Relationship with God

QUESTION: Relationship with God - How Close Are You?

ANSWER:

Relationship with God - Insights from God’s Word
What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful? He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God sets Himself against the proud, but He shows favor to the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. -James 4:5–8

Relationship with God - You Are as Close to Him as You Have Chosen to Be
Prayer: Lord, I come to You this morning hungrier than I have ever been -- while at the same time being at peace in a way that is new and fresh. As I seek Your face about this, I am beginning to understand -- and I do mean beginning -- that there is a reason for this increase in my hungering and thirsting after You. I acknowledge I don’t understand all of it, but the part I do understand fills me with hope.

My understanding of Your Nature and Character is helping me to lay aside old prejudices and old desires – and it is helping me to dig down and dig in. I keep praying to get closer to You, and I keep asking You to help me understand You better. You keep reminding me that if I seek You, I will find You. You promise to fulfill my hunger needs, and You promise to draw closer to me if I will draw closer to You. It seems so simple to say, but the reality of the work needed is not for the faint of heart. I have needed to persevere every single day to dig a little deeper. Some days I barely made a dent, while other days I found a revelation of a basic truth that I had never fully grasped before.

Lord, I pray today that my brothers and sisters will become avid students of Your Word. I pray they will begin to read and study -- and go down deeper, so they can discover for themselves that You have the answer to every human problem. You are Wisdom and You are the reason for everything. You wait to help Your people understand their own purposes. As they draw closer in intimacy and worship, You help them to see that all the treasures of their lives are summed up in You. You have given us truly valuable gifts, and You have helped us to grow in power and perseverance as we looked to You and called on Your name and Your power.

I yearn for the day when all of us can be together sharing with one another, endlessly celebrating the victory we have already received. I yearn for a time when the fire and passion of the Holy Spirit will be felt in all of our churches, and boundaries and borders will no longer hold us back from sharing the truths we have been given. The life You give us to live is an exciting life – vibrant and fresh each new day. It is not a life of bondage.

There is in me this day, Lord, a deep cry coming from my spirit that is reminding me that along the path we walk there will be many challenges -- and I feel no fear. We will sometimes feel like we are the walking wounded as You form us all into one fighting army. You are helping me to see that the path is often not pretty, but You are not in the business of allowing us to hold on to our dignity and comfort zones when the world is dying. You are on the move, my King, and we are grateful. You never change -- You are the same today as You were yesterday and will be tomorrow -- but You are also on the move.

You are stretching us, growing us, challenging us, and sustaining us. You have me pray often to have Your eyes to see and Your ears to hear so Your Holy Spirit‘s control can go down deep. You are reminding me that with every new revelation we receive, it does not necessarily give us the accompanying authority to create structure or make other people take action. That is Your prerogative, and in Your timing You raise up the proper authority to handle what You want done.

Help us not to presume on You, and help us to be wise in Your ways and committed to Your will. Help us to not jump out ahead of You, or behind You, and help us to walk in Your perfect timing. Teach us patience, perseverance, and trust so we can be used by You -- wherever You have us and in whatever gift we operate. Fit us together like living stones and cement us with Your Kingdom principles and truth -- against which no enemy can conquer. May all we do bring You the honor and glory!

Relationship with God – Making it Personal
Reflect: There are certain basic Biblical truths we all need to understand; truths that will sustain us, truths that will grow us, and truths that will often challenge us. The Bible is our road map, and it will get you to the destination of God’s choosing -- if you read it and absorb it. More and more every day I am reminded by God that I am as close to Him as I want to be. So, I turn the tables on you and ask you – how close are you to the King of Kings? Take an honest look at it -- examine it -- because in truth, you are also as close to Him as you have chosen to be.