Note:
The relationship analogy can be a strong and useful one. And it would be stronger and more useful if our own human relationships were more Christlike. Still, our poor relationships with other people can teach us that our relationship with God is weak and poor if we treat it the same way. I hope, too, that even people who have never been in a fulfilling personal relationship with another person can at least imagine what it could be like and how it could become stronger and richer over time.

Quote:
“Relationships develop when people spend time together. Spending time with God ought to be the essence of prayer. However, as it is usually practiced, prayer is more like a series of email or instant messages than hanging out together. Often it involves more talking than listening. It should not be a surprise that the result is a superficial relationship.” (p. 37)

Source: Benner, David G. The Gift of Being Yourself. Expanded ed. Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Books, 2015.