Tag: <span>draw near</span>

Courage to Draw Neardevotional
Published January 13, 2017

Courage to Draw Near

devotional

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.” James 4:8

It takes a special kind of courage to draw near to God. Yet the reward is amazing as His presence comes near to you. God’s presence is actually the very thing our hearts seek. It fills us and fulfills us all at the same time. It can completely change the mundane into the opportunity to see beauty and feel awe. Can you even remember the last time you felt awe at what God was doing in your ordinary life?

But what does that look like on a Monday morning as you rush off to another week chasing your job?

1.    Be Intentional: If you truly want to feel God’s presence and know His wisdom and peace then it takes setting aside even a few minutes to draw near to Him.

2.    How do you do that? Open your hands – actually do it – and ask God to take the things that interrupt His flow in your life. Ask Him to point them out. Listen. Actually do the motion of washing your hands while asking God to help you make changes.

3.    Offer your heart. Lift your clean hands now toward Heaven and offer God your heart, asking Him to fill it with His wisdom, peace, joy and presence.

4.    Be single minded in following Jesus. When we are double minded (one day seeking Him, the next day ignoring Him) we will find instability rocking our minds and emotions.

As you reach out to Him, He will reach back to you. It’s a promise. His presence will make all the difference in the stability and fulfillment of your life.

Father God, So many things distract me and You often seem far away in my day to day reality. Help me to use the exercise daily of opening my hands and having You show me what I need to wash out of my life. Then extending my arms to heaven to receive from You as You reach back to me with the fruit of Your Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faith, humility and self control Galatians 5:22).  Please help me to be intentional today in drawing near to You. In the strong name of Jesus, I pray, amen.

By Gail Rodgers

If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.

If  you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, you can learn how to start one at this link:
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/4laws/law0.html

Brought to you by www.thoughts-about-god.com

Comments are welcome – click on the Title (email readers)

Follow us by:
       
 Follow  Follow

Share with a Friend
Would you take just a moment to prayerfully consider sending this to two friends who might be blessed by what we’ve shared today?
If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.thoughts-about-god.com/blog/

Thoughts by All thoughts by Gail Rodgers Thoughts by Women

Published March 18, 2009

Are you a Self Feeder?

by John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
____________________________________________________________

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in fullassurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.� Hebrews 10:22-23

The media always seems to sell the sensational, tell the part of the story that makes the best read and have a headline or a presentation form that will catch the reader or listeners eye. Such was the case recently when headlines declared that the pastor of America’s fifth largest church said, “We made a mistake.�

The secular press and jealous pastors seized on the moment to say: “See, we told you so.� But what wasn’t so prominently reported and talked about in the media was the rest of the story.

Being a “program driven� and “seeker sensitive� church, Willow Creek Community Church has spent millions of dollars setting up all kinds of programs designed to increase participation and therefore making the participants better disciples of Jesus.

The church undertook a study and survey to determine what ministries were most beneficial for the most people. The results of the survey were both interesting and surprising. It was obvious that in some areas there was not much benefit in relation to the resources put to certain ministries and in other areas, the opposite was the case… not enough resources to meet the need and demand.

Rev. Bill Hybels made two statements. The first hit the press with large headlines when he said: “We made a mistake.� But the rest of the statement was the most important and one not very well understood by the secular world.

What the study showed is that all these “programs� did not lead people into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Hybels said what was apparent was that if the church is not creating “self feeders� instead of “spoon feeders,� all the ministry programs imaginable won’t penetrate souls. The main mission of the church is to create men and women who hunger for the Word and absorb themselves in it daily……people who fall to their knees and seek the will of God in their lives.

The writer of Hebrews tells us to draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. We need to seek (draw near) to God every day and not depend on others to do it for us. He is patiently waiting for you. Remember, you are as close to God as you choose to be.

In these days ahead, ask yourself if you are a self feeder or a spoon feeder.
(a thought on life from John Grant )

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/03/18/jg_feeder/

Thoughts by All thoughts by John Grant Thoughts by Men