” God, McDowell and Sterrett expose what they view as Oprah’s erroneous spiritual beliefs, confirming Oprah as a false spiritual teacher.
Oprah’s Spiritual Beliefs and Ideas under Attack
“O” God reveals Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett’s contentions with Oprah’s spiritual ideas. The authors are critical of Oprah’s beliefs about God, her belief that people should rely on their inner spiritual compass, her ideas about the truth contained in all religions, and her morals.

McDowell and Sterrett assert that Oprah is promoting ideas that sound Christian on the surface but are not. For instance, the authors believe that God is personal and separate from creation, whereas Oprah believes that God is in everything and everyone, at least to a certain degree. In the preface to “O” God, the men caution that Oprah “uses the language of the Bible and Christian traditions and yet includes other traditions to create a hodgepodge of personalized faith” (p. 10). McDowell and Sterrett believe that salvation is only achievable through Jesus Christ, not through other spiritual means, practices, or belief systems.
McDowell and Sterrett also bring into question Oprah and her friends’ morals. At one point, one of the women in the book declares, “Moral absolutes [are] so contrary to what Oprah says. I remember Eckhart Tolle saying that the mental labels of good and bad are ultimately illusory.”
Earlier in the book, speaking on behalf of McDowell and Sterrett, one of the women comments, “When I was in college I believed that good, evil, and morality were all just a matter of taste or opinion. . . . But now I realize that I was not thinking correctly. Certain moral laws exist in nature that are absolute for all people.”
A Critical Look at Oprah’s Beliefs and McDowell and Sterrett’s Agenda
Evangelical Christian authors Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett criticize Oprah’s spiritual views in “O” God: A Dialogue on Truth and Oprah’s Spirituality. Christians may find value and clarification in assessing how Oprah’s religious ideas conflict with the traditional Christian worldview. However, some readers who disagree with the authors’ ideas may find themselves questioning whether McDowell and Sterrett’s book is a trite marketing gimmick that piggybacks off of Oprah’s success to promote their own agenda.
In an article covering the authors’ January 2010 presentation about “O” God at the McLean Bible Church, the Christian Post quoted McDowell as saying, “I am not called in the Bible to be tolerant. . . . I refuse to be tolerant. I think it demeans people. . . . I am not called to tolerate people; I am called to love people. When you tolerate someone, it demeans them. When you love someone, it projects value, dignity and worth in that person. As Christians we are called to not only love one another, we are called to love the ungodly.”
McDowell and Sterrett’s“O” God book neither looks favorably upon Oprah’s ungodly spiritual ideas nor does it tolerate them, though it gets its Christian message across in a lighthearted, though a bit contrived, manner that does not resort to hostile defensiveness.
Readers might also be interested in reading about the Course in Miracles scribe, Helen Schucman; the Speaking of Faith radio show, hosted by Krista Tippett; or the Pew Forum report on religious belief in America.
Source:
McDowell, Josh, and Dave Sterrett. (2009). “O” God: A Dialogue on Truth and Oprah’s Spirituality. WND Books.