Arise and ShineSample

Drawing Near to God

Prayer is another way to draw closer to God as we become a bright light for Him. In the Bible it says, “We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for” (1 John 5:14–15). We can bring all our hurts, worries, and longings to God’s feet.

Praying through the book of Psalms is a great way to communicate with God when you are struggling to put thoughts into words. Most of the psalms, such as Psalm 139, are prayers written by others. I find it very meaningful to offer up the same decla­rations and requests that people like King David prayed to God. Since the Psalms are a part of God’s Word, it is powerful when we make that choice to pray them—or any Bible verse—over our lives. As we looked at yesterday, the Bible is alive, active, and aligned with the heart of the Lord.

As we come closer to God, we learn to lean on Him more and more. Moses’s story in the Bible reminds us of this. In Exodus 3:1–12, God appears to Moses from within a burning bush. (Notice that God appears to Moses in the form of light!)He then calls Moses to bring the people out of Egypt—a huge task to com­plete. Moses’s response was to ask, “Who am I?” You may have that response to the call on your life: But, Lord, who am I?

God’s response to Moses was: “I will be with you.” My friend, in everything you do, the Lord is with you. You may be doubting your call. You may feel disqualified to go and be a light for Christ. You may not even want to do it. But the Lord will be with you. That is a promise from God. You aren’t called to do any of this holy work alone, but rather alongside the Father. When you draw near to the Lord, His radiance shines from you.

Lord, I come before You today with a heart eager to draw closer to You. I cannot do this alone. I need Your strength and Your grace. Protect me, guide me, and teach me more about Yourself. Amen.