“My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, you people; (pour your hearts out to Him), for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62.7-9 (emphasis mine)
Growing up I was taught that God desired to have a relationship with me. But my pursuit of that relationship looked more like a rote exercise than anything else. It was less like a relationship and more like a student in a classroom.
Prayer became a list of what I needed and an expectation of God to answer. Because after all, I reasoned, God says He will give us what we need if we ask, right? It’s in the Bible somewhere?
I think many of us approach prayer as if God is our great Santa Claus in the sky and we’re disillusioned when He doesn’t come through for us. We have pursued prayer not to hear from God or to form a bond with Him but to get what we need.
God wants so much more for our relationship with Him! He sacrificed His only Son so that we could have a union with Him that is beyond all others! God is here! He has come near.
Will you pull up a chair and sit in His presence today? Why not discover who He is and pour your heart to Him? He is waiting.
Lord, I confess that I have followed after You more to get what I want than to know You. Change me. Open my eyes. I want to follow hard after You. Show me how to live in relationship with You. Amen.
Action Step: If you tend to rely on spiritual reading or a lot of talking in your prayer, try sitting in silence and listening for God’s words of love today.
by Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Listening to God – by John Grant
• The Listening Heart – by Terry Stead
• To Whom are You Listening? – by Katherine Kehler