Justin Bieber is allegedly getting closer to God so he can get closer to ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez.

Bieber was spotted in New York and New Jersey this week, and is reportedly on a "religious retreat" with Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz.

The pop star is allegedly staying with Lentz and his family at their home in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and the singer was also photographed in nearby Montclair.

Last week, Bieber attended a Hillsong United concert in California, and flew with Lentz to New York in a private jet on Saturday. The next morning, he attended worship service at Hillsong NYC, and also showed up at Bible Study on Tuesday.

In addition to attending religious services, Bieber and Lentz have been spotted at a playground, restaurants, and Madison Square Garden this week. A source claims that all of the time spent with the 34-year-old pastor is not just for his spiritual well-being.

"Selena told Justin he needs to prove he's making real changes if he wants her back so he's spending a lot of time with his pastor, Carl Lentz, doing Bible study," the source told Hollywood Life. "He wants to get in a better head space and he's hoping it will prove to her that he's committed this time.

"Selena is close to Carl and his wife, so spending time with them is a good way for him to earn points with her."

Bieber is a regular at Hillsong, and often shares tweets and pictures demonstrating his friendship with Lentz.

In June, the 20-year-old was reportedly baptised by Pastor Carl in a bathtub after requesting a private baptismal ceremony, and has also shared clips of Lentz's sermons to his over 56 million Twitter followers.

Lentz said his relationship with Bieber is about love and acceptance.

"With Justin, I tell people grace and acceptance does not mean approval," he told CBN. "I can accept you as a human being and not approve of your actions. That's how we've been loved. We love because we were first loved.