What does God want in my communication with him?
Psalm 145:18-19The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
God wants you to be sincere when you talk to him. To be sincere means to be honest about your motives and to talk to him because you want to, not because you are supposed to.
1 Kings 19:10-13Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Psalm 46:10“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
Sometimes you must be still, quiet, and prepared to hear God speak. Sometimes you must spend time in his presence without feeling the need to verbalize prayer. Just go into his presence and listen, ready to hear him speak to your heart and mind.
Psalm 62:8O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 145:18-19The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
Ephesians 3:12Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
Hebrews 10:22Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
God wants you to approach him with confidence.
Colossians 4:2Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
God wants you to make your communication with him a priority. Devote yourself to regular, consistent prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
1 Thessalonians 5:17Never stop praying.
God wants your communication with him to be often and persistent. Never give up when God seems slow to answer.
Psalm 63:1-8O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
God wants you to communicate your reverence and worship for him. The more you know God the more you long for him.
Job 13:23“Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin.”
Psalm 26:2Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.
Psalm 32:5Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Psalm 51:1-4Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
Psalm 139:23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
God wants to show you where sin has a stronghold in your life. Then he wants you to be honest and vulnerable about it, and confess it so he can remove it. Confession will restore your communication with God.
Job 1:20-22Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
Luke 22:42“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Hebrews 5:7While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.
God wants to communicate his will for you, so you must be open to what he wants you to do, even if the path lies through difficult circumstances. His plan for you will always lead to a more fulfilling life.
1 Samuel 12:23“As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.”
Ephesians 1:16I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly.
Colossians 1:9So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
1 Thessalonians 5:23Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
1 Timothy 2:1I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
God wants your communication with him to include others and their needs. You aren’t the only one who needs God’s help!
John 11:41So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.”
Romans 14:6Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.
Philippians 4:6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
1 Timothy 4:4-5Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.
God wants you to communicate to him with an attitude of gratitude. What are the last three wonderful things God did for you? Have you thanked him?
