Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Deeper Connection with Christ

previously posted on 6/18/10 - my path ~ Christy T
How often do we truly pray with sincerity to our Lord? I know I like to believe I pray without ceasing but too often I know this isn't true especially at work or when our minds are running wild. In reading Lysa Terkeurst's book for the book club (don't be surprised if you see me talk about this a lot because it's a great book and one I'm enjoying going back thru), in her first chapter one of her prayer's is listed as follows (pg 26)
"God, will You help me to have a deeper connection with You and find truer fulfillment as You transform every area of my life. That is my cry and desire of my heart."
Then she also adds four requests to add to it:
"God, I want to see You.
God, I want to hear You.
God, I want to know You.
So that I can follow hard after You every day."

For several years before finding WOBC and our great family in Christ, I knew HE was calling to me to restore my relationship with Him. In living in the world, it's easy to get swayed and slide back especially without being surrounded by fellow Christians to encourage and lift you up. And once my mom passed, I felt like there was an empty space again which I hadn't felt in a long time...like before I was saved.

Not a good feeling but even being a Christian, our hearts can become hard against the Word (Mark 8:17 "And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?").

Which is why it is so important to ask God for forgiveness constantly. In the small things, in the big things, in the thoughts before the sin, in the sin itself, it doesn't matter. In the Esther Bible Study this week, on pg 78, Beth stated the following, "Let's learn to be thankful every time we feel sorry for even our smallest offense toward someone. God designed conviction to be uncomfortable so that we'd hurry to repentance and find relief in restoration."

Thankfully our God is a Loving and Forgiving Father that will accept with His arms wide open when we fail and fall short...cause we always will. We should strive more and more to seek His Presence and fill our minds with His Wisdom, His Words, His Truth and let that be what is filling our hearts.

The best news is that God can soften a harden heart if we listen and obey when HE calls. Which is why it is so important to spend time with Him, to cry out to Him and to desire that our lives be for HIM 24/7. It won't always be easy but every second will be worth it when we are with Jesus in Heaven, and one way we can get a touch of that future life, is by living for Him so others see HIM in us. It is when we are living for HIM and being obedient to His Will that HE will reveal a glimpse of what is to come. Yahoo!!!

So today my friends, I pray that you revisit Lysa's prayer and ask yourself how soft or hard is your heart. Don't let people or this world determine it because it would be hard as stone, instead, let our Lord, Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ free it from breaking and fill it with the unbreakable Truth, Light and Way...which HE IS.

1 comment:

  1. Whoo Hoo! I am so excited to see someone else posting besides me! Thank you.

    I've been asking God to show up in my life by using Lysa's prayer. "God, I want to see You. God, I want to hear You. God, I want to know You. So that I can follow hard after You every day."

    Looking forward to reading your next post!

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