Communicating With God
In a previous post, I discussed how Jesus must be our treasure and the importance of spending quality time with him. I don’t always live this out. I don’t always succeed at consistently spending one-on-one time with Jesus and maintaining a steady flow of communication with him.
A couple of weeks ago, I unloaded on the Lord all the things I can no longer live without. One of the statements was, “I cannot live another year without spending time with you and hearing your voice.” My soul was unfulfilled and thirsty for abundant life. I knew something was missing — that I was settling for less and cheating myself (and my family) while going through the day. Sure, I’ve grown and matured over the years, but I couldn’t deny that I was in the middle of what seems to be a long spiritual desert. How could I walk the narrow way, much less lead my family, without communicating with God constantly?
It’s not like skipping morning devotionals or evening prayers is a major sin. It’s not a matter of guilt or shame. I just realize how badly I miss Jesus when I’m not in steady communication with him. We deprive ourselves of life when we aren’t consistently connecting with God. We limit our overall well-being and what we can accomplish in our lives.
I want to do everything I can to live my life to its fullest potential each day. And since we were created to commune with God, isn’t making him the crux of our day the only way to live fulfilled in our souls? Isn’t it the only way to maximize our potential?
Pray Constantly
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18).
This verse doesn’t mean we should drive around in heavy intercession, oblivious to the world around us. No one wants to be on the road with a driver like that. I think it’s more of a mindset and a healthy habit — always looking to be sensitive to the Spirit and making ourselves available for God to move in our hearts.
Maybe that’s why I feel like I’m cheating myself when I don’t make time to spend with my Lord. Maybe that’s why I feel like something is missing when I don’t pray for people or situations as they come to mind. I’m called to be alert and to pray constantly in the Spirit. I’m learning that it sometimes means turning off the radio or TV to sit in his presence. Or it may mean pulling the car over to pray for someone he’s put on my heart.
As Christ followers, we are called to pray all the time. We are called to “rejoice always, pray constantly, [and] give thanks in everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
When we come to God in prayer and express our gratitude, it invites the Holy Spirit into our situation. It makes us aware that we are not alone and reminds us that God is our “ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). It’s not that God is absent until we pray. He is always with us. It’s just that praying helps us to sense his presence, and giving thanks helps us to see circumstances from a kingdom perspective.
God loves when we come to him. And he doesn’t want rehearsed, saintly-sounding rhetoric. He just wants us. He wants us to come to him in our most honest and raw states. He doesn’t want us to say what we think he wants to hear. He already knows what we need before we ask him, and he knows the secrets of our hearts (Matthew 6:8 & Psalm 44:21).
The main thing is to open a dialogue with God because it puts us in the right frame of mind. It reminds us that we are human and he is sovereign. It helps us see things in a heavenly light within the context of eternity. And if we keep that dialogue running throughout the day, we can walk confidently in step with the Spirit.
Remain in Him
Jesus tells us, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Aside from feeling connected and more fulfilled in our souls, I think spending time with Jesus leads to a generally more fruitful life. And I’m not talking about just spiritual fruit. When we are in constant communion with God, it spills over to everything in our lives, including our families, friendships, work, school, etc.
In my experience, I’m a more productive person when I’m in a consistent flow of communication with God. I’m more efficient with my time, I’m better at managing my tasks, and I can concentrate for longer periods of time. I can think more clearly and more creatively. I’m more thoughtful of others. I’m a better husband, family member, and friend. I’m just a better all-around person when I have an open dialogue with God.
Jesus says that we can do nothing apart from him. We cannot live for the kingdom without remaining in him. We can memorize all the scripture we want (and that is a great thing to do) and live the most rigid moral lives of anyone around us. But if we are not in a real relationship with Jesus — if we are not seeking him and communicating with him — we are not living for the kingdom.
When I go a few days without prayer time or reading the Bible, I see a significant difference in my thoughts, attitudes, actions, and conversations. If I’m not vigilantly seeking Him and putting His word in my mind and heart, I’m left with only my own carnal thoughts and hollow endeavors. This drastically affects my perspective, decision-making, and performance in all areas of life.
Rather than blindly running around and trying to conquer life on our own, wouldn’t we be better off prioritizing Jesus over everything else, letting our connection with him be the source from which our lives flowed?
I pray that, as we open a dialogue with Jesus, he will help us keep the conversation going in our everyday lives. I pray that he continually reminds us of his unfailing love and that we will sense his presence as we live our lives to their fullest potential.
– AWW
