1Th 5:17 - Pray without ceasing.
Gal 5:25 - If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Acts 17:28a - For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
How is your relationship with God? How much time do you spend praying, communing with Him or studying His Word?
Many of us make the mistake of thinking our relationship with God primarily happens on Sunday morning. On Sunday morning, we do our best praying, we hear a great Word (if we attend church), we shout for joy, sing good songs and work ourselves up to an enthusiasm about God rarely seen during the week .
Not all of us are like that of course. Some of us already pray regularly - either at night or in the morning when we arise. And some of us go even beyond that - we regularly study devotionals, read the Word and play gospel or Christian music on a regular basis.
But it still comes back to the question - how is your relationship with God?
I've said in many other postings that our relationship with God is built like any other relationship. We spend time with Him, we talk to Him, we listen to Him and we simply enjoy His company. As you get to know Him better, you understand Him better and accept and love Him for the God you know Him to be. No one can tell you anything about God without a thorough reading of the Bible to confirm what they are saying and you trust that He'll lead and guide you into all knowledge.
But there is still a further level into which we can travel in our relationship with God. It's the all the time, unceasing, kind of relationship. The kind of relationship where prayer is automatic, your thoughts are constantly on what He would have you do in a given situation and you almost subconsciouly converse with Him all that time, discussing your day, reviewing His Word (the Bible) and communing with Him in your downtime and the lulls in your day.
Do you know what I mean?
Where before you've even consciously considered praying, you find yourself finishing a request to God to help your friend, give you strength or that His will be done (since that is always the best option) in any given situation. Where you no longer have to remind yourself to study His Word on a regular basis, because you automatically check the Bible any time you hear something with which you don't agree and you've bookmarked Bible websites at work, home and school so that you can check them quickly and in a hurry. Where, finally, you no longer pray before you do something, but you realize moment to moment what He would have you do and act accordingly. It's that level where it's no longer what you know but who you are. You don't have to work on being a Christian - you just have to express the Christianity that is inside of you.
Are you at that level? Would you like to be?
Give that some serious thought as you continue your journey with God. Use the above scriptures as references and begin to integrate more of God in every aspect of your life. Walk in the peace and life He has so graciously offered you. Enjoy your life, live it to the fullest and let your life be the fullest expression of the blessings of God.
Try it out today and let me know how it goes :)
14 comments:
I was born a Christian, and I think I reached a level where you prayed so often that every prayer has a decreasing value... Because my prayers are automatic, I don't actually mean it. It comes from my mouth, not from my heart.
Of course I want to pray "from my heart", but this is very hard for me.
I feel sad that your prayers became more automatic, but in a negative way.
I guess I need to clarify that I don't mean prayer in the way that we typically think of it. I mean a natural, un-thinking, happy, positive interaction with God. Where you find yourself talking to Him in a natural, uninhibited way - not where you count the 'Our Fathers' and 'Forgive Us Our Sins' and things like that. The key is sincerity, not repetition.
The problem with many religious teachings is that it almost leads us to believe there is a sure-fire formula to pray, study, etc., when it really should just flow out of who we are.
So, when you 'pray' to God, just say what you really mean. Even if you think it sounds silly or inappropriate or non-religious. He knows who you are, He loves you for the person He knows you to be and He accepts you the way you are. So say what you mean (He already know what you think anyway) and see if you can start re-building your relationship from there.
Let me know how it goes :)
Blessed is God! I am in constant prayer with God 24/7. Do stop by my blog and see the latest entry. Shalom
Amen to this posting!...ive been saved for 1 1/2 years and im finally at that point in my walk where im ready to FULLY seek God! Ready to put certain things aside and focus on intimacy with God...its the most important thing any of us can do...without a foundation in christ how can we make it through life?
I feel so blessed to have come across your blog! I'm at a crossroad in my life - a storm of sorts. I've been baptized twice - once as a baby, and once as an adult. My second baptism, however, didn't include my repentance of a sin I blatantly committed. Now, I've denounced that transgression and have gotten significantly closer to God in my walk, but I feel like I'm still missing the Spirit. My prayers are becoming more as you describe here, and less like a daily chore, but I'm still missing that feeling that God is here, although I tell myself and believe it all day. Does that make sense? I'm thinking of getting baptized again.
Sonya, what you have described in this blog is what i am so DESPERATE to have with God. With all my heart! Now I know God led me to your site.
That's where I'm at. I keep a dialog going with God. I have a regular prayer I say each day but it doesn't stop with that.
Anything can and will get my mind on God. Praying inside. Watching the news and I am thanking God or beseeching Him. It's like that with everything I see and hear.
Also I have learned to be Like the Bereans. I test man's teaching by The Word of God :)
your blogs are inspiring, and you continue to challenge my faith.
i am nothing but a struggling college student, and yet the Lord loves me when i dont love myself.
thankyou for your posts, encouragement, and challenging thoughts.
1 would like to ask you baby..where is the story of jesus when he was at thirteen tiil twentynine years old
in bible??
and the second is when the first time jesus was potreted?
and who was his photograper?
what kind of brand of camera was used?
the third is.. is jesus the GOD OR human being?
did jesus ever give instruction to pray on sunday?
is there in bible if jesus one hundred present human and one hundred present GOD?
is there in bible said if you believe jesus as the GOD you will be entered to the heaven
1 need your answer as fast as possible..ok
Praying isn't actually talking to god, it's really just thinking to yourself. This is because god and telepathy are both things which aren't real.
Gud blog and inspiring me a lot....
We have regular meals of physical food, we need regular meals of spiritual food to be in good health...
Thnks for ur Post....May God Bless U.
Does the excuse "I'm not perfect but I'm forgiven" give Christians the right to treat people badly?
I was brought up a Christian and attended church with my family. I started working with some Christians and trusted them.
They started to scheming and being deceptive in order to get what they wanted, justifying it the guise of 'just doing business'. At first I prayed for help and strength to endure working with them, after a long time I finally decided to stand up to them, but by then it was too late. Again more lies and more praying – I started thinking that my prayers weren’t answered but she was asking for forgiveness and getting away with everything and I was being punished, maybe I wasn’t praying hard enough? The consequences of their actions were hurting me, my family and others and there was no remorse on their part.
I started to read about forgiveness and then I got mad because in the bible it’s not your works or actions that count, it’s your faith that will ‘save you,’ so no matter how much damage they did to others they can still go to heaven, even if they don’t repent or make up for their actions.
I decided then that I didn't want to be anywhere where they went for eternity.
I started looking deeper into my beliefs, and now because of their being ‘witness to Christ's’ ways, we are now atheists and know we need to believe in ourselves and doing right to people here on earth and not worry about after we are dead and buried.
They can go on believing their bad behavior ‘that never happened – it’s been forgiven’ while they continue to their conniving, deceitful, immoral ways - still hurting other people.
Now we are happily atheist, and they go to church every week to sing in the choir and gossip and look good to their 'church family.'
But still hurting others, we know they aren't going to any heaven.
brothers and sisters
while reading this forget about your religion
there was no christianity before christ
no islam before prophet
the oldest way of living - hinduism is not a religion
i was a christian
i am a hindu now
reading about vedas
please see this
http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Advanced_Concepts.htm
very blessing articles... Jesus did not come to bring or start a religion, he came so that the whole world may find love and life... may God bless you all. http://www.yahwel.com
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