"I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me"
-Philippians 4:13
Time and time again, we get encouraged by other people's stories. We see the effects of prayer in the lives of family members and close friends, even strangers. We read their books, visit their blogs, repost their statuses and admire their relationships with God, but for some reason, we find it hard to grasp the concept that the same God who loves them, loves us. The same God who hears them, hears us. The same God who sees them, sees us, and He is waiting on our action to approach Him in confidence and faith.
A relationship with God is not a VIP members only spot. There will never be a Christian who is better than another. God does not have favorites and He is not more impressed with one person over the next. There is nothing we can do to get more of His attention, we already have it all!!! When we are struggling, He sees us and loves us through it. When we are victorious, He celebrates with us, because He delights in seeing our excitement in Him. Our passions, our drive, our hopes and each complexity of our lives is so very concerning to the Lord and He has given us His precious Holy Spirit to ensure that we accomplish all things that He, Himself, has purposed for us to do. This includes our careers, our future marriages, our current marriages and children, our ideas, our dreams and all of our compartmentalized realities that we face, daily. God is in the midst, but He is waiting for us to acknowledge Him, first and for us to put our faith in Him.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to You." - James 4:8
When we begin to move past merely acknowledging God and start actively seeking Him, He begins to make Himself known to us in ways unimaginable. He begins to move within our lives and develop His strength within us to do "all things". There is nothing that is beyond God and so therefore there is nothing that is beyond us. His power and His authority become evident in our lives, once we invite God to become evident in our hearts. What once seemed impossible to do, becomes possible with the Lord. Millions of people have experienced this, both in the past and in the present. The tools they all use is active faith in a powerful God. Their stories begin with prayer and end in action. They are not the result of privileged access and their relationship with God is not exclusive. Power spills in their lives because they believe and they walk in answered prayer because their faith produces action and confidence in the Lord. Whats more amazing is that God wants to move in your life as well. He hasn't met His quota with people in the past. He is still eagerly anticipating hearts who are earnestly seeking Him and want more of His presence in their lives.
This week, I'd like to challenge us to act out our faith in the doing, not just in the praying and believing, alone. Believing has it's place. Faith has its place; but faith without works is dead. James teaches us, "But some will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works (James 2:18). We need to move past the act of wanting faith and move into the action of living out our faith. We have all the confirmation we need, through Jesus, and as we live out His word in our lives, He will direct our paths! It's easier said then done, I understand, but the best way to increase your faith is to increase your prayer life. Here are some scriptures that can help you on your way as you develop a life of prayer and take those first steps in seeking God and drawing close to Him.
Start by asking God to help you believe (Mark 9:24)
Confess any sins (mistakes, struggles, wrongful motives) that you have encountered (1 John 1:9)
Begin to read scripture for understanding, not for information (Proverbs 3:5)
Invite God's presence into your life by seeking Him and His ways (Jeremiah 29:13)
Practice Thankfulness and a willingness to obey (Colossians 3:17)
As you begin to move toward a real relationship with Christ, your prayer life will begin to increase, automatically. You will begin to experience the joy of living in God's presence and the confidence in knowing the Love of God, first hand. Power will begin to grow within you, as you begin to grow in God and the faith required to accomplish all things, will be fed through scripture and through your own experience and journey with Jesus. This process is not without it's ups and downs, but we can be encouraged by knowing that God is not distant; He is ever near, waiting for us to call on His name and desire more of Him in the every day living.
Enjoy the living! Be like Jesus! Love like Jesus!
~Pearls
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