How would you describe your relationship with God? Do you know of him generically? Know him as an acquaintance? Or, do you really know him?
Ponderings
Devotionals, prayer & insights from my Bible reading
To Know God (Prayer Devotional for the week of September 20, 2015)
Is knowledge enough to get us through life? I would argue that it is not. Let’s use an example that is near & dear to me, since my eldest just got his license: driving a car. You can study the handbook provided by the DMV office; you can memorize every motor vehicle regulation in your state; you can even get practice on a simulation machine. But, any of you who already have your driver’s license know that none of those things compare to actually getting behind the wheel of a vehicle and driving yourself.
Why, then, would we expect our spiritual lives to be any different? Simply attending church now & then or saying, “Bless you” when someone sneezes is not the same as having a genuine relationship with Christ. On occasions when I’ve had the chance to share my faith, I can remember several times when someone would respond, “Yeah, I believe in God.” Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but James 2:19 tells us that even the demons believe that much, and they tremble in fear at the name of the Lord. In fact, Luke 4:41 goes so far as to say that the demons even understand that Jesus is the Christ! They know everything they need to know about the Lord, so what’s the problem?
Just believing in God and even believing that Jesus is the Messiah is not enough. That knowledge has to make a journey from your brain to your heart. Romans 1:21 is a good example – it says that although the people knew God, they neither gave him honor nor thanks. In other words, the knowledge was all in their heads, and not in their hearts. The Common English Bible translation puts it this way: “their foolish hearts were darkened.”
God wants us to know him, and not just know about him. You know the difference … think about your spouse and/or your very best friend. That person really knows you; in fact, he or she probably knows what you are thinking before you even say a word. They don’t just know facts about you, but they know your heart. God has written us a very lengthy love letter, and he wants us to know his heart.
Prayer prompt for Saturday, Sept. 19
Has it ever occurred to you that YOU might be the tool that God uses to minister to someone else? Be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Prayer prompt for Friday, Sept. 18
We often talk about our spiritual lives as a journey or a walk. It’s not a one-shot deal; it’s a process. Let God mold you as he sees fit.
Prayer prompt for Thursday, Sept. 17
If you think God doesn’t speak to you, or you don’t know how to hear him, start by spending time in the Bible, pray often, & go to church.
Prayer prompt for Wednesday, Sept. 16
Let’s call a spade a spade: Are you willfully disobeying God right now in some aspect of your life? His Word calls our hearts to repent.
Prayer prompt for Tuesday, Sept. 15
Think back to when you first made a decision to follow Christ. Look at what God has done in your life since then! Give him praise today.
Prayer prompt for Monday, Sept. 14
If 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that scripture is inspired by God, then why do we often pick & choose which parts to pay attention to (or ignore)?
Prayer prompt for Sunday, Sept. 13
Is there an area of your life where God is saying to your heart, “Are you even listening to me?” Focus your prayer time on hearing him.
Are You Even Listening to Me? (Prayer Devotional for the week of September 13, 2015)
Sometimes I feel like a broken record, except that my kids don’t really have a frame of reference for scratched vinyl albums, so the cliché is lost on them. The point, as many parents will agree, is that I feel like my words go in one ear and out the other. I don’t talk just to hear myself speak, for cryin’ out loud!
Sometimes I wonder if God feels the same way about us. He communicates with us through his word, the Bible. He also communicates through messengers, like the sermon on Sunday morning, a worship song on the radio, or a godly friend’s counsel. He communicates through prayer and the nudges of the Holy Spirit on our hearts. Case in point: Have you ever heard a particularly poignant sermon that echoed something that had been on your heart for a while, and then a song came on the radio that was spot-on about what you were dealing with? Lo and behold, you open your Bible later and seemingly coincidentally stumble upon a passage that reiterates everything God has been trying to tell you?
God is so patient with us; isn’t he? In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul explains that scripture comes from God’s inspiration, and it is not only useful to teach us, but also to redirect us, point out our mistakes, and build character. All of these things, in turn, work together to equip us to do the work that God calls us to do. Think back to when you started your current job: you might have attended an orientation, gone through training, perhaps even had a mentor. You probably weren’t an expert on Day One; it took time to learn the ropes.
Our spiritual journey is not much different. We have ample training opportunities through church and studying the Bible. You can build mentorship connections through Life groups. You can gain on-the-job training by serving in a ministry. Even people who have walked with the Lord for decades will admit that they have much to learn, but each day should find us growing closer and closer to the Lord. Check out Philippians 1:6 – God is in the business of finishing projects, and how wonderful for us that he never throws in the towel!
Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that God’s word will not return empty-handed; he speaks to be heard, and he communicates with us in order to bring us into a deeper relationship with himself. Are you listening?
faith, sweat & tears 