What has your heart? Is it your family, friends, your hobbies, career, or even your ministry? Maybe it’s a passion for art, travel, music, entertainment, or food. It’s easy to find ourselves living with half-hearted devotion to God.
James urges believers to humbly submit to God in order to overcome temptation and resist Satan. He gives an invitation, and promise of God’s presence, when we wholeheartedly seek Him. God’s love for His people is eternally unconditional, inexhaustible, and perfect. Believers need God’s supernatural love because we daily combat supernatural hate.
“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
Through Jesus Christ, God draws near to us in passionate pursuit. The holy covers the unholy. The infinite reaches down to the finite. Perfection actively pursues the imperfect.
Our relationship with God does not simply consist of a one-time confession of faith in Christ Jesus. In the same way that a marriage is much more than simply the wedding ceremony, our life in Christ does not end on our day of salvation.
The moment we surrender our lives to God, we are a new creation with God’s DNA. We are immediately united as one in love, through faith, with God Almighty. However, this spiritual relationship must be nurtured and developed in order to grow.
“We have as much of God as we actually want.” ~ A.W. Tozer
Our relationship with God strengthens as we make a commitment each and every day to put Him first. God already took the initiative to put us first – to give us His best – when He made the supreme and ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. God the Father covers us with His love. God the Son pleads and prays for us each and every day. God the Holy Spirit lives within us comforting and helping us in our weaknesses.
We have all of God, but does He truly have all of us?
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Distractions and temptations will come. Our hearts will constantly be drawn away from the goodness of God towards our responsibilities and our obligations at home and at work. We will be seduced by the lure of everything this world has to offer. We will be tempted to doubt the goodness and love of God, especially when we are suffering and heartbroken. Yet, we must fight to draw near to God.
Nothing about us surprises God. He knows every single one of our sins, our weaknesses, our flaws, and our failings. God knows us intimately and loves us still. So even when we fail Him, God will not fail on the promises He has made. He remains committed when we stray. He pursues us when we wander. He loves us even when we disregard Him. God’s love compels Him to move towards us full of compassion, mercy, and grace.
“For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
James teaches us in this chapter that true faith is strengthened as we diligently commit to God. As we rest in God’s overflowing grace, we are free to live the most radical life of love and sacrifice here on earth. We won’t be perfect. We will stumble. All believers are eternal works in progress, and construction sites are often messy. However, we persevere and press into God.
This is not a passive relationship to which we are called. Believers must choose God each and every day. We must submit to Him each and every day. We keep drawing nearer to Him each and every day. We keep cleansing and purifying ourselves to grow more and more like Jesus each and every day. We persevere in this because it is the love of Christ which compels us.
God rescues undeserving and unworthy believers from death and the bondage of sin through the sacrifice of His Son. God places infinite and immeasurable value on us, so He can be absolutely trusted with our full devotion. We can humbly give all of ourselves to Him because He gives all of Himself to us.
- How intentional have you been when it comes to diligently drawing near to God?
- Where are you struggling to give of yourself fully to the Lord?
- How can we pray for you as you strive to give God your wholehearted devotion?
Peace and grace to you,
Terria serves on the LGG encourager and social media teams. She lives in Virginia with her husband. She is a proud mother of two beautiful girls in college. Her passionate goal is to ignite and empower a generation of millennial women to grab hold of God’s truth and cling to it. She can be tracked down hard at work in busy hospitals listening to patients’ stories while sharing the lessons and love that God has poured out in her life. Despite the sometimes chaotic circumstances of Terria’s life, God always shows Himself strong and loving.
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Friends, we are excited to announce our next study, Fear & Anxiety: Learning to Overcome with God’s Truth!
Begins: February 26th
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My husband and I are in the process of making some big decisions. We have been praying and seeking Gods Will for months yet every door has been closed. It is a hard place to pray and seek God and be met with silence. We know we are to wait until He gives clear direction and I can see Him moving in peripheral areas of my life. But right now we are in the dark, quiet, still place of God’s waiting room. Please pray with us that as e draw near to God He will reveal Himself to us.
Oh Lacey,
I personally know that feeling of uncertainty and angst and frustration wondering where God is and what He is doing. I’m going through it now. I’d love to sound all super-spiritual and tell you that if you just pray more or worship more or read the Bible more it gets easier. But, it hasn’t gotten easier, not for me. It’s been a messy process, riddled with doubt and self-pity, as I fight to persevere and press in to God. YES…I will absolutely pray for you and your husband as you struggle to focus on His light in the midst of darkness. Keep praying! Keep pushing! Keep fighting! You are not alone! ❤️
Wow! Terria, thank you for these powerful words. What a way to start our day….to end our week…!!
I needed to hear these words of assurance and have this challenge put to me again. Bless you, sweet sister!
