4 Ways to Draw Near to God

In Devotional by Andy ComerLeave a Comment

Why is it when a child gets scared in the middle of the night, he/she wants to crawl into bed with mommy and daddy?

It seems like every other night about 2am Erin and I welcome a little munchkin into our bed. I guess when your kids are ages 7, 4, and 2, there’s a good chance that one of them is going to get scared by a bad dream or a strange sound.

The result is always fear that causes those little feet to tip-toe across the dark house into mommy and daddy’s room. Once the child has snuggled his/her way in between the two guardians of danger, he/she is fast asleep.

So what’s the difference?

Why are children not able to sleep amidst the fear of their own room, but they are able to sleep in the presence of their parents?

There’s no difference in the level of darkness in the child’s room verses the parent’s room. Nothing has changed in the environment of the house.  The boogie man didn’t leave all of a sudden.

The only thing that changed was proximity to the parent. The presence of mom and dad removes the presence of fear. There is security, safety, and comfort for a child when he/she is near a parent.

Isn’t the same true for us spiritually?

There is a great promise for God’s children found in James 4:8.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

When we enter into the presence of the Lord we find security, safety, and comfort. It doesn’t matter how dark the world is around us, there is peace for the soul in the presence of the Savior!

There is peace for the soul in the presence of the Savior! Click To Tweet

How do we draw near to God?

Worship with your Church Family. 

When you worship with your church family you are drawing near to God.  God can use your pastor to minister to you, music to inspire you, and other believers to encourage you. When you miss church, you aren’t just missing another service. You’re missing an opportunity to encounter the presence of God.

Read God’s Word. 

Don’t skip over this one. Spending time in God’s Word is radically different than reading any other book. When you dive into God’s Word you are jumping into the very thoughts of God. The words you read are His Words!  They are powerful. They bring life. They teach, reproof, correct, and train in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

Spend Time in Prayer

I’ve been married to Erin for over 10 years. The more we communicate the more we learn about each other. The same is true in our walk with Christ. If you want to draw near to God, start your day by talking with Him. Converse with Him throughout the day.  Don’t just call Him up for emergency situations. Set aside daily time to pray.

Follow the Leading of the Holy Spirit. 

If you’re saved, you have the Holy Spirit living within you as a deposit for what’s to come (Ephesians 1:14). God’s presence is not this mystical, elusive energy that you have to seek out and find. As a child of God, His presence is gifted to you through the Holy Spirit! One way we can draw near the presence of God is to follow the leading of His Spirit in our lives.

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