Drawing NearSample

A LIFE-CHANGING PRAYER

God has clearly shown His desire to restore a relationship with us by coming to this broken world through Jesus Christ. Grace is God drawing near to us first, even when we did not acknowledge, recognize, desire, or care to draw near to Him.

Since sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God, who is holy, it has spread to the whole human race. Sin contaminates us and declares us guilty before a just God. Sin separates us from God and causes us, along with the whole world, to be under the curse of condemnation. Sin has a high cost that is eternally devastating- spiritual death. The Bible describes this horrible place as hell, or the second death.

Yes, I know. That is bad news! All of us have sinned, which results in eternal, spiritual death. Not to mention, it has cost us pain, suffering, and troubles in this world.

The Good News is that even when our standing before God is bleak, God loves us so much and has a great desire to save us and restore us to Him by making us holy once again. He sent Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sins and for the whole world. Every sin was placed on Him.

Jesus, though holy God, chose to become our sin, our guilt, our shame, our dirtiness, our wickedness. The wrath and justice of God were met fully on the cross. Jesus paid for our sin debt in full!

Your forgiveness, your right standing with God, your restored relationship with God, and your eternal life is a free gift! You can’t earn it or deserve it. But God, who is rich in mercy, assures you eternal life through Christ’s holiness.

All that is required from you to be assured eternal life and begin a relationship with God is to believe in, or trust fully upon, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for you. When you believe in Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and at a moment decide to personally ask Him to save you by His grace, God immediately saves you. You IMMEDIATELY become a child of God, promised eternal life with Him, are cleansed of all sin, become holy before God, and are brand new! Eternal life and abundant life truly begin!

Drawing close to God starts here. In fact, without receiving Jesus, without receiving Him by praying a prayer from your heart, similar to the one that follows, you can never draw near to the Lord, nor experience power through your prayers. It all begins by restoring your relationship with the God who loves you and provides the way for a new beginning!

PRAYER

“Jesus, more than ever I recognize that I’m a sinner. I’ve rebelled against your holy Word and nature. I also realize that even though I have sinned, you love me so much! It humbles me to know that even though I have not cared for you, let alone thought of you throughout my life, you want to forgive me and have already drawn near to me.

Jesus, I believe that you suffered on the cross for me, died, was buried, and rose again. I ask you by your grace, save me! I need you! Forgive me! I receive you into my life and trust you alone to save me now.

Right now, I receive you, your forgiveness, and eternal life! Thank you that right now, I am promised to live eternally with you and have made me born from above!

Thank you, Jesus! Amen!”