A Psalm of David.

When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,  if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13 – 14 NKJV

Over the last couple of years, I have often been asked the question, how can I get closer to God?

Below are a few suggestions that all followers of Jesus Christ should be involved in. Please consider them, and if you are lacking in your daily walk with God, then put them into practice.

1. Take a firm stand for Jesus Christ; make your life count. If we want God to get real with us, then we have to be real with Him. If in our walk with Him we are really non-committed or flippant when it comes to the things of God, then we cannot expect God to be committed to us.  Give God His rightful place in your life today!

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God,  but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV

Footnotes:

1. Philippians 2:6 Or something to be held onto to be equal
2. Philippians 2:7 emptied Himself of His privileges

2. Read and study God’s Word daily. God has revealed Himself to man in 3 ways:
   1. By General Revelation – that is through the natural world. If a person took a serious look at nature, they would have to agree that there is intelligent design in creation, not chaos as the scientists say.  God shows us through His creation that He exists.
   2. Through God’s written word – The Bible. We see how God has dealt with man.  We can also read God’s promises, and see how they have come true.
   3. Through the life, teachings and witness of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

Jesus said that: He and the Father were one and if you have seen Him, then you have seen God the Father.

If God has reveals Himself to us as we read and study His word the Bible, then it makes perfect sense that we should read it if we want to know God.  A person, who professes belief in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and neglects to read His word, really should consider if their faith is real!  Today the internet has given us many opportunities to study God’s word for ourselves.  The sky is the limit when it comes to being able to study God’s word.

3. Pray every day. Prayer is us talking to God, and we should do this as we carry on our daily business. John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray, and Jesus also teaches us in His word how to pray.  You can find this in the New Testament at Luke chapter 11, verses 1 to 4. Prayer is us communing with God and we are encouraged to pray.

4. Identify with a Bible-teaching church for worship, instruction, fellowship, and service. This is so very important if we want to grow in our faith.  We were created to live in fellowship with other people and this is especially true for the followers of Christ.  We need fellowship with other believers and we need to be a part of the community.  We also need to take an active role in that community of believers so that we can be a blessing to others.

I encourage anyone reading this post, if you desire to get closer to God, then please consider the above!

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9–10).

Ephesians 3:14-21  (King James Version) 

¹⁴ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

¹⁶ That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

¹⁷ That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

¹⁸ May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

¹⁹ And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

²⁰ Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

²¹ Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Today I was prompted to read through Ephesians and as I reached chapter 3 :14-21 there were 2 aspects which particularly impressed me:

Firstly in verse 15 the apostle Paul (the writer of this book) refers to the ‘whole family’. In the original Greek the word patria in this verse closely relates to the word for father in verse 14 so we have a picture here of one Father and one family.

Whilst it is true that God is the Creator, so all of mankind are His children, in this verse Paul refers to the “true family of God”- i.e. His children through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary that we receive adoption into God’s family so we can truly say ‘Abba, Father’. What a comforting truth this is-one family with God as our Father; a family not limited to time or space.                                                                                                 

Paul speaks of ‘the family in heaven-(that is, those children who have already received their inheritance and are now with the Father in heaven) and on earth’; neither is this family confined to international borders-it is worldwide!                                                                               

Doesn’t that give us a great bond of unity especially during these days of isolation and social distancing but at the same time it gives us an added sense of urgency to work as responsive and responsible members of our Father’s family to obey His commands & to spread the Good News of salvation.

Secondly, I was struck by Paul’s words in verse 14 “I kneel before the Father…” He is expressing a deep reverence and emotion as people in his day generally stood to pray.

In his moving prayer for the Ephesian family, Paul prays they might be strengthened in their faith, that Christ might live in their hearts and that they be grounded and established in love to enable them to grasp the extent of Christ’s love. As a result and using the resources God graciously gives they might bring Him the glory He is due.

Paul’s conclusion in verse 20 that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine is a timely reminder for us today when it’s easy to become despondent  or overwhelmed  and frightened by the circumstances of our lives.

Let us remember and thank our Father for our family, both near and far.

And let us pray in deep reverence and emotion for each other that we too may be strengthened in our faith as we work together in His kingdom for His glory.

Ineke 

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 King James Version (KJV)