To Have A Relationship with GOD
There were times where I thought about all the errands I had to run and things I had to buy, and how unpleasant it was to complete these tasks. This was up until I realised completing them were critical in order for me to eat healthily or to have the resources to dress warmly for winter (Yes, it was a while ago, aha). Also, I found myself pondering on how exciting it would be to shop with my friends, and how much more fun it would be to go grocery shopping with company instead of being alone.
As I was thinking about this, an idea came to mind: ‘There is another thing you rather do when you have the desire to instead of when you just have to do it.’ I did not know from where this thought came. I had even asked myself the question for two good minutes, without understanding what that thing was. After, on my way out of my bedroom door, I asked God to help me to go through the day. And I understood: in fact, this thing was simply talking to God!
Do not you happen to have those moments where you just want to speak to God because He is your friend and confidant? And other moments where you feel uneasy because you get convicted to pray? In the church I grew up in, during our time together, the pastor would often ask someone to pray out loud for God to bless our gathering, and then to guide each one of us on the road back home (and I think he still does it). Between you and I, it was the moment where I would lower my head so that he could not see me or at least so he would think I was already praying quietly... but, on the other hand, I could have prayed out loud if I desired to, in a orderly manner, at any of the gatherings in which I attended. My only “condition” was that he does not designate me to do the praying.
What I am basically trying to say is, there are moments where you may simply and really want to talk to God, and sometimes even feel like you need to. Other times it is the opposite where you do not feel like doing it at all. Truthfully, if you have given your heart to Jesus, if you identify Him as your Lord and Saviour then you will always have to look more like him. Therefore, there is no better solution than to be close to him in order to obtain such an objective. There is only one thing that will allow it to happen: learning to know God more and more. There are many different possibilities amongst others to accomplish this like reading the Word, which is the surest way and by far the best to know God’s will, equally as much as in prayer (it is in these moments where you can receive revelations from the Holy Spirit), having conversation with trusted and mature people in the faith, praising and worshiping the Lord, or even spending some time in his presence in silence.
In the same manner that I felt uncomfortable praying when asked to, I cannot feel comfortable when I have to pray or talk to God. If you have given your life and started your walk with Him, have you yet thought: ‘I have to pray, because it is the rule’ or ‘the moment to do so’? Let me tell you something: I believe that the best way to spend time with God is to understand and accept that in fact, you should always need to speak to God.
One day, someone I know told me, “I would really like to permanently have God on the other end of the line.” I think my response of today to that comment would be “read His Word, speak to Him and allow Him to speak to you.” I know it seems easy to say and much more complicated to do. It is not always simple to understand God’s will nor to decipher what He is saying. There is a huge variety of videos and articles on the subject that one can find online, as well as a great number of books. One simple thing, before going back on the main point: make sure that these supplementary sources are based on the Bible, which is the reference that you absolutely need.
What the Bible says and what truly got my attention, on the topic of how God speaks to us is: “For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it” (Job 33:14). This scripture makes the point that we must be attentive to what we hear -- listen and hear. When I say, “pay attention to what you hear”, I mean to also remember the sermons you heard in Church. Sometimes, you may get the impression that you are receiving nothing, but believe me, during the gathering, you will hear at least one word from God, concerning you. So .... pay attention!
I do not want to be too long today, so I will summarize the main points I am trying to make in this article that are very crucial:
Giving you heart to God, accepting Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for the remission of your sins will motivate you to look more like Christ.
To achieve this, you must be closer to him,
Which means you need to be in constant relationship with the Lord.
To finish off what I was saying earlier, I believe that when I will return to my hometown this summer, I will no longer have a reason to hide, because God has clearly explained to me that I must talk to Him at any given moment. In this type of situation -- when someone prays out loud, he or she has to represent the prayer of everyone there. And because I want to speak to God,because I need to, it is reasonable to share this with other believers! Of course my prayer may not be as beautiful as others’, it may not be as long or structured, but my heart will be thirsty for God, and I will always learn more on how to speak to Him. That is the most important.
To have a relationship with God is to walk daily with Him, just like other relationships. But the most beautiful of things is that God will always be available for you.
May God bless you and instill a greater hunger and thirst for him and his word in the days to come, and forever.
Do
P.S. : We sang this song frequently when I was in France, and it means a lot to me. I hope that the Lord will encourage you to ask God to help you be closer to Him, and if needed, to place such a desire in your heart to begin with. I do not know any English song that have a content similar to this one so, I will translate the lyrics in another post! Enjoy!
(Translated by Jane)