Cheryl,
Thank you for your beautiful words of encouragement. I actually needed these words for myself as I had really been struggling with this very issue. It’s amazing how God works! ❤️
Drawing near to the Lord IS an act of intentionality and that means we have to deliberately take the time to do it! How valuable this idea is to the Christian walk. Thank you, Terria
Vanessa,
I’m finding that being diligent to draw near to God has been the toughest thing for me. There are so many distractions in life. I often find myself equating participation in church and with bible study as drawing near to God when it really can be quite different. Sometimes when I’m not careful I miss God in the midst of religion. You’re so right that we have to be intentional and deliberate about seeking Him! Thank you for that reminder! ❤️
Thank yoI for helping me, because I truly did not feel that church attendance has anything to do with my closeness to the Lord. But then of course the negative voices try to put guilt on you. Yes I am glad you spoke it out. Not saying that church participation is not a good thing, it’s not the only thing. Stay real my dear sister and I know we will make it through… I choose Jesus everyday! Thanks again?
I had to write down to Everyday choose God because that just hit me that many days I do not. I want to actively pursue him and a solid relationship with God so I have to choose that for my life each and every day! Thank you for placing that simple but eye opening concept on my heart.
Tari,
You are so right! Active pursuit…I love that! It is so simple, but can be soooo hard to do. I thank God for His overwhelming and all-consuming love, grace, and mercy that doesn’t rely on us getting it right every single day! Hope you’re loving the study (and being changed by it) like I am! ❤️
~Terria
I find my biggest challenge in drawing near to God to be prayer. I love having a regular Bible study that keeps me in the word and regular church attendance that provides great fellowship and teach, but sometimes I wonder if God wouldn’t just prefer that I put all of those things aside and just talk with Him. But it’s hard. Anyone that knows me would say I am a great multi-tasker. And that’s an asset in my work, and it was great when I was balancing that with motherhood, school activities, volunteer work, etc. But it can be a detriment to my prayer life. I am SO easily distracted. My brain can work on multiple tracks all at the same time. I wish I was better and FOCUS. I’ve even tried praying out loud. That does help, but it can still be tough. Any suggestions?
Hi Nancy!
Wow…diligent and fervent prayer is soooo tough to persist in doing. I wish there were easy answers to gain more motivation and more willingness. I, too, would love to hear any suggestions that would make prayer easier. The one revelation that I have had about prayer, though, is that it is through the process of prayer (not simply the prayer itself) that God transforms me.
There are so many times that I have prayed a purely selfish prayer. An example: “Get me out of this uncomfortable situation.” I find that as I persevere (through His love for me) and I keep praying each day the Holy Spirit keeps slowly but surely transforming my prayers into ones that align with His will. My prayer slowly changes from “Make it stop.” to “Help me to survive it.” to “Make me more patient.” to “Help me to endure it without complaining.” to “Help me to be a light even as I suffer.” to “Help me to comfort others who are going through the same thing I went through.” Without even paying attention or even willfully doing it, the Holy Spirit changes me from the inside out.
During the “process” of prayer, I’m totally exposed to God. My motives and selfishness and disbelief and apathy are completely evident to God. When I pray, He hears me, meets me where I am, empathizes with me, comforts me. During that process, I learn about me as well. I actually discovered that the reason I didn’t pray more is because deep down (hidden in my heart)I didn’t think prayer would make a difference. I often have to remind myself that God’s goal for me is not a more comfortable and easy life, but a more holy and obedient life that reflects His Son.
Your situation is very different from mine, but I think God wants the same thing from all of us. He wants us to share our life with Him. Share everything! Talk about your highs, your lows, your doubts, your mistakes, the things you love, the things you hate. Tell Him how hard it is to balance everything. Tell Him about the pressure to get things done. Tell Him how prayer just seems too hard, too complicated, and boring! Expose it all! Expose yourself boldly knowing that He loves you unconditionally no matter what. Then simply allow Him to work.
I know that was a lot! ? Probably waaaayyyyy more than you wanted! I just want you to know that you are not alone in this. I still struggle with it. I thank God for His grace and mercy on the days when I have my epic fails and then I start fresh the next day. I’ll be praying for you and I ask that you pray for me. Keep persevering even when it feels like you’re failing at it, because God’s work in us is never done! When we judge ourselves and even give up on ourselves, God’s love never fails, never gives up, and never runs out on us. ❤️
~Terria
Wow, Terria! Thank you! (And no, it wasn’t too much. It was perfect. 🙂 )
Loved this! Thank you! (thought this was a fitting song by Rachel Chan, daughter of Francis Chang – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndl0BjwQgFs)
Tashina I love this song!
?God is with us everyplace. His open arms are filled of grace. Will draw us near as we draw near by faith ?
So beautiful! Thank you for sharing! ❤️
Sometimes I am so busy thinking through a bout of pain that comes sometimes with the slightest touch to my feet or mostly walking on them. I have a chronic painful skin disorder and it’s been active for a good year now. I believe I am in prayer a lot I just don’t realize it. Todays Bible study which was Thursday for all of you but Sunday for me. I am thankful I completed them even though they are late. So much information for Stephi, prayers, and thoughts from Sage, thank you, Sage, your words are like a salve for my soul. To sum up and in retrospect, I was touched by how many prayers took place in my study. I try not to focus on prayer and just believe that my wandering thoughts are prayers, my care is prayer. Thank you, everybody, for your words. They made my heart sing.