Something different in your relationship with God

By SHERYL H. BOLDT

“Are you ready?” I called to my roommate from the second floor.
“Yeah … just give me another minute,” Marlene answered.
I looked over the railing and saw her sitting on the couch with her Bible open. She stood, then leaned over to read a little bit more. She simply couldn’t tear herself away.
What I saw that day was a beautiful picture of a child of God lingering in her Father’s presence. This memory continues to inspire me today.
Do you regularly enjoy talking with and listening to your heavenly Father? Of course, if we’re honest, not every quiet time (moments spent praying and reading our Bibles) is magical. There are times when we’re not really “feeling it,” and it seems as if we’re talking to ourselves.
If we persevere in our quest to know God and “the wonders of His Person” (Philippians 3:10 AMPC), however, we’ll experience days when it will be hard to tear ourselves away from His presence. We’ll long for another look into His Word. Just one more glimpse into His personality, His heart, His ways.
But perhaps you don’t really care that much about God – and frankly, you’re not so sure He cares about you. Or maybe, until now, you’ve had an I-pray-when-I-need-something relationship with God.
But now you want something different, especially during this Lenten season.
If you don’t have a desire for God, but would like to, let this be your first (or next) prayer: “God, help me want to know You. Amen.”
Then, pray it again the next day.
You may discover that each day you sincerely and thoughtfully pray this simple prayer, you‘ll sense a growing desire to know God as your heavenly Father. As you continue to do this, you may sense God’s nearness (His presence). The more you feel His nearness, the more you’ll experience a peace you’ve never felt before.
Allow yourself to get to know God a bit more each day. Try reading the Bible (the book of John is a good place to start). Take a few minutes to think about what you read and talk to God about what’s on your heart. Discover how much your heavenly Father loves you.
Then linger in His presence just a little while longer.

Sheryl H. Boldt is a sales executive for Wave 94 and author of the blog, TodayCanBeDifferent.net. Connect with her at SherylHBoldt.Wave94@gmail.com.