The Power of PrayerSample

 Day 1: A God Who is Near

The image that we have of God is one of someone who is supposed to give us something that we need. This is the general idea that religion has taught us: A God from whom we can get something. Some believe that God is a great supplier for the needs of men. Let’s go to the store and choose what we want. 

While God is happy to bless his children, we must understand that there is something more--that God loves us and wants to be near to us in more than just our needs. The Bible says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” God wants to have a relationship with you based off of more than just your requests, and he doesn’t want to play at religion. 

Jesus used simple elements to show us spiritual things so that we could understand them better. He used water to say, “If you are thirsty, come to me and drink.” Why did he use water? Because it is essential to live; you cannot go one day without having it. Jesus compared himself with this vital element to show clearly that we cannot go one day without having him. Drawing near to God is meant to be a constant in our lives. We generally go to church when we are baptized, when we get married, and eventually when we die. Imagine if one were to only drink water three times in their life! We should go deeper in relationship with God--establish daily communication with him--and we will begin to receive great blessings. 

If Jesus promises to quench us, which is the most basic requirement of life that must be filled? Thirst. His presence satisfies our thirst. That is the signal for the Holy Spirit to descend: Thirst. When an airplane is flying, it needs a signal in order to find the airstrip; there is no other way for it to land. When drawing near to his destination, a pilot has only one objective: identify the signal for the landingstrip. So it follows in the spiritual: God cannot descend if he does not find a runway, a heart where he can land. Once again, like what happens to the pilot, God will continue to wait for authorization from the tower to land. God waits for our initiative. We are supposed to draw near to him so that he can draw near to us. 

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