A First-Hand Experience with a Living God

I’m stuck in a particular spiritual “lane”. Not long ago, I did an exhaustive study on prayer. Since then, the topic of communicating with God has captivated me. The very idea of being able to communicate with the mighty God of the generations mystifies me. Beyond that, I’m further perplexed that He wants to talk to me. Aren’t you?

I have proof that God wants to fellowship with you and me. Want to know what it is? It’s His Holy Spirit! One of the chief purposes of the Holy Spirit is to reveal the heart of God so we can learn His ways first-hand. He speaks the words of God in ways we can understand. He helps us comprehend Scripture.

In John Bevere’s book “Drawing Near”, he explains it so well. He says God wants a dialogue with us and not just a monologue. Very often, we come to God with our laundry list of needs, desires, and wants. For most of us, it is very rare to wait during prayer. Sit quietly at His feet and listen for His responses. Personally, I think one of the reasons God must use others to speak to us so often is because we don’t listen during our own prayer time.

Furthermore, I love Bevere’s revelation about Israel’s extravagance with God’s grace. As I read the words on his page, they seemed almost three-dimensional to me. They spoke to me and they rebuked me – all at once!

Check it out. Have you ever noticed how the children of Israel got into such trouble in the desert while Moses did not? They fell into recurrent disbelief, lived in rebellion, and consistently complained about everything! I often wondered what was up with them. Not long after, I would wonder “what’s up with me?” I do the same thing sometimes!

Honestly, I never caught on until Bevere explained it so wittingly. The answer lies in the burning bush and the mountain in which Moses went to pray.

Do you remember the burning bush? In Exodus 3, Moses was going about his usual work day when he noticed the bush burning. The bush burned but wasn’t consumed. Moses was puzzled. He went over to investigate this strange phenomenon. Little did he know he was walking into a life-changing encounter with the living God! He would never be the same after hearing the beautiful voice of our God. He cultivated a closeness to God at that moment that propelled him into His destiny!

The children of Israel did not have such a personal encounter with God. Their relationship with Him was second-hand. As a result, they didn’t know Him the way Moses did, they didn’t love Him the way Moses did and they couldn’t trust Him the way Moses did. How many of us [needlessly] live our lives with a second-hand experience with Jesus? We rely on grandma’s faith, mama’s faith, or daddy’s experience with Jesus. Not good. We need our own to trust Him as we should.

Jesus’ death on the cross gave you unlimited access to God. He made a personal encounter with God possible and available. Genuine encounters with God change your life. After an encounter, it’s easier to behave in alignment with His word and trust Him with your destiny-it’s all in the fellowship and the personal encounter.

Encounter God in prayer, Godsy Girl. Learn to respond when He calls you as He did Moses in the manner of Exodus 19:3. When He beckons, go to Him. When He doesn’t, go to Him. Spend regular time with the Living God and experience for yourself the mighty One who mends broken hearts, repairs marriages, calms wayward children, brings resources when times are tight, and heals the sick.