Many people think about God in terms of religion and following a set of rules. Yet it is different with Jesus. His priority is for us to know how much He loves us.
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” I John 4:10
Jesus’ death on the cross demonstrates the depth of His love for us and His love for us is the foundation of our ability to love Him and love others.
Any strong relationship involves talking and listening. Building our relationship with God involves listening to Him through the Bible and relating to Him through prayer.
Reading the Bible enables you to get to know God and His plan for your life. The more you know Him, the easier it is to trust Him.
God is always communicating with us and one of the ways He does this is through the Bible. The Bible is not like any other book. It is the inspired word of God.
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16
Prayer is simply talking with and listening to God. God invites us to tell him how we feel, what we think and what we desire. He invites us to ask Him what He might want for us.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
What do you think it means to pray without ceasing?
It doesn’t mean that we would never spend time doing anything else. Rather, we can be mindful of God’s presence as we go about our daily life, having continual “conversation” with Him, asking Him to help us understand His love and how He would like us to live.
The Bible is made up of 66 separate books written by God’s people. Start with the book entitled “Mark.” Read a few paragraphs a day and answer these questions:
Take five minutes and talk to God about anything you’d like. Ask him specifically to reveal His love for you. As you think about God during the day, inwardly acknowledge His presence in your life.
God, thank you for loving me enough to want to have a relationship with me. Thank you for “speaking” to me through the Bible. Help me to understand more about your love and plan for me as I read it. Thanks for giving me permission to talk to you too. Remind me of your presence throughout my day. Help me to love what you love. Amen.
